MITCHELL, BILLY, popular name of WILLIAM MITCHELL (1879-1936): Aviation pioneer, born in Nice, France. Beginning his army career in the USA in the signal service, he became an early enthusiast for flying, and commanded the US air force in World War One. He foresaw the importance development of air power in warfare, but his outspoken criticism of those who did not share his convictions resulted in a court martial which suspended him from duty.
TLSs barnstormers (aerial stunts, barnstorming): men play instruments while riding wings of planes in flight; men do crazy stunts on planes; a plane goes underneath a narrow aqueduct.
CUs Billy Mitchell in uniform.
TLSs American warships (navy, naval, vessels) sailing, a zeppelin (dirigible) accompanying. CU of Billy Mitchell. MS U.S. President Warren G Harding waving hat & meeting with U.S. Navy officers on ship.
Billy Mitchell checking planes. MSs two-ton bombs being attached to biplanes.
American aviation experiment on "unsinkable" German warships (orchestrated by Billy Mitchell). TLSs biplanes in flight; high angle MSs bombs being dropped from bay (deployed, bombs away), LSs naval cruisers & battleship being bombed (direct hits & fairly rapid sinkings); MSs military officers (including General John J. Pershing, aka Blackjack Pershing) watching. Bombing the ships. 2 of the 3 ship are sunk.
American aviation experiment on "unsinkable" German warship Ostfriesland (orchestrated by Billy Mitchell). Damage control shots of the extremely battered yet still floating Ostfriesland then more shots of Billy Mitchell attacking ship, eventually sinking it.
MSs U.S. President Warren G. Harding & his administration standing on steps of U.S. Capitol Building. Teapot Dome. MS President Harding playing golf.
TLSs another aviation experiment, artillery battery shoots at target attached to a biplane flown by Billy Mitchell; MS Billy showing off the virtually unscathed target. Officers walk towards camera. Billy Mitchell at a desk.
LSs USS Shenandoah zeppelin in flight; LSs wreckage after fatal crash.
MSs U.S. President CALVIN COOLIDGE in office.
Court martial of Billy Mitchell. MSs Billy Mitchell and his wife arriving at courthouse. MSs Willaim Simms arriving at courthouse; INT shots courtroom, trial in progress; MS presiding military brass exiting courthouse, among them General Douglas MacArthur.
MSs Billy Mitchell, wife and baby standing outside suburban home, posing.
Italian dictator Benito Mussolini inspecting air forces. Planes fly in formation.
Nice aerial shot of Berlin airport (says "Berlin" on airfield). German Chancellor Adolf Hitler inspecting air forces. TLS early German Junkers bomber plane taking off.
MS Billy Mitchell (wearing a fur coat, probably racoon) speaking about the use of foreign air power (real audio). As conceded by every first calss power in the world, air power will determine the next war. Each nation is organized now, to mass air power at the beginning of a contest. Instead of the armies and navies being the objects of the attack of air power, they will go directly to the vital centers. Our future in this country depends on air power.
Billy Mitchell in uniform sitting in an arm chair. Billy Mitchell in civilain suit, talking to camera.
MS Billy Mitchell sitting on snowy lawn, petting dog.
Montage of German Luftwaffe and Italian air forces in flight, dropping bombs, paratroopers leaping, etc.
Montage of Japanese fighter planes attacking Pearl Harbor ("great" shot of a cruiser being bombed, as seen from wing of passing fighter).
Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, Japan, 1942: USS Hornet sailing in Pacific; MSs U.S. General James Doolittle posing w/ honorary bomb on deck; LSs Mitchell bombers taking off from aircraft carrier. In flight, dropping bombs; high angle damage control shots of Tokyo.
Dissolve to shot of a Mitchell bomber in flight, a smaller fighter plane attched to its wing; the fighter separates, takes off. Great LS space rocket (in BG) as two astronauts in helmets amble towards it.
DO NOT USE Wallace's closing comments
end credits.