jacobs-greenwood One might logically assume that God is my Co-Pilot (1945) would be about a pilot's faith and, upon learning that it's about a fighter pilot during World War II, would describe how God was a constant companion from which he drew strength and how He helped the man survive dangerous missions through prayer etc. Nope.Instead, God is my Co-Pilot is fairly short on faith while being pretty long on the stereotypes of the genre at the time, like the derogatory language used to refer to the United States' enemy Japan, and its Zero pilots. In fact, the only time one witnesses Colonel Scott praying is near the story's end, when he prays to be part of a last mission to bomb the Japanese to Hell!Other than these disappointments, this Robert Florey directed WW II drama, adapted by Peter Milne and Abem Finkel (who shared an Oscar nomination for adapting Alvin York's WW I diary in the superior faith-based war drama Sergeant York (1941)), features some pretty good aerial combat action while detailing how the China-based Flying Tigers - led by Major General Claire L. Chennault - were so successful: they obtained military intelligence from a network of thousands of Chinese to prepare and stage their defenses in advance of any Japanese attack.Dennis Morgan plays Scott, Raymond Massey plays Chennault. Dane Clark and John Ridgely play two of Scott's fellow Flying Tigers. Andrea King plays Scott's wife Catherine, back in Georgia. Stanley Ridges and Minor Watson also appear, as officers. Richard Loo plays Tokyo Joe, Scott's chief rival in the air, and (uncredited) Philip Ahn plays a character akin to the war's Tokyo Rose, who spouted (sometimes false) propaganda over the radio to upset the Americans stationed in the Pacific.The real Scott was a war hero, notable for downing 13 of Japan's aircraft, and he may have had great faith - though he's portrayed as more self-reliant in this film. There is a faithful American - a China missionary - portrayed in the story, though Big Mike Harrigan (played by Alan Hale) appears to be a fictional character. Harrigan does pray on a couple of occasions, the last at the movie's end.

William Gruendler Here in Atlanta we mourn the death Monday, February 27th of General Robert L. Scott, ace and author of the book from which this classic movie was made. Scott owed $25,00 in back taxes after publishing his (most successful) book in the Summer of 1943 - during the height of WW II. His publisher advanced the tax money to him and gave him another assignment. The result: "Damned to Glory". Other books include "Runway to the Sun", Look of the Eagle", Tiger in the Sky and another classic IMHO: "Chennault of China". They don't make 'em - men and movies - like this any more. Scott to his last days was a fixture at the renowned Museum of Avation in Warner Robins, GA. He was always very helpful and full of stories with which to inform and regale the museum patrons. He will be sorely missed. Get the movie and the book and savor them like old wine.

unclerae-1 Considering the slur's used against the Japanese that I have heard since I can remember, was one used in the movie. I have seen this movie from the time I was six years old. Toyko Joe having missed shooting down Col. Scott, hides in the clouds and sends his two wing men to get him. Col. Scott says to him over the radio,"You wait right up there Joe, while I play Dixie on these two buck tooth pals of yours." I was surprised it was never changed, dubbed over. I have always enjoyed Mr. Loo's acting in all the Charlie Chan movies as his # 2 son. The fact he did a comedic part made it worse when he showed up as the evil Tokyo Joe.

sol1218 **SPOILERS** WWII war movie about the fabled "Flying Tigers" who battled the Japanese over the skies of China as early as 1937, four years before the attack on Pearl Harbor, and amassed a record of air-to-air combat kills against the Japanese air force of something like 40 to 1.The story "God is my Co-Pilot" actually begins in the summer of 1942 with USAF ace Col. Scott, Dennis Morgan, depressed and heart-broken because he can't be part of a major air assault against Japanese forces in China. The movie goes into a flashback where we see how Scott got interested in flying as a young boy back in Georgia and eventually joined the USAF ending up in China as the first US military man to become a member of the "Flying Tigers"; The Tigers were exclusively made up of foreign, mostly Americans,volunteers. As you would expect the "Flying Tigers" airmen aren't that hip to a USAF man who's well over combat age, Scott is 34, joining up with their exclusive flying fighters squadrons. In no time at all Scott gets the hang of it and he becomes the hero, and to the battered and bloodied Japs,villain in the Chinese Theater of War. Back home in Macon Georga Scott's exploits make the front pages and his score of air-to air kills against the Japs are posted daily as if it was the score of a Championship Football or World Series Baseball game. The movie "God is my Co-Pilot" also has a Japanese villain in the person of Japanese air ace Tokyo Joe, Richard Loo, an American educated Japanese combat pilot who, by the number of USAF kill decals under the side-window of his Zero, seemed to have accounted for all the "Flying Tiger" P-40's shot down in China. Scott has a number of encounters with Tokyo Joe during the air combat in the movie and finally shoots him out of the sky by faking that he's in trouble, his engine is on fire, tricking Joe to lose his composure and overshoot his P-40. Scott ends up putting Joe right in the middle of his cross-hairs and thus became history and yesterdays news. Scott on a mission over Japanese held Hong Kong, where he downed Tokyo Joe, loses control of his plane and crashes and is given up for dead only to show up later alive and rescued by the local Chinese peasants. Dennis Morgan is both brave and humble as Col. Robert Lee Scott and even at the hight of the fighting has second thoughts about killing people, Japanese soldiers, even in wartime. Raymond Massey is excellent as the "Flying Tiger" commanded Gen Claire L. Chennault who answers Scott prayers at the end of the movie by giving him one last chance to go into combat. this after he was rendered useless as a combat pilot because of his nerves being shattered, from the combat missions he already flew, and the tropical illnesses he contracted in China. We never really get to know how Scott's last mission turned out since the movie ends before it even begins. Watching the movie it's obvious that it was non-other then Richard Loo as the wise-cracking Japanese air ace Tokyo Joe who has the best lines, which he delivers in perfect English, and the scenes with him interacting with the USAF and "Flying Tiger" pilots, like Col. Scott, are by far the best in the movie.