{"id":79973,"date":"2022-01-07T22:37:13","date_gmt":"2022-01-08T05:37:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=79973"},"modified":"2022-01-10T15:21:24","modified_gmt":"2022-01-10T22:21:24","slug":"way-to-the-stars-a-johnny-in-the-clouds-1945","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=79973","title":{"rendered":"Way to the Stars, The \/ Johnny in the Clouds (1945)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;There aren&#8217;t any amateurs and professionals anymore; just good pilots and bad pilots.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Poster-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Poster-1-136x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"136\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-79974\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Poster-1-136x300.png 136w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Poster-1-463x1024.png 463w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Poster-1-58x128.png 58w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Poster-1-122x270.png 122w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Poster-1.png 511w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 136px) 100vw, 136px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nIn England during the early years of World War II, a new fighter pilot (John Mills) is assigned to work under a veteran flight lieutenant (Michael Redgrave) who marries his sweetheart (Rosamund John) and has a child. Meanwhile, Mills falls for a pretty young woman (Renee Asherson) living with her strict aunt (Joyce Carey), and over the years various American pilots &#8212; including a young father named Johnny (Douglass Montgomery) &#8212; are sent to join the RAF in their efforts.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Airplanes and Pilots<\/li>\n<li>John Mills Films<\/li>\n<li>Michael Redgrave Films<\/li>\n<li>Military<\/li>\n<li>Trevor Howard Films<\/li>\n<li>World War II<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPlaywright <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Terence_Rattigan\">Terence Rattigan<\/a> wrote the screenplay for this British tribute to WWII flyers, who repeatedly risked their lives to engage in dangerous but essential work while juggling decisions related to romance, marriage, and kids: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Ready-for-Flight.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Ready-for-Flight-1024x738.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"461\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-79986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Ready-for-Flight-1024x738.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Ready-for-Flight-300x216.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Ready-for-Flight-128x92.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Ready-for-Flight-768x554.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Ready-for-Flight-374x270.png 374w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Ready-for-Flight.png 1291w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Saying more about specific storylines would give away spoilers, so I&#8217;ll avoid doing that; suffice it to say that the realities of sacrifice aren&#8217;t sugar-coated here, and we see individuals managing complicated emotions. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Montgomery.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Montgomery-1024x746.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"466\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-79982\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Montgomery-1024x746.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Montgomery-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Montgomery-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Montgomery-768x559.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Montgomery-371x270.png 371w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Montgomery.png 1273w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, much fun is had with cultural and linguistic differences between the Brits and the Yanks (who nonetheless quickly learn to get along): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Yank-Brit.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Yank-Brit-1024x749.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"468\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-79981\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Yank-Brit-1024x749.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Yank-Brit-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Yank-Brit-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Yank-Brit-768x562.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Yank-Brit-369x270.png 369w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Yank-Brit.png 1289w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, despite its very specific topic and setting, there are parallels between this wartime flick (shortened and released as <em>Johnny in the Clouds<\/em> in the U.S.) and Rattigan&#8217;s later <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=79353\"><em>Separate Tables<\/em> (1958)<\/a>, given that both take place at least partly in a rooming house\/hotel. In <em>The Way to the Stars<\/em>, Rosamund John plays the role of the &#8220;efficient hotel manager&#8221; (inhabited by Oscar-winning Wendy Hiller in <em>Separate Tables<\/em>): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-John.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-John-1024x739.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"462\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-79979\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-John-1024x739.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-John-300x216.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-John-128x92.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-John-768x554.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-John-374x270.png 374w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-John.png 1285w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and Renee Asherson &#8212; last seen as Princess Kate in Laurence Olivier&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=79890\"><em>Henry V<\/em> (1944)<\/a> &#8212; plays a shy young woman (Deborah Kerr&#8217;s equivalent in <em> Separate Tables<\/em>) living under the thumb of an overly protective caretaker: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Mills-Asherson.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Mills-Asherson-1024x739.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"462\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-79980\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Mills-Asherson-1024x739.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Mills-Asherson-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Mills-Asherson-128x92.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Mills-Asherson-768x554.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Mills-Asherson-374x270.png 374w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Mills-Asherson.png 1287w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Watch for Trevor Howard in his first credited screen role: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Howard-Mills.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Howard-Mills-1024x736.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"460\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-79984\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Howard-Mills-1024x736.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Howard-Mills-300x216.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Howard-Mills-128x92.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Howard-Mills-768x552.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Howard-Mills-376x270.png 376w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Howard-Mills.png 1281w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and 15-year-old Jean Simmons in a brief bit as a singer in a club: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Clouds-Simmons.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Clouds-Simmons-1024x742.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"464\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-80234\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Clouds-Simmons-1024x742.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Clouds-Simmons-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Clouds-Simmons-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Clouds-Simmons-768x556.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Clouds-Simmons-373x270.png 373w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Clouds-Simmons.png 1285w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fine performances by Redgrave and Mills<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Performances.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Performances-1024x736.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"460\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-79977\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Performances-1024x736.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Performances-300x216.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Performances-128x92.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Performances-768x552.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Performances-376x270.png 376w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Way-to-the-Stars-Performances.png 1287w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, but it&#8217;s worth a look by those interested in films of this period. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0038238\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1945\/11\/16\/archives\/the-screen.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s3535war.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/79842\/the-way-to-the-stars#articles-reviews?articleId=333872\">TCM Article (spoilers alert) <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;There aren&#8217;t any amateurs and professionals anymore; just good pilots and bad pilots.&#8221; Synopsis: In England during the early years of World War II, a new fighter pilot (John Mills) is assigned to work under a veteran flight lieutenant (Michael Redgrave) who marries his sweetheart (Rosamund John) and has a child. Meanwhile, Mills falls for a pretty young woman (Renee Asherson) living with her strict aunt (Joyce Carey), and over the years various American pilots &#8212; including a young father&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=79973\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=79973"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79973\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80235,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79973\/revisions\/80235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=79973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=79973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=79973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}