Captains of the Clouds

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Captains of the Clouds

Released Feb 21, 1942

1h 53m

War

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6 Reviews

49%

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250+ Ratings

Brian MacLean (James Cagney) is an overconfident Canadian bush pilot who does not think twice before stealing any flying opportunity from his fellow pilots. But when he joins the air force at the beginning of World War II, his disregard for authority causes more problems than he can imagine. To clear his reputation, protect his friends, and win the respect of the military, Brian learns that he must act for the benefit of his country instead of himself.

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James Agee

TIME Magazine

Although Cagney is much better than his thankless role, the real heroes of Captains are Director Michael Curtiz and his five cameramen ...

Feb 27, 2018

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Captains of the Clouds could benefit from a stronger script but the cinematography and Steiner's score are among the few highlights in this RCAF enlistment booster.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 28, 2023

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The movie's complete bosh, but the Technicolor lensing is impressive and Cagney is in his element as a brash brawler.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 26, 2022

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Aurelio Pego

Cine-Mundial

A movie that is as brutal as it is human, with a strong argument, allows us to sympathize with the protagonist. [Full Review in Spanish]

Sep 12, 2019

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

James Cagney's first color film, an aviation tale, was Oscar nominated for Cinematography and Interior Decoration

Rated: B

Aug 25, 2012

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Steve Crum

Kansas City Kansan

Cagney is a bush pilot facing a fleet of Nazi raiders in this morale-boosting aviation drama from Warner Brothers.

Rated: B+

Oct 25, 2004

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Bob D

Corny and a pretty weak plot but eminently watchable. A mixture of real aerial cinematography and miniatures. No cgi back then. Cagney. If a stretch as a Canadian pulls off hopis obnoxious tough guy with a heat in the right place roll. Designed no doubt to be a morale builder for the WW2 Canadian and US audiences it somehow works.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/30/25

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j f

An Eisenhower-esque attempt to appease the anglo-canuck war effort. James Cagney's warm-hearted, yet rebellious and haughty character would have made a lot more sense if script was written about Alaskan bush pilots and USAAF.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/23/23

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Audience Member

It was a coincidence, this being Remembrance Day, that I threw on this selection from the James Cagney Signature Collection DVD boxed set, and it's weird that this Hollywood film came out as a tribute to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Really unique as a war film, and I loved Billy Bishop's cameo, in his full title, giving out 'wings' to those fortunate pilots who successfully passed RCAF training. Especially recommended for fans either of James Cagney or war films in general.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

It was a coincidence, this being Remembrance Day, that I threw on this selection from the James Cagney Signature Collection DVD boxed set, and it's weird that this Hollywood film came out as a tribute to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Really unique as a war film, and I loved Billy Bishop's cameo, in his full title, giving out 'wings' to those fortunate pilots who successfully passed RCAF training. Especially recommended for fans either of James Cagney or war films in general.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

I yield to no one in my admiration of James Cagney as actor. But quite frankly, he's too urban, too much from the sidewalks of New York to be a convincing Canadian bush pilot. But Brian McLean is a typical cocky Cagney character. So if you can get past Cagney's speech pattern, you'll enjoy the film.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Audience Member

What is special about this movie is that the real Billy Bishop appears near the end, and Jimmy Cagney is timeless. A Canadian connection makes it personally fun.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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Michael Curtiz

Director

James Cagney

Brian MacLean

Dennis Morgan

Johnny Dutton

Brenda Marshall

Emily Foster

Alan Hale

Francis Patrick "Tiny" Murphy

George Tobias

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Synopsis

Brian MacLean (James Cagney) is an overconfident Canadian bush pilot who does not think twice before stealing any flying opportunity from his fellow pilots. But when he joins the air force at the beginning of World War II, his disregard for authority causes more problems than he can imagine. To clear his reputation, protect his friends, and win the respect of the military, Brian learns that he must act for the benefit of his country instead of himself.

Director: Michael Curtiz
Producer: Hal B. Wallis
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre: War
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 21, 1942, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 53m

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