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Task Force (1949) Movie Review
Task Force is a 1949 American war drama film directed by Delmer Daves and starring Gary Cooper, Jane Wyatt, and Wayne Morris. The film tells the story of the development of the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier fleet and its role in World War II, through the eyes of a retiring admiral. Task Force features actual footage of several naval battles, including the Battle of Midway.
Key Points
The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the action scenes and the performances of Cooper and Wyatt, but criticized the script and the use of stock footage. The film was also a box office disappointment, earning only $2.3 million on a $3 million budget. However, the film has since gained some appreciation from fans of naval history and aviation.
Task Force (1949) Summary
Gary Cooper stars as one of the first generation of Aircraft Carrier pilots who learns to take off and land on the USS Langley’s 65-foot deck, and who has considerable peace-time difficulties as an outspoken promoter of naval aviation, and marries the widow of a soldier who died in combat (dully chirpy Jane Wyatt).
Then the usual battles, Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Okinawa, with endlessly recycled documentary footage and bits from other movies (being the 1,434th film to filch from John Ford’s December 7th), except with the novel twist of switching from black and white to colour around the time of Okinawa to take advantage of some great colour war footage, including several breathtaking shots of a kamikaze attack.
As Admiral of the Fleet, Walter Brennan plays a rare non-antisocial role. Cooper gives one of his latter career’s professionally neutered performances.
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Task Force (1949) Movie Cast and Crew
The cast of Task Force includes Gary Cooper as Jonathan L. Scott, an admiral who dedicates his career to the advancement of naval aviation; Jane Wyatt as Mary Morgan, his wife and a former nurse; Wayne Morris as McKinney, a pilot and Scott’s friend; Walter Brennan as Pete Richard, a mechanic and Scott’s mentor; Julie London as Barbara McKinney, McKinney’s wife; and Bruce Bennett as McCluskey, a fellow officer and Scott’s rival.
If you are interested in watching Task Force, you can find it on Amazon or The Movie Database. You can also read more about the film on IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, or Movies List. I hope you enjoy the film!
