Landfall – 1949 | 86 mins | War, Drama | B&W

Plot Synopsis

World War Two drama based on a novel by Nevil Shute about a pilot accused of mistakenly sinking a British submarine. The wartime story is believable and the adequate cast all produce likeable characterisations, but the romantic subplot coming to Michael Denison’s aid is fanciful and sappy.

Set in 1940, at Coastal Command in Southern England, RAF pilot Rick Chambers (Michael Denison) is suspended after possibly sinking a British sub during a patrol over the English Channel. Disgraced, Rick has no one to turn to, save for sympathetic barmaid girlfriend Mona (Patricia Plunkett). He is transferred to another squadron experimenting in air-to-surface missiles, and with development rushed at the expense of safety, Chambers work is extremely dangerous. The first trial of the weapon is a success but during the second run the guided-missile prematurely explodes – hospitalising Rick. Meanwhile, the resourceful Mona attempts to clear his name by piecing together some bits of pub gossip along with Rick’s conviction that he sunk a German U-boat.