Most war heroes from battles that were long past often get forgotten, but a relative of one of the greatest flyers that ever lived has saved the memory of Jimmy Doolittle in a documentary called Wings of a Warrior. The film, now on DVD Wings of a Warrior: The Jimmy Doolittle Story does an excellent job of preserving the past of a man who helped end World War II.
The documentary covers most of the life of Doolittle from childhood where he was fascinated with flying to the end of his long career that included a record breaking United States coast to coast flight in 1922. He was a daredevil who tried wing walking and volunteered for suicide missions. His most death defying accomplishment helped to show the Japanese that Americans were not going to sit back and take the devastation of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1942 he led the raid on the Japanese mainland dropping bombs to show the power of our armed forces in the sky.
The documentary is the work of Gardner Doolittle a 3rd cousin of Jimmy Doolittle who has spent years collecting the material for Wings of a Warrior: The Jimmy Doolittle Story. As narrator he takes us into the life of the most decorated airman in U.S. military history showing not only his courage, but the brilliance of this recognized hero. His story has been the basis of several movies, including 2001’s Pearl Harbor and 1944’s Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo depicting his most daring raid on Japan.
This documentary features Doolittle’s penchant for flying, pursuit of a military career that includes over 20 missions and ends with his final promotion to General. The mix of video, photos and interviews tells a vivid story of this great flyer even showing some of his personal life along the way, including receiving the highest U.S. Awards, the Medal of Freedom and Medal of Honor.
You don’t have to be a war buff to enjoy this documentary, just an American who can get a glimpse of a great man who fought to save our freedom. While it is unrated, the film does show some war scenes including bombing raids that may be a little harsh for youngsters. The DVD includes a 10-minute interview with Gardner Doolittle.
Specifications and additional film information:
Host & Director: Gardner Doolittle
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Genre: Documentary
Running Time: 1 hr 24 min
Video Release Date: December 3, 2013
Language: English
Format: DVD
Video: Widescreen Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: Shelter Island
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
