An interesting story but averagely executed.
An advanced new airliner is poised to cross the Atlantic for the first time, the designer Fleming (Ralph Morgan) and his test pilot Ace (Brian Donlevy) are preparing for the first flight to Europe. However, foreign powers are after the design and security is tight. Eccentric oddball Colonel Gimpy (Peter Lorre) hangs around the air field but he is ignored as he is considered harmless. That is a mistake as Gimpy is really the leader of a cell of enemy spies!
Ace is one of his men, to the shock of Fleming and the co-pilot Joe (Thomas Beck), when all is revealed during their flight. Naturally the flight doesn't go to plan, especially when Gimpy is found as a stowaway...
The premise is solid but the film is somewhat flawed. It also has some weird aspects to the plot, such as at the end when three of the crew decide to go down with their crashed plane instead of at least trying to swim for it! The film has some decent action scenes but can only be considered an watchable if not brilliant film. Peter Lorre's character is rather bizarre.
