Conflict of Wings

Conflict of Wings

Original lobby card
Directed by John Eldridge
Produced by Herbert Mason
Written by John Pudney
Based on novel by Don Sharp[1]
Starring John Gregson
Muriel Pavlow
Kieron Moore
Niall MacGinnis
Music by Philip Green
Cinematography Arthur Grant
Moray Grant
Edited by Lito Carruthers
Production
company
Group 3 Films
Distributed by British Lion
Release dates
  • 30 March 1954 (1954-03-30) (United Kingdom, London)
  • 26 December 1954 (1954-12-26) (USA, New York)
Running time
 84 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English

Conflict of Wings is a 1954 British drama film directed by John Eldridge and starring John Gregson, Muriel Pavlow and Kieron Moore.[2] It is based on a novel by Don Sharp.[3] The film was made at Beaconsfield Film Studios and on location in Norfolk. The film sets were designed by art director Ray Simm. The film was re-titled for the American market as Fuss Over Feathers.

Plot

A small Norfolk village is outraged when it is discovered that the Air Ministry proposes to acquire and use the nearby Island of Children, a bird sanctuary, as an "air firing range". A struggle of wills begins between the military and the villagers, who resort to a variety of ways to prevent damage to the historic island. Harry Tilney is all for taking on the Government, but Sally has a boyfriend stationed at the nearby Royal Air Force base, Corporal Bill Morris, so she goes to see him first.

Meanwhile, Squadron Leader Parsons is informed that his unit's mission is being changed to ground attack. The de Havilland Vampire jets have to be modified to mount rockets. Parsons is informed he will have three weeks for the conversion, then four weeks to get his men trained. His commanding officer is not at liberty to inform him that the unit will then be sent overseas, but he takes the hint.

The land acquisition is assigned to bureaucrat Mr. Wentworth, which is rather awkward for him, as he is a prominent member of a bird watching society. He comes to meet with Harry, but Harry is drunk and drives him away. The civilians then learn that fishing rights to the area were granted to the people by Henry VIII. Soapy, the professional eel catcher, can squat on the land and use those rights to block the acquisition. However, Soapy receives a letter from the Government stating that there is no evidence that such rights exist.

Bookie then discovers that the land was given to the Church by Henry VIII for assistance in quelling a rebellion. The villagers present this information to Parsons. He agrees to pass it along to the Government, but in the meantime he insists on continuing with the training. In desperation, the local people take to their boats and form a human shield around the island just before the first bombing run. However, there is cloud cover and the onsite RAF controller cannot get a message through to have the flight cancelled. Fortunately, the civilians are spotted just in time to avoid a disaster. The official inquiry will take months or a year, by which time the unit will have been sent to Malaya.

Cast

References

  1. ↑ "REVIEWS IN BRIEF.". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 22 May 1954. p. 11. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  2. ↑ Harper & Porter p.188
  3. ↑ "Australian's Novel As Film Success.". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 3 April 1954. p. 3. Retrieved 24 March 2013.

Bibliography

External links


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