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    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1950s
    Movies - 1950s Movies - S 2 Mins Read

    Sound Barrier, The (1952)

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    Ralph Richardson plays J.R. (no, not that one!), the head of an aircraft manufacturing empire who is willing to sacrifice everything for his quest to break the sound barrier.

    His daughter Susan (Ann Todd) marries Tony Garthwaite (Nigel Patrick), an ex-RAF man who goes to work as a test pilot flying the new supersonic “Prometheus” (actually a Vickers-Supermarine Swift) for the old man. Tony is a nice fellow but without many brains.

    Unfortunately, Tony bites the dust and the story switches to fellow pilot Philip Peel (John Justin), who takes over on the quest to crack the sound barrier.

    The film has a technically happy ending: the breakthrough is accomplished and Susan – who has lost both her brother and her husband to the quest – finally realises that her single-minded father suffers like herself from the tragic consequences of his dream for a new air ear.

    But there is no feeling that anything is completed. Instead, the end of the film leaves us with a sense of widening vistas and of accomplishment that is just getting started.

    The Ridgefield aero company was loosely based on the famous plane maker de Havilland.

    It’s not recorded how Chuck Yeager felt about the film . . .

    John “J.R.” Ridgefield
    Ralph Richardson
    Susan Garthwaite
    Ann Todd
    Tony Garthwaite
    Nigel Patrick
    Philip Peel
    John Justin
    Jess Peel
    Dinah Sheridan
    Will Sparks
    Joseph Tomelty
    Christopher Ridgefield
    Denholm Elliott
    ‘Windy’ Williams
    Jack Allen
    Fletcher
    Ralph Michael
    Controllers
    Douglas Muir
    Leslie Phillips

    Director
    David Lean

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