Appointment in London (1953)

Directed by Philip Leacock; produced by Aubrey Baring and Maxwell Setton

In 1943, 188 Squadron is a typical heavy-bomber unit, though its commanding officer is not so ordinary: Tim Mason (Dirk Bogarde) has completed 87 missions over enemy territory, even though the survival rate for aircrew of Bomber Command is on average no more than two-fifths of a tour. His superiors are worried about his stress-level, which isn’t helped by trouble with his officers, high casualties and talk among the men of a jinx. But Mason is determined to complete three full tours (90 missions), no matter what.

Appointment in London, despite the innocuous title (which refers to officers’ scheduled reception at Buckingham Palace to receive awards from the King; the U.S. title of Raiders in the Sky manages to be even more bland), is one of the best movies about the usual - but often deadly - problems faced by bomber aircrew in the Second World War.

It is what might be termed quietly realistic. There are no speeches or histrionics - the closest to either comes when Mason loses his temper with a stupid subordinate - but the stress and worries, the rather over-the-top hilarity to compensate, all ring true.

This is undoubtedly due to John Wooldridge, the author of the story from which the screenplay (which he also co-wrote) was adapted. Wooldridge was a Regular RAF officer, flying bombers in the war. In case Mason’s goal of 90 missions seems fantastic, it should be noted that Wooldridge himself completed 97 (or 108, depending on the source.) A man of several talents, he also composed more than a dozen film scores, including that of Appointment in London.

Much of the action is earthbound drama, some having to do with the management of a combat unit during wartime, some with the men’s personal lives. It all has a bearing on the squadron’s war effort and, though certain, almost obligatory, diversions are included (eg. Mason’s romance with a war widow (Dinah Sheridan)), the dialogue all has the sound of realism, and what the officers and men say to each other may have come straight from Wooldridge’s memories.

This memory supplies features that I’ve not seen in other movies on the subject. For instance, during the climactic raid on Germany, the audience hears the master-bomber (an officer of the Pathfinder Force, serving as, in effect, the raid’s airborne director) yelling instructions to the hundreds of aeroplanes around him, all the while crews in those machines are conversing about their more narrow objectives. Such scenes contribute not just to the film’s realism, but to its tension, creating urgency, even if the characters are calm.

These attributes are a credit to the direction, as well as the writing. The acting is very good, especially by Bogarde, who, as a performer, always seemed to have a nervous breakdown simmering just beneath the surface. Other players, whether in large or small parts, have the easy casualness that British actors often bring to their roles.

Though no mere motion picture can convey the truth of war, Appointment in London demonstrates aspects of it that are interesting, entertaining and thoughtful.