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Chain Lightning

Play trailer Poster for Chain Lightning Released Feb 18, 1950 1h 34m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 1 Reviews 26% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Former World War II flying ace Matt Brennan (Humphrey Bogart) takes a position as a test pilot for a commercial aircraft corporation and bumps into his old girlfriend, Jo Holloway (Eleanor Parker), who now works as a receptionist for the company. As daredevil Matt tries to rekindle his once passionate romance with Jo, he courageously takes the most dangerous assignment of his career when he consents to use an unorthodox, unproven ejector seat while flying at death-defying speeds.

Critics Reviews

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Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Humphrey Bogart made so many great films at Warner Bros. that it's disappointing his final collaboration with the studio turned out to be one of his weaker efforts. Rated: 2.5/4 Jun 26, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Steve D Solid but unremarkable. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/24/23 Full Review Preserving Cinema C Although chain lightning is not Humphrey Bogart‘s most acclaimed film, it's definitely one of his most ambitious. The fast paced Chain lightning brings in the future of aeronautics to the public of 1950 in a two hour action pack film that goes by very quickly, No pun intended. All in all the film has got good action, it's fast paced,it has a little bit of romance in there and overall it's a solid good hearted story. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/01/23 Full Review s r For some reason I watched this and enjoyed it for its look at the military industrial complex. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Humphrey Bogart has a WWII wartime romance, but is tragically separated from his love, only to reunite with her years later but now finds that she is together with another man. No, it's not "Casablanca" but the similarities are hard to ignore. However, this is hardly a Michael Curtiz production and instead is a pretty dull film with Bogey, instead of playing the dashing club owner, Rick Blain, is not a test pilot who realized the company owner is married to his wartime sweetheart. Eleanor Parker is good as the romantic interest, but the film is hardly compelling. If anything, I wanted the story to focus on the daring of these early test pilots, ala "The Right Stuff." Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member ok second tier bogie in this rom-dram the poster is from the 1924 western with the same name-fix it flixter! Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member The poster placed here has nothing to do with Humphrey Bogart's movie "Chain lightning". Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Chain Lightning

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Cast & Crew

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Stuart Heisler

Director

Humphrey Bogart

Lt. Col. Matthew `'Matt'` Brennan

Eleanor Parker

Joan `'Jo'` Holloway

Raymond Massey

Leland Willis

Richard Whorf

Carl Troxell

James Brown

Maj. Hinkle
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Chain Lightning

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Movie Info

Synopsis Former World War II flying ace Matt Brennan (Humphrey Bogart) takes a position as a test pilot for a commercial aircraft corporation and bumps into his old girlfriend, Jo Holloway (Eleanor Parker), who now works as a receptionist for the company. As daredevil Matt tries to rekindle his once passionate romance with Jo, he courageously takes the most dangerous assignment of his career when he consents to use an unorthodox, unproven ejector seat while flying at death-defying speeds.
Director
Stuart Heisler
Producer
Anthony Veiller
Screenwriter
Liam O'Brien, Vincent B. Evans
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 18, 1950, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 16, 2016
Runtime
1h 34m