Strong and Moving!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

This is a decent and invigorating offering from Monogram that stars Wayne Morris and Lola Albright, who had appeared together before in the rather wonderful 'Sierra Passage'. This picture sees the sturdy and likable Morris play a charter pilot in the freezing north of the Arctic and Albright take the role of the newly-arrived and very pretty school teacher. The early scenes between the two are the most sparkling as Morris teasingly tells Albright that she ''makes a liar out of the thermometer'' after bursting in on her in a state of undress.After she reaches the school circuitously by plane and dog-sled (featuring interesting location work!), the Cold War era elements of Soviet infiltration and paranoia take centre stage and result in a more overtly propagandist tone that lessens somewhat the abiding effect of the film. However, it is well worth seeing for the teasingly pleasant and convivial interplay between Albright and Morris.Some of the shots in 'Arctic Flight' of the snow-bound accommodation reminded me of aspects of 'The Thing from Another World!', which had appeared the year before. The opening aerial scenes to this film are actually very similar to the ones that so intriguingly open John Carpenter's 1982 remake of the science-fiction classic. I wonder whether Carpenter saw 'Arctic Flight' and liked the film's opening gambit. Lew Landers oversaw a film that is uneven but also memorable and enjoyable and very nicely played by two leads who had a charming chemistry. All in all, it proves to be quite a fun and interesting diversion! 6.5/10

This B-movie rises above it's limitations to make an exciting, unusual thriller Set in in Alaska, with at least some location work, surprising for a Monogram picture, it feels cold just watching it. The background is populated with Eskimos/Inuits which helps, although the story involves white people. Reliable Wayne Morris is a freelance pilot, hired by jolly Alan Hale to help help hunt down a polar bear, for sporting reasons. With many references to how close Russia is, and with the Cold War in full flow, it isn't a shock when the plot turns into a spy thriller Lola Albright, always underused by Hollywood, is a feisty frontier gal, who loves Morris The most alarming scenes involve the polar bear hunt, as the beast is ruthlessly shot down and skinned, it's remains discarded on the ice, as Hale claims his trophy. Harsh scenes for modern viewers. But the rest is mostly a fine, tense thriller, directed by veteran Lew Landers, with a sure hand