FLIGHT NURSE

US, 1953, 90 minutes, Black and white.
Joan Leslie, Forrest Tucker, Arthur Franz.
Directed by Alan Dwan.

Flight Nurse is a routine film of the 50's, produced by the Republic Studios who specialised in B features. The setting is the Korean war and the film illustrates the attitudes and the expectation of the American movie goer audience of the 50's. Joan Leslie is the attractive star,. The film was directed by Allan Dwan. Books are now being written about Dwan. His career began in the silent era and went into the 60s. He was specialist in making short features, direct and striking in their simplicity and straightforwardness. Some of them may seen banal, some of them more effective than on their first release.

1. How interesting a film? The nature of its appeal? qualities as a film?

2. As a film of the fifties in technique, black and white, war films, romance films of the time? How did it compare?

3. A film of the fifties In its patriotism, the greatness of America, the anticommunist thrust? Propaganda or drama?

4. A film of the fifties in presenting the war, the glorious fight for liberty, Korea? Attitude towards war in its makers and the audiences of the fifties?

5. A film of the fifties in its attitudes towards American pride, mobility, men and women? Comparisons with later attitudes?

6, A film of the fifties in its toughness, sentimentality, emphasis on duty? How have cinema attitudes changed? Audience attitudes?

7. Its presentation of screen behaviour as real? The type of conventional screen behaviour it had offered?

8. The technique of Polly's narration, her spirit, her capacity for love? Her role in the war, her job, sense of duty, compassion? How realistic? How admirable?

9. The work of the flight nurse? Its nobility? Polly's background, the presentation of her friends? Question of love and heroes? Her devotion, her camaraderie?

10. Mike as a hero? The romance with Polly, the accents, the home town background, the parting at the end?

11. The contrast with the pilot and his strength? The man of action and Polly loving him? Cliche or realistic?

12. The importance of the details of war, the strafing, the plane crashing, the sick and the insane?

13. The film finishing with Polly's oath and its tone? The happy ending? The film as a piece of social history of the fifties?