In 1939, the US Air Corps had 20,000 men enlisted and 2,400 planes. By 1944, the newly named (and nearly autonomous) Army Air Force (AAF) had expanded to 2.4 million personnel and 80,000 planes. To fight the new war in the air, America was forced to rapidly develop its aviation division. And recruiting films like Winning Your Wings (1942) played a huge role in getting the word out to an American public unfamiliar with Cadet Training and the specialized role of the Air Corps.

A year and a half prior to US entry into WWII, the Army asked Warner Bros. to produce a series of shorts to familiarize the public with various military branches. Jack L. Warner took the job very seriously. So seriously that he would eventually help form the First Motion Picture Unit of the AAF (responsible for all training and combat films). He would also be commissioned as a lieutenant colonel. Writer Owen Crump, himself a captain, was instrumental in the creation of many First Motion Picture Unit Films - among them Winning Your Wings. Crump wrote and directed the film, which was shot at Warner's Burbank studio in fourteen days.

The film starred a young lieutenant named James Stewart. The actor had joined up a year earlier, making him one of the first in Hollywood to enlist. He was already an Oscar® winner for The Philadelphia Story (1940), not to mention having received a nomination for his role in Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). According to Stewart, he had to talk his way into the Air Corps after being refused entry for coming in five pounds under the minimum weight requirement. Nevertheless, he amassed a distinguished war record rising to the rank of colonel, flying missions over enemy territory and earning numerous honors (the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Croix de Guerre and 7 battle stars). After the war, Stewart served in the Air Force reserves, finally retiring in 1968 as a brigadier general - the highest ranked actor in the US military.

In Winning Your Wings, Stewart plays an ideal representative of the Air Corps - able to give a first hand account of basic training. He answers questions, like "What if I'm too young?" or "Can I finish college first? " He explains each position of the nine-man plane crew from pilot to photographer. And describes the equally essential ground force, emphasizing that it's not all piloting - it's teamwork. He also throws in some humor, reminding cadets of the "effect those shiny little wings can have on a gal."

Winning Your Wings was released in theaters in May 1942 and was shown in high schools. The impact was enormous - more than 150,000 recruits were traced directly to the film. The film would also be Oscar®-nominated as Best Documentary.

Producer: Jack L. Warner
Director: Owen Crump
Screenplay: Owen Crump
Cast: James Stewart (himself), Jean Ames (High Schooler's Sister), Leah Baird (High Schooler's Mother), Don DeFore (Gas Station Attendant), Charles Drake (State College Student).
BW-19m.

by Stephanie Thames