Reach for the Sky (1956) (2025)

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1956

Directed by Lewis Gilbert

Synopsis

The true story of airman Douglas Bader who overcame the loss of both legs in a 1931 flying accident to become a successful fighter pilot and wing leader during World War II.

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  • Cast
  • Crew
  • Details
  • Genres
  • Releases

Cast

Kenneth More Muriel Pavlow Lyndon Brook Lee Patterson Alexander Knox Dorothy Alison Michael Warre Sydney Tafler Howard Marion-Crawford Jack Watling Walter Hudd Ernest Clark Nigel Green Anne Leon Charles Carson Ronald Adam Basil Appleby Philip Stainton Eddie Byrne Beverley Brooks Michael Ripper Derek Blomfield Avice Landone Eric Pohlmann Michael Gough Harry Locke Sam Kydd Peter Byrne Basil Dignam Show All…

DirectorDirector

Lewis Gilbert

ProducersProducers

Daniel M. Angel Anthony Nelson Keys

WriterWriter

Lewis Gilbert

Original WriterOriginal Writer

Paul Brickhill

EditorEditor

John Shirley

CinematographyCinematography

Jack Asher

Assistant DirectorAsst. Director

Basil Keys

Additional DirectingAdd. Directing

James Hill

Camera OperatorCamera Operator

Harry Gillam

Art DirectionArt Direction

Bernard Robinson

Special EffectsSpecial Effects

Bryan Langley Bert Marshall Bill Warrington

ComposerComposer

John Addison

SoundSound

Arthur Ridout John W. Mitchell Gordon K. McCallum

Costume DesignCostume Design

Julie Harris

MakeupMakeup

Bob Lawrance

HairstylingHairstyling

Pearl Orton

Studios

The Rank Organisation Angel Productions

Country

UK

Language

English

Alternative Titles

Han gav sig aldrig, Vainqueur du ciel, Bader il pilota, Allen Gewalten zum Trotz, ידיים למעלה, O Céu ao Seu Alcance, Dosiegnac nieba, Elérni az eget, Proa al cielo, 触摸苍穹

Genres

War Drama

Themes

War and historical adventure Bravery in War Nazis and World War II Military combat and heroic soldiers Air pilot heroism and survival Historical battles and epic heroism Show All…

Releases by Date

Sort by

  • Date
  • Country

Theatrical

05 Jul 1956
  • Reach for the Sky (1956) (3)UKU

10 Jul 1956
  • Reach for the Sky (1956) (4)USA

27 Jul 1956
  • Reach for the Sky (1956) (5)IrelandG

26 Sep 1957
  • Reach for the Sky (1956) (6)Germany

Releases by Country

Sort by

  • Date
  • Country
Reach for the Sky (1956) (7)Germany
26 Sep 1957
  • Theatrical
Reach for the Sky (1956) (8)Ireland
27 Jul 1956
  • TheatricalG
Reach for the Sky (1956) (9)UK
05 Jul 1956
  • TheatricalU
Reach for the Sky (1956) (10)USA
10 Jul 1956
  • Theatrical

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  • Review by Sophie Farrell ★★★ 2

    This review may contain spoilers!

    Prior to watching Reach for the Sky, my only knowledge of Douglas Bader came from a Horrible Histories song about the RAF during the Second World War. His story caught my interest so when I discovered that a film had been made about his life, I decided to give it a watch. While Reach for the Sky is a fairly standard British film about World War Two, I still found it to be thoroughly interesting.

    The film is adapted from the biography of Bader that was published two years before this film was made. The film tells the true story of Douglas Bader, a Second World War battler pilot ace, who lost both of his…

  • Review by Richmond Hill ★★★

    As an abstract of triumph over adversity this has appeal, but in terms of character insight it’s whitewash (hard to be otherwise whilst the subject is alive).

    Over sixty years after this film was made, the need for heroics - not heroes (different things, or at least interpretations) - is ever greater, but the flatness of relief achieved in Reach for the Sky rarely inspires let alone moves you. It’s just that jolly good fellow, Kenneth More, affably rounding off the sharp corners of an apparently arrogant bully boy.

    Such stories often position heroes as saviours charting grand arcs or acting upon maverick responses to what the ‘heart’ is telling them. Whereas heroics are open to everyone: the small, the…

  • Review by Paul D ★★★ 2

    There is no doubt that with any film biography liberties have to be taken with the truth, you just can't squeeze an entire life into a two hour movie. Reach for the Sky even warns the viewer right up front that events and even people have been changed. But despite such compromises what you should be presented with is the essential truth about a character. So the question is, is that what we have here?

