Good start, but then it gets ruined

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Released from capture while serving in the Korean War, test pilot William Holden (as Lincoln "Linc" Bond) wants his military job back. Since he cracked while being tortured, there are trepidations about Mr. Holden's character and ability to carry out dangerous flight tests, but Edwards Air Force Base test center leader Lloyd Nolan (as William "Bill" Banner) decides to give Holden a chance. An even older man, Mr. Nolan has some retirement issues of his own. Also, Nolan is dating nicely figured young secretary Virginia Leith (as Connie Mitchell), who used to hang with Holden...Holden produced "Toward the Unknown" for himself, and it is not surprisingly a routine and unremarkable star vehicle. Given Holden's age, it might have been more interesting to make his character a World War II veteran with added back-story about the intervening years. Nolan is always good, here with a role that unfortunately leaves blanks in both his physical ailments and relationship with an amusing L.Q. Jones (as Sweeney). Trouble-maker Murray Hamilton (as Bromo) livens up his scenes. In his first appearance, future TV super-star James Garner plays a sympathetic part.***** Toward the Unknown (9/27/56) Mervyn LeRoy ~ William Holden, Lloyd Nolan, Virginia Leith, Charles McGraw

William Holden at his best, a great cast with LLoyd Nolan as base Commander. Good story, marvelous air sequences and a lot of special airplanes since the movie airport is Edward Air Force Base (ex Muroc ) where all the USAF prototypes made test flights. In the movie there are several interesting planes like the XF-92 Dagger, the Martin XB-51, Lockheed F-94 C Starfire, Boeing B-50 and Bell X-2, X-3 Stiletto , Convair B-36, Convair C-131, The Thunderbirds on F-84 F. A must for all aviation buffs and Holden's fan. This movie is seldom seen and is not available on the VHS or DVD market. Among the actors, a very young James Garner .

This is an excellent film. Most people know Mervyn Leroy as a great director, but they may not recognize Beirne Lay, Jr. Lay was a B-17 pilot in the 100th Bomb Group, 8th AAF in WW II, and the co-author of the book "12 O'Clock High", from which the academy award movie of the same name was made.Many aspects of this film are great: its desert scenery, aerial photography and accuracy of detail in regard to flight test during the 1950s are all top notch. The cast ,as played by such great character actors as Lloyd Nolan and an up and coming James Garner (a Korean War infantryman), are sincere and believable.What impressed me most then and more so now, is the way the film approached the issue of a Korean War POW who had "cracked". Remember, this picture came out more than 10 years before Americans saw the results of North Vietnamese treatment of our downed air crews. In the 1950s POWs were expected to give only name, rank and serial number if captured. Those that failed to stand fast, to what is now recognized as an unattainable standard, were shunned. Brainwashing and emotional torture weren't understood until years later.But this film used a very strong leading man (Holden) to focus on the sensitive issue of a "broken" pilot who tried to make his way back into American society and regain his dignity in the hardest court of opinion, the ranks of the active Air Force. Everything gels in this movie. It makes a good point many years ahead of its time. Under the same circumstances who knows how he'd survive being a POW? And ultimately we all can fail and redeem ourselves.I agree, they need to put this one out on DVD or VHS, so we can see it more than just on an occasional late night TV movie.

This film rocks! (if you're a aviation buff and even if you're not) Holden gives one of his best performances, and there are numerous well filmed flight sequences featuring some of America's vintage jet aircraft. Vivian Lieth's acting is somewhat wooden, but her husky voice more than makes up for it.