Strategic Air Command

Something we've all likely done before - Dutch gazes at a bomber passing overhead.

If you like your movies packed with thrilling aerial shots of Cold War-era aircraft along with highly detailed interior bomber shots, Strategic Air Command is a movie you need to see. If you like deep, meaningful character development… Well, you might want to look elsewhere.

This 1955 classic stars Jimmy Stewart as Dutch Holland, a baseball player who gets recalled to active duty in the Air Force. Also appearing in this movie is a much younger Harry Morgan (think M*A*S*H) as Holland’s flight engineer on the B-36. The plot, in theory, revolves around his struggle between military duty and civilian life, but let’s be real—this movie isn’t here to explore human emotions. It’s here to show off glorious American military aircraft, and boy, does it deliver.

The real stars of the film are the Convair B-36 Peacemaker and the Boeing B-47 Stratojet, both of which get plenty of screen time in all their Cold War glory. The flying sequences are nothing short of stunning, especially in Technicolor, with vast shots of these bombers soaring through the sky like airborne fortresses. The interior shots are equally impressive, showing off the cavernous insides of the B-36 and the cramped, high-tech (for the time) cockpit of the B-47. There’s a level of authenticity here that aviation buffs will eat up, with intricately detailed mockups of navigation stations, bomb bays, and in-flight refueling operations.

That said, Strategic Air Command isn’t exactly subtle about its message. It’s pure 1950s Cold War propaganda, with stirring speeches about duty, honor, and America’s need to be ever-vigilant against the Soviet menace. The film practically salutes you through the screen. There’s never any real question about whether Dutch will choose duty over baseball—because, of course, serving in SAC is portrayed as the noblest, most patriotic calling imaginable.

As for the personal drama? It’s pretty thin. The love story between Dutch and his wife (played by June Allyson) exists mostly to remind us that being a bomber pilot is hard on family life. The dialogue is functional, the conflicts are predictable, and the characters remain mostly undeveloped. This is especially true with the “misfit” bomber crew that Dutch is supposed to whip into shape, who we barely even get to meet. But honestly, who cares? You’re not here for the romance—you’re here for the aircraft.

A highly detailed interior shot of the B-47 from the navigator/bombardier's position.

In short, Strategic Air Command is essentially a two-hour recruitment ad for the U.S. Air Force, but it’s a very entertaining one. If you love Cold War-era bombers and want to see them in all their Technicolor glory, this is a must-watch. Just don’t expect a gripping human drama—unless your idea of drama is a B-36 struggling through an engine fire at 40,000 feet.

As an interesting almost easter egg, in the final scene of the movie, you can spot a model of an XB-52 on the general’s desk. That technically means that all three of America’s Cold War-era big jet bombers appear in one movie!

An incredible atmospheric shot of B-47s streaking through the clouds.

Foreshadowing, perhaps? A model of an XB-52 on the general's desk.