    Here Douglas Bader is of course presented as an heroic character, he loses both his legs in an accident and despite all the obstacles placed in his way he comes back, undeterred to become not just an ace fighter pilot but a Group Captain.

    It…

  • Review by JA Productions ★★★★

    I was thoroughly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying Reach for the Sky. I assumed before going in that it would be a really standard and dull biopic. Can you blame me though? Literally no one has watched this movie. For goodness sake, less than 100 people have reviewed this movie on this app. I’ve logged Doctor Who and Inside No. 9 episodes with more reviews than this movie. However, whilst it may not be the most unique war biopic in the world, I definitely think that it deserves more attention as it was thoroughly entertaining and engaging

    Now, as I’ve mentioned before on this account, I am a history buff so movies like this which recount the…

  • Review by Da_Bill ★★★★

    Film 2 of The Link Challenge

    This was another recommendation for this challenge, this time from a colleague at work. I have to admit that as I knew nothing about it I did make assumptions based on the cover. I was expected a long, dramatic war film.

    I was happily very wrong.

    Reach for the Sky is about an RAF pilot and it does partly take place during WWII. But this is the story of a remarkable man whose stubbornness, passion and positivity led to some remarkable feats and ultimately played a key part in the war.

    Kenneth More has a natural charm and humour that draws you in and his performance makes him extremely likeable. Combining the 'stiff upper…

  • Review by emmanuss ★★ 1

    Logging this in lieu of the 1990s 3-hour, poorly aging, barely colorized Assemblies movie on skyscraper building (or lack thereof) we had to watch by the same name

  • Review by noirdame ★★★½

    Great movie: inspirational but not glurgy. Supposedly in real life Bader was more difficult a person, but Kenneth More is charming and spirited. Dorothy Alison and Muriel Pavlow have great presence. This film has broad appeal.

  • Review by MatMat902 ★★★½

    Reach for the Sky is a 1956 war epic starring Kenneth More, Muriel Pavlow and Lyndon Brook. It proves to be a strong look into a determined character who will rise up to any challenge and conquer it. The film manages to do quite a lot considering its rather small budget when compared to epic of its time. The small budget does shine through at points and, given the grandness and scale of the film, it makes the film look amateur. However, the writing for the movie is anything but amateur. The pacing is good, making the film feel shorter than 135 minutes, which is something that many 90 minute films fail to do. The acting in Reach for the…

  • Review by L1ND3N ★★★★

    Seen this loads at work because it’s a man’s favourite film so thought I’d give it a rating.

    It’s really good for the 50’s and has some pretty funny quotes and some kinda tongue in cheek moments. Ultimately a great story about resolve & courage.

    I’m sure I’ll be sick of watching it eventually but over time I’ve seen nearly the entirety of it & I’m glad it was made — it created a platform for motion picture that’s still been built upon today. Not to mention the incredible true story that it is, which really is incredible!

  • Review by ArizonaJim ★★

    A film celebrating bravery. Douglas Bader (Kenneth More) joins the RAF in 1929, but is badly injured in an airplane crash, losing both his legs; he learns to walk on his tin legs; he hopes to be a pilot again, but the RAF turns him down for flying; he leaves the RAF and is a bit lost (although he marries) until war looms and he rejoins the RAF as a flyer; he proves himself as a fighter pilot in the Second World War until he is shot down over France; captured by the Germans he escapes from hospital; after repeated escape attempts he ends up at Colditz until liberated by the Americans; he volunteers to carry on flying until the…

  • Review by Melody ★★★½

    "A lot of people have spent a great deal of time on you… and all you can say is you wish you were dead. You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

    "You just wait till I find my feet."

    As soon as I saw this title again I knew it had to be the one I'd heard good things about and (understandably enough) mixed up with Light Up the Sky. I still wasn't too keen going into a 2 hours plus war movie, and I particularly worried that this wasn't going to have a chance of winning me over after the extremely rigid opening and then overly melodramatic inciting incident which really, when it comes down to it, amounts to…

  • Review by Invalid User ★★★½

    Kenneth More's badgering charisma greatly helps this industry standard biopic of Douglas Bader. There's not a huge amount of depth beyond Boys' Own patriotism and stiff upper lip but it's a decent watch even if a lot of Bader's personality is toned down for the period and some of his political machinations aren't examined very strongly.

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