Bombardier

directed by Richard Wallace
Category: "War"
Year of Release:1943
Date Added:02/09/2026
Date Watched:02/09/2026
Description:Wartime propaganda piece on the effectiveness of American bombardiers and their bomb sights — supposedly the most important soldiers in the entire military. Maj. Chick Davis (Pat O'Brien) is the promoter of the sight and leads training. His friend, Capt. Buck Oliver (Randolph Scott) believes in low-level bombing, and they have something of a rivalry. Buck is in love with Burt Hughes (Anne Shirley), but she chooses one of the trainees. Burt's brother, Tom (Eddie Albert), is killed saving a buddy during training. When the war begins, they're all sent to the Pacific. Buck is chosen to fly low to drop flares for Chick's bombers to see. Buck's plane is shot down and he's captured, but manages to start a fire to light the way for Chick. Buck is killed in the attack.
My Rating:6

Reviews for Bombardier

Review - Bombardier

Like most propaganda films, the plot was just stuck on for effect. The biggest issue with the movie is the claim that the bombardiers were hugely important. In fact, it can be debated whether the air war shortened the war by any significant degree. It certainly upped the number of civilian casualties, largely because the bomb sight wasn't nearly as accurate as depicted.

Reviewed by Roger on 2026-02-09 19:20:37

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