The Tuskegee Airmen (1995) (TV)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Robert Markowitz

Writers (WGA):

Paris Qualles (teleplay) and
Trey Ellis (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

26 August 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Plot:

The true story of how a group of African American pilots overcame racist opposition to become one of the finest US fighter groups in World War II

Plot Keywords:

African American | WWII | Fighter Pilot | Training | Biplane

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Laurence Fishburne	...	Hannibal Lee
Allen Payne	...	Walter Peoples
Malcolm-Jamal Warner	...	Leroy Cappy
Courtney B. Vance	...	Lt. Glenn (as Courtney Vance)
Andre Braugher	...	Benjamin O. Davis
Christopher McDonald	...	Major Joy (as Chris McDonald)
Daniel Hugh Kelly	...	Col. Rogers
John Lithgow	...	Senator Conyers
Cuba Gooding Jr.	...	Billy Roberts
Mekhi Phifer	...	Lewis Johns
Christopher Bevins	...	Young Hannibal
Eddie Braun	...	Tail gunner
Max Daniels	...	Left waist gunner
Jack Dwyer	...	Operations officer
James Field	...	Conductor

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong war violence.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:PG (TV rating) | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | UK:15 (video premiere) | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, USA

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Trivia:

Most of the characters were fictitious composites of real pilots. However, Benjamin "B.O." Davis was very much a real person and was depicted much more accurately than the others.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: While the unit is in Europe, in the background are several Mustangs. These are obviously plywood cutouts.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Young Hannibal: [chasing after biplane] Hey! Hey! Hey! Wait for me!

Soundtrack:

Straighten Up and Fly Right

Powerful Historical drama about the first squadron of negro air pilots during WW2.

Tuskegee Airmen is a timeless movie. Lawrence Fishburn plays the role of grudging hero to its maximum potential. The bad guys are racist and ignorant, but they are consistently confronted with the truth of their stupidity. This movie tells the tale, without an overtly biased point of view. There are certainly black men who failed to qualify as pilots during WW2, just as there were white. The racial struggle is brought to light without alienating anyone. The acting is extraordinary, the air fight scenes are power packed and the story is life itself. You must see this film.