Island in the Sky (1953)

Dooley (John Wayne), is a skilled pilot among a group of experienced civilian pilots who fly for the Army Transport Command. While on a flight with his crew of four, their C-47 aircraft encounters treacherous conditions, with ice accumulating on the wings. Despite the challenges, Dooley expertly maneuvers the plane and manages to bring it down safely in uncharted and frigid Labrador territory, where temperatures reach 40 degrees below zero.

Back at headquarters, Colonel Fuller (Walter Abel), gathers Dooley's fellow pilot buddies—Moon, McMullen, Stutz, and Handy (Andy Devine, James Arness, Lloyd Nolan, and Allyn Joslyn, respectively). Despite being tired from their recent flights or spending time with their families, they all rally together to launch a search and rescue mission for their missing comrade.

The search operation begins, taking the pilots through difficult weather conditions and navigating over lands where navigational aids are unreliable or nonexistent. Meanwhile, Dooley demonstrates his resilience by keeping his crew together, except for his co-pilot Lovatt (Sean McGlory), who ventures out in search of food and becomes lost in the storm.

The pilots in the air spot the stranded group on the ground, but unfortunately, they narrowly miss them during their initial flyovers, causing great disappointment. Running low on fuel, the pilots are forced to return to base. However, on the sixth day of the search, as the planes take to the sky again, Dooley's radioman manages to send an emergency radio signal, providing a fix on their location.

The airborne rescuers receive the signal and home in on it, finally sighting the stranded fliers. They drop food supplies to sustain them until further assistance can be provided. As the flying rescuers fly overhead, one after another, they wave to their buddies on the ground, bringing a glimmer of hope and relief to the stranded crew.

Books with substantial mentioning of Island in the Sky

		Fred Landesman The John Wayne Filmography Jefferson, North Carolina, and London, 2004

		Mark Ricci, Boris Zmijewsky, Steve Zmijewsky The Complete Films of John Wayne New York, NY, 1995

		Douglas Brode Lost Films of the Fifties Secaucus, New Jersey, 1988