The Way to the Stars

In 1940, Flying Officer Peter Penrose (Sir John Mills) is attached to a Royal Air Force unit straight out of flight training with a grand total of 15 hours in the air. The green young fellow finds his commanding officer, Flight Lieutenant David Archdale (Sir Michael Redgrave), understanding and supportive. He soon becomes a full-fledged member of the squadron, becoming a more than capable pilot and enjoying the camaraderie that comes from men facing death together. He also becomes interested in young Iris Winterton (Renee Asherson), who lives at the local hotel with her strict maiden aunt. Archdale marries to the hotel's manager, but tragedy strikes when he is killed in an air raid, leaving Penrose unsure about committing to Iris. The U.S. Army Air Force arrives in 1942 with the inevitable clash of cultures, and Penrose is taken off flying duties to become a controller. David Archdale's widow forms a close friendship with one of the Americans, and by 1944, the tide turns in favor of the allies, leaving Penrose to re-evaluate his feelings.