The Man in the Sky

The Man in the Sky

Dare-devil test pilot takes you on a nerve-tingling adventure!

1957 · 87 min · ★ 7.5 · Drama

The efforts of test pilot John Mitchell to make a better life for his wife Mary and their two children seem doomed to failure and he blames himself. At the Conway Aero-Manufacturing Company of Wolverhampton, Mitchell is to take the company's new rocket-propulsion transport plane up for tests, fully loaded and carrying two important passengers - Ministry official Crabtree and buyer's representative Ashmore. Mitchell learns from his boss, Reg Conway, that if Ashmore does not recommend the plane, the company will be out of business and Mitchell out of a job, since the plane is not even insured as the firm's entire capital is tied up in the plane. Aloft, an engine catches fire and the passengers and other crew bail out, but Mitchell refuses to obey orders to jettison the plane in the Irish Sea.

Directed by Charles Crichton · Written by John Eldridge

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Rent or Buy

Canal VOD

Cast

Make it a double feature

2h 51m together

The Man in the Sky

The Titfield Thunderbolt

Both from Charles Crichton.

More from Charles CrichtonSee all →

The Human JungleThe Human Jungle · 1963
The Human Jungle
8.21963
Series
The Human Jungle is a British TV series about a psychiatrist, made for ABC Television by the small production company Independent Artists for transmission on ITV. Starring Herbert Lom, it ran for two series which were first transmitted during 1963 and 1965.
The AvengersThe Avengers · 1961
The Avengers
7.81961
SeriesAction & AdventureCrime
A quirky spy show of the adventures of eccentrically suave British Agent John Steed and his predominantly female partners. Jonathan Steed - an urbane, proper gentleman spy - teams with various assistants throughout the series' run, including Dr. David Keel, Cathy Gale, Emma Peel and Tara King, to repeatedly save the world from diabolical schemes plotted by equally diabolical evil-doers (among them robots and man-eating monsters).
Strange ReportStrange Report · 1969
Strange Report
7.71969
SeriesCrime
Adam Strange, a retired Home Office criminologist, solves bizarre cases – which have been marked "Open File" by various government departments – with the help of Hamlyn Gynt, Evelyn and Professor Marks. He employs the latest techniques in forensic investigation, which he undertakes in his own laboratory in his flat in Warwick Crescent in the Maida Vale/Little Venice area of Paddington.
The ProfessionalsThe Professionals · 1977
The Professionals
7.61977
SeriesAction & AdventureCrime
The lives of Bodie and Doyle, top agents for Britain's CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5), and their controller, George Cowley. The mandate of CI5 was to fight terrorism and similar high-profile crimes. Cowley, a hard ex-MI5 operative, hand-picked each of his men. Bodie is a cynical ex-SAS paratrooper and mercenary whose nature ran to controlled violence, while his partner, Doyle, comes to CI5 from the regular police force, and is more of an open minded liberal. Their relationship is often contentious, but they are the top men in their field, and the ones to whom Cowley always assigned to the toughest cases.
SmugglerSmuggler · 1981
Smuggler
7.51981
SeriesAction & Adventure
Set during the Napoleonic wars of the early 1800s, Oliver Tobias stars as Jack Vincent, a swashbuckling ex-British naval captain turned smuggler. A strong-willed, independent man who lives by both his wits and the sword, Vincent is ably assisted by Sarah and petty thief Honesty Evans in his struggle to stay one step ahead of the Excise Men...
Dick TurpinDick Turpin · 1979
Dick Turpin
7.41979
SeriesDramaComedy
Richard O'Sullivan stars as Dick Turpin in this action-filled adventure series chronicling the exploits of England's most celebrated highwayman.
Danger ManDanger Man · 1960
Danger Man
7.31960
SeriesAction & AdventureDrama
Danger Man is a British television series which was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the programme and wrote many of the scripts. Danger Man was financed by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment.
A Fish Called WandaA Fish Called Wanda · 1988
A Fish Called Wanda
7.21988
MovieComedyCrime
While a diamond advocate attempts to steal a collection of diamonds, troubles arise when he realises he’s not the only one after the collection.
Dead of NightDead of Night · 1945
Dead of Night
7.21945
MovieHorrorThriller
An architect, visiting an English country house, realizes the other guests are familiar from his recurring nightmare. When they share their tales of the supernatural, he is filled with a growing dread.
Man in a SuitcaseMan in a Suitcase · 1967
Man in a Suitcase
7.21967
SeriesAction & AdventureDrama
Accused of treason, a former U.S. intelligence officer based in London tries to clear his name, taking on freelance jobs around Europe as he searches for answers.
Man of the WorldMan of the World · 1962
Man of the World
7.21962
SeriesCrimeDrama
Michael Strait is a world-renowned photographer whose assignments lead him into investigating mysterious goings-on amongst the rich and glamorous and intrigue from far-flung places as Iraq, French Indochina, and Algiers.
The Lavender Hill MobThe Lavender Hill Mob · 1951
The Lavender Hill Mob
7.21951
MovieComedyCrime
A meek bank clerk who oversees the shipments of bullion joins with an eccentric neighbor to steal gold bars and smuggle them out of the country.
The Thief of BagdadThe Thief of Bagdad · 1940
The Thief of Bagdad
7.11940
MovieAdventureFantasy
When Prince Ahmad is blinded and cast out of Bagdad by the nefarious Jaffar, he joins forces with the scrappy thief Abu to win back his royal place, as well as the heart of a beautiful princess.
Space: 1999Space: 1999 · 1975
Space: 1999
7.11975
SeriesSci-Fi & Fantasy
The crew of Moonbase Alpha must struggle to survive when a massive explosion throws the Moon from orbