ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT IS MISSING
1942

Although considered a wartime propaganda film, and made under the authority of the Ministry of Information as part of a series of films specifically aimed at boosting morale, the story and production values elevated it from the usual fare. Today, it is considered one of the "best of British films of the era."

The screenplay was not completely finished by the time filming commenced. It remained that way for most of the production. One of the reasons for continual revisions to the screenplay were the constant advances in wartime technology that were occurring. The Admiralty informed the producers and directors of the use of "lobster pots," floating steel platforms, hitherto unknown to the public, that had been anchored in the North Sea to facilitate rescue of downed airmen. When Powell learned of this innovation, he pointedly rewrote the screenplay to include this refuge as the means to deliver the crew to safety and With help from the Ministry of Information, permission to use these platforms was obtained.

The film finishes with the coat of arms of the Netherlands on screen, with the caption, "The Netherlands will rise again!", while the Wilhelmus (the Dutch national anthem) is played.

Notably, there is no scored music, Powell deliberately strove for "naturalism" relying on natural sounds that would be heard by the characters.

PLOT
On its way back from a raid on the city of Stuttgart, Germany, a British bomber is shot down over Nazi-held Holland. Parachuting into Dutch farmlands under cover of darkness, the six-member crew, led by stalwart pilot John Glyn Haggard (Hugh Burden) and crusty Yorkshireman co-pilot Tom Earnshaw (Eric Portman), connects with members of the local resistance, led by schoolteacher Els (Pamela Brown), who shelter the Brits from their Nazi inquisitors as they make their way towards freedom.

CAST
Godfrey Tearle ... Sir George Corbett - Rear Gunner in B for Bertie
Eric Portman ... Tom Earnshaw - Second Pilot in B for Bertie
Hugh Williams ... Frank Shelley - Observer / Navigator in B for Bertie
Bernard Miles ... Sgt Geoff Hickman - Front Gunner in B for Bertie
Hugh Burden ... John Glyn Haggard - Pilot in B for Bertie
Emrys Jones ... Bob Ashley - Radio Operator in B for Bertie
Pamela Brown ... Els Meertens
Joyce Redman ... Jet van Dieren
Googie Withers ... Jo de Vries
Hay Petrie ... The Burgomaster
Selma Van Dias ... Burgomeister's wife
Arnold Marlé ... Pieter Sluys
Robert Helpmann ... De Jong
Peter Ustinov ... The Priest
Alec Clunes ... The Organist

Directors: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

RUNNING TIME: 102 MINUTES