Task Force

To trace the history of naval aviation and the development of the aircraft carrier; writer/director Delmer Daves expertly weaves drama with documentary. The resulting film superbly captures both the human story and the real; harrowing experience of war. Told in flashback; Task Force stars Gary Cooper in a wide-ranging performance taking him from brash young aviator to command of an aircraft carrier. Also on deck are Walter Brennan as a veteran navy sea dog and Jane Wyatt as Cooper’s valiant; uncomplaining wife. The movie’s other star attraction is actual World War II combat footage putting you in the middle of the chaos of a carrier deck strewn with flaming wrecks or the nail-biting tension of a ship’s radar room. In all cases; the effect is gut-wrenching; the images unforgettable.