Leofwine_draca A solidly engaging WW2 thriller from the Powell/Pressburger team. This one's a straightforward story about a bomber crew who go on a bombing raid over Stuttgart but who are forced to parachute out of their plane when it's hit by anti-aircraft fire. They land in Nazi-occupied Holland and are forced to put themselves at the mercy of local resistance members in order to escape.A premise like this is ripe for suspense and ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT IS MISSING doesn't disappoint in this respect. The story has a ring of authenticity to it and is enlivened by the stalwart efforts of the cast members who include Eric Portman, Bernard Miles, and Hugh Burden among their number. I thought that the special effects for the era - let us not forget this was made while the war was still going on - were very good. The bits in Holland tone it down a notch but the story picks back up towards the climax, leading to a thrilling ending. There's very little to dislike here.

asinyne The first thirty or forty minutes of this film do a wonderful job of depicting what it must have been like doing a bombing run during WWII. I was really glued to the realistic scenes aboard the bomber. The cramped quarters and the hopeful attitude of the airmen seemed right on the money to me. Unfortunately the rest of the movie become a typically dry British exercise in film making with all the usual escape from behind enemy lines situations. Still, the bombing parts were just outstanding and well worth the time I spent. It was fun to see a really young Ustinov looking nothing like his studious self. I wish they had made most of the film about what happened in the air. It would have been a classic. After they hit the ground, I just didn't feel it that much. The leading lady didn't have a chin either which bugged me...sorry!

GManfred Once again the Archers come through with a very entertaining picture. I think the film would be much more pertinent to, and was probably aimed at, WWII British audiences, but it is nevertheless top quality motion picture entertainment for either side of the Atlantic.Although it starts out in a different vein than most - A British bomber flying unmanned until it crashes - there is surprisingly little action for a war picture and is mainly a character study about the airmen who bailed out of her. All parts are professionally done, especially Bernard Miles' and Godfrey Tearle's, and special mention must go to Googie Withers who labored in movies all those years with a funny name. It is she who takes acting honors in this one as the 'contact' posing as a Nazi sympathizer.The World War II conflict in the European theater has provided an endless supply of thrilling and exciting movies with the Nazis as the natural 'bad guys', and here is another. Although they were not all as dim-witted as portrayed in movies, it is always fun to watch them come out on the short end. This film is well worth your time whether you are a war movie buff or not.

didi-5 "...one of our aircraft is missing ..." is a well-cast and well-written piece from Powell and Pressburger, key film makers in 1940s Britain.The crew of B for Bertie find themselves lost in enemy territory and have to depend on the resources of others to get them to safety. The crew are played by some of the best actors of the time: Godfrey Tearle as the upper-class rear gunner; Eric Portman as the bluff Yorkshire co-pilot; Hugh Williams (father of 1970s actor Simon) as the refined navigator; Bernard Miles - better than usual - as the front gunner; High Burden as the pilot; and Emrys Jones as the Welsh sportsman who became the radio operator.In support are Googie Withers, P&P regular Pamela Brown, Joyce Redman, Robert Helpmann (as the quisling), Alec Clunes (father of Martin) as the church organist, and Peter Ustinov (in his film debut) as the priest.This film has been done as a drama-documentary so has a very realistic feel and look, pulling the viewer right into the action alongside the aircraft crew. It is less atmospheric than the 30s P&P films featuring Conrad Veidt and perhaps represented a more grounded style to their work before their Technicolor fantasies of the late 40s.