Toward the Unknown (1956)

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

I wanted to but couldn't!

Fantastic!

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Paint-by-numbers Air Force recruiting film piloted by paint-by-numbers hack Mervin LeRoy. There's something about agnoidal Lloyd Nolan delivering cliched lines that just adds up to docu-snooze. The visit by the Senator so the base chief can over-explain what goes on at Edwards Air Force Base is particularly galling. And having an affair with the dish behind the desk? He's old enough to be her grandfather. I can see why flying geeks like this movie, though. It's cool to see all the old planes America put to use pointlessly dropping bombs in various world sh**h*les. Bill Holden is believable as the tortured former Korean POW. Is there anything that man couldn't make you believe? No wonder he absolutely owned the 50s. One other note - the musical cues are as obvious as the plotting and dialogue. Maybe it was subbed out to an intern. If you have a b*ner for vintage fighter planes or peak Holden, this movie is worth watching once.

Before beginning this review of a good test-pilot flick, I went through all those previously posted to see if anyone noticed what I noticed. Surprisingly, no one did, surprisingly because so many aviation and Air Force buffs enjoyed "Toward the Unknown." That's not meant to be an indictment, because I missed it on my first viewing when admittedly I was not paying close attention. My second viewing was to judge the film and see if it is worth saving to DVR. It certainly is. A few comments first before I reveal the teaser hinted at in my opening:Most of the reviews and their comments are valuable concerning the aviation aspects of the film. Historical and background aspects such as the Bud Mahurin, Frank Everest, and Al Boyd connections are valid without my trying to improve on them. The set-ups, perspectives, and costuming used here by Mervyn LeRoy influenced "The Right Stuff" without a doubt.Likewise valid are comments on the performances. I fall into the camp that finds Virginia Leith a desirable adult woman but at best an average actress—her looks make me wish otherwise. William Holden delivers mainly a rehash of Harry Brubaker of "The Bridges at Toko-Ri." Lloyd Nolan is, well, Lloyd Nolan, cast because of his age and affability. That's okay with me, since I identified with him much more than Holden, particularly in the love triangle plot line. Jim Garner is barely a blip on the screen—one wishes his role was more like Mike Bailey of "Sayonara". Of the rest, Charles McGraw's reprise of his performance in Toko-Ri was the best, while Murray Hamilton, Paul Fix, and L.Q. Jones delivered solid performances of the roles they were typically type-cast in.I can't let one bone-headed review pass without comment, though. That "bad actor" Holden managed to take home a well-earned Oscar in his career, Leith is hardly "quite plain," and the way in which Lincoln Bond was thought to have "betrayed his country" was very much specified. Pay more attention to the dialog and less to your own snobbish ego.That leads to my contribution. Those of you who are Air Force film buffs will want to go back and watch for Beirne Lay's numerous references to his "Twelve O'Clock High." At least one scene, when Gen Shelby tries to cajole Banner into moving up to ARDC headquarters, is a virtual replay of an identical scene between Millard Mitchell and Gregory Peck in "Twelve O'Clock High." From there the scenes become easier to spot, among others: Davenport warning Savage "Your failure will be bigger than mine ever was", Joe Cobb's death in combat (I kept waiting for Holden to yell "Jump, you guys, jump," so close was the dialog when Joe Craven was in trouble), and Jesse Bishop's wanting a transfer out of the Air Force, echoed in Bond's wanting to resign. Banner's physical problems that suggest he might be forced to give up flying are from another Lay opus, "Strategic Air Command", made the year before.There are more, and this is not meant as a criticism. The recycling of plot devices to construct archetypal themes is as old as drama itself. Beyond Generals Banner and Shelby, Lay's use of counterparts from "Twelve O'Clock High" in his screenplay for "Toward the Unknown" is fuzzier, unless you consider that the film might be a retelling from Gately's perspective rather than Savage's. Incidents are assigned to characters where they best advance Lay's points, not for exact match-ups to the prior film. But it's fun spotting them. Tell Ted to stick to reviews of undying brains and watch this movie again.

Released from capture while serving in the Korean War, test pilot William Holden (as Lincoln "Linc" Bond) wants his military job back. Since he cracked while being tortured, there are trepidations about Mr. Holden's character and ability to carry out dangerous flight tests, but Edwards Air Force Base test center leader Lloyd Nolan (as William "Bill" Banner) decides to give Holden a chance. An even older man, Mr. Nolan has some retirement issues of his own. Also, Nolan is dating nicely figured young secretary Virginia Leith (as Connie Mitchell), who used to hang with Holden...Holden produced "Toward the Unknown" for himself, and it is not surprisingly a routine and unremarkable star vehicle. Given Holden's age, it might have been more interesting to make his character a World War II veteran with added back-story about the intervening years. Nolan is always good, here with a role that unfortunately leaves blanks in both his physical ailments and relationship with an amusing L.Q. Jones (as Sweeney). Trouble-maker Murray Hamilton (as Bromo) livens up his scenes. In his first appearance, future TV super-star James Garner plays a sympathetic part.***** Toward the Unknown (9/27/56) Mervyn LeRoy ~ William Holden, Lloyd Nolan, Virginia Leith, Charles McGraw

Solid if unexceptional aerial melodrama with William Holden playing a troubled Air Force Major hoping to get into the test pilot program at Edwards Air Force Base, but finding his recent past (which includes a suicide attempt) causing doubt and concern among his superiors. Holden's crack-up is left relatively ambiguous, yet all the harping from his fellow officers seems to equate a mental breakdown (or depression) with psychotic behavior. Ditto General Lloyd Nolan's 'advanced' age, which is brought up so often it's no wonder the man is having dizzy spells! Holden's Toluca Films (the company's one and only offering) ensured a quality production (with minimal rear projection and stock footage), however the aerial action is far more exciting than anything happening on the ground. Paul Baron's emotive score and Hal Rosson's cinematography are both first-rate, while Holden's effortless star appeal helps to override the military and romantic clichés. ** from ****