The menace of Nazi Germany blackens Europe, with Great Britain preparing for Third Reich leader Adolf Hitler's onslaught. Then, we flashback to tell the story of aviator R.J. Mitchell (portrayed by Leslie Howard), as told by his close friend and favorite pilot Geoffrey Crisp (portrayed by David Niven)
Our hero is inspired by flying birds (and Divinity, when you factor in the opening) to design a sleeker airplane. But, more than the birds he watches with wife Rosamund John (as Diana) on the beach, R.J. Mitchell wants, "A bird that breaths fire and spits out death and destruction, a spitfire bird."
The resulting "Spitfire" model finally gets off the ground, and will hopefully help defeat the Nazis in the present. But there are some challenges along the way...
It's not smooth sailing (or flying) for this choppy propaganda film, either. The presence of Leslie Howard does make it seem classy, though, even if the star doesn't really deviate much from his established persona. Howard produced and directed, also. A World War I veteran, Howard probably would have soldiered up again if he were five or so years younger. Ironically, the popular actor was in a plane shot down by the Nazis in June 1943, making this his last characterization. Howard would direct one more film, "The Gentle Sex" (1943). A casualty of war, Leslie Howard left the film world far too soon.
***** The First of the Few/ Spitfire (9/14/42) Leslie Howard ~ Leslie Howard, David Niven, Rosamund John, Roland Culver
The resulting "Spitfire" model finally gets off the ground, and will hopefully help defeat the Nazis in the present. But there are some challenges along the way...
It's not smooth sailing (or flying) for this choppy propaganda film, either. The presence of Leslie Howard does make it seem classy, though, even if the star doesn't really deviate much from his established persona. Howard produced and directed, also. A World War I veteran, Howard probably would have soldiered up again if he were five or so years younger. Ironically, the popular actor was in a plane shot down by the Nazis in June 1943, making this his last characterization. Howard would direct one more film, "The Gentle Sex" (1943). A casualty of war, Leslie Howard left the film world far too soon.
***** The First of the Few/ Spitfire (9/14/42) Leslie Howard ~ Leslie Howard, David Niven, Rosamund John, Roland Culver