Captains of the Clouds Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Captains of the Clouds Blu-ray Movie Review

Cagney goes to Canada.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III March 20, 2022

The first American war film arriving in theaters after our entry into WWII, Michael Curtiz's Captains of the Clouds reeks of propaganda but is still pretty fun in its own right. This high-flying adventure concerns the exploits of Canadian bush pilot Brian MacLean (James Cagney, obviously not sounding the part), who undercuts competitors with low delivery fees and quick turnaround time. His main rivals are Johnny Dutton (Dennis Morgan), Tiny Murphy (Alan Hale), Blimp Lebec (George Tobias), and British expatriate Scrounger Harris (Reginald Gardiner), and they're all eager to finally confront MacLean about his cherry-picking ways... but not only does the brash young pilot not listen at all, he's also got his eyes on Johnny's main squeeze Emily Foster (Brenda Marshall) too. After MacLean accidentally suffers a nasty head wound, Dutton instinctively saves his life and the five pilots eventually establish something of a temporary truce... but when personal drama and global conflicts intensify, at least one of them enlists in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Almost every brief synopsis of Captains of the Clouds severely front-loads the film's military escapades, which actually don't occur until well into its second half. This is perhaps my biggest hang-up with an otherwise decent film: it feels pasted together, as if the rah-rah patriotism was hastily added after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor just 66 days before the film's theatrical release. It wasn't, of course: several months earlier, Jack Warner and producer Hal Willis were instructed to make a "patriotic film" to gear the public up for potential war preparedness but, given its historical timeline, they just kind of got lucky: Captains of the Clouds was unsurprisingly a success, scoring more with audiences than critics. It doesn't play quite as well in hindsight, where we can spot a few obvious seams like how its third-act drama doesn't mesh well with the soap opera exploits of earlier scenes. Nonetheless, Captains of the Clouds is still an entertaining film based on the strengths of its lush cinematography, stirring original score, and solid performances... most of which outshine Cagney himself, who's obviously charismatic in the role but reportedly didn't like the script and only agreed to it after his brother William was brought on as co-producer alongside Hal Willis.

Even so, war buffs and die-hard fans of the cast will enjoy most of what Captains of the Clouds brings to the table: intrigue, chutzpah, and beautiful footage of the rugged Canadian wilderness. As brash as the story and its characters can be at times, however, they're still somehow secondary in hindsight; you'll likely remember a couple of one-liners, interactions, and dramatic moments well after the credits roll, but Captains of the Clouds isn't exactly an experience that lingers in the mind for days or weeks afterward. That's not exactly surprising for a film produced entirely in-the-moment... but at least the moment's been preserved beautifully on Warner Archive's stunning new Blu-ray edition, which combines another absolutely top-tier restoration with a handful of era-specific bonus features.

Captains of the Clouds Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

One glance at these included screenshots should immediately tell you that Warner Archive has treated Captains of the Clouds with their usual amount of care, as this is yet another sparkling catalog release that flies high on Blu-ray. Like many of their recent efforts, including both other releases this month (A Star is Born and The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm), it's been fully restored from a recent 4K scan of the original Technicolor nitrate negatives, revealing a staggering amount of fine detail and vivid color true to its three-strip source. Captains of the Clouds is a beautiful film with no shortage of naturally lit location footage in and above the rugged Canadian wilderness, and the Blu-ray follows suit with a nicely saturated 1080p transfer that boasts stunning depth and clarity without sacrificing its original grain structure in the process. Interiors looks great too, as do a handful of extremely foggy night scenes that don't fall victim to compression artifacts, banding, or other eyesores. Not surprisingly, both of the film's Academy Award nominations were of the visual variety: Best Art Direction (Ted Smith and Casey Roberts) as well as Best Color Cinematography (Sol Polito), and I'd imagine that all three late crew members would be happy to know their work has been so carefully preserved here. Another day, another perfect score for the most reliable boutique label in the business.

Captains of the Clouds Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix has likewise been preserved and stays true to its one-channel roots with this split mono presentation. Dialogue and background effects are carefully balanced with plenty of room left over for both the striking original score by Max Steiner and the title song by Harold Arlen. Fidelity and depth varies by location and opens up nicely in outdoor settings, while the occasional roar of of plane engines and bursts of gunfire light up the sound stage without sounding too harsh or overwhelming. It's perhaps an even slightly better presentation than expected, but in the end is best described as a straightforward track that simply gets the job done with no major issues.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, but not the extras. This is pretty annoying since the DVD edition that most of them were sourced from did in fact have optional subtitles available. It's perhaps my only ongoing hang-up regarding Warner Archive releases, and one that I hope is addressed at some point.

Captains of the Clouds Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with poster-themed cover artwork and no inserts of any kind. A handful of vintage bonus features are included, but they're more pre-show entertainment than film-specific.

• 1942 Newsreel (2:14) - No news here, folks -- just some words from James Cagney himself, who delivers a message from Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr. by urging movie patrons to support the war effort and buy bonds at the box office. Geez, popcorn and soda already cost enough, buddy.

• Short: "Rocky Mountain Big Game" (10:06) - Presented in Technicolor from 16mm footage, this installment of "The Sports Parade" is narrated by Knox Manning and shows off the beautiful Canadian Rockies.

• Merrie Melodies Cartoons - Two classics from the WB vault. Both are ported from Warner Bros.' recent Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection, although they're given a courtesy bump to DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio.

• What's Cooking, Doc? (8:11) - This playful 1944 short, in which Bugs Bunny hopes to win an Oscar for Best Actor, takes many of its cues (and even a few shots) from A Star is Born, also released this month from Warner Archive. It even devolves into a clip show, but at least it's a good clip show.
• Hold the Lion, Please (8:26) - Directed by Chuck Jones, this 1942 short follows a pariah of the jungle who tries to finally make a name for himself by catching everyone's favorite rabbit. It also marks the first and only appearance of "Mrs. Bugs Bunny", who quite literally wears the pants in the family.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:50) - This rousing promotional piece can also be seen here.

Captains of the Clouds Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Michael Curtiz' Captains of the Clouds is a beautiful showcase for the rugged Canadian wilderness... and just an okay wartime drama, as the story spins its wheels for awhile and meanders towards emotional impact and excitement very late in the game. It almost feels like two separate movies joined haphazardly, but the reliably charismatic performances by Cagney and company at least hold the glue together. Warner Archive's Blu-ray plays to the film's obvious technical strengths, showcasing beautiful aerial and outdoor footage in vivid Technicolor detail with another top-tier restoration sourced from a 4K scan of the original nitrate negatives. Add in solid lossless audio and decent era-specific extras and you've got a very solid disc for established fans, although newcomers may want to try before they buy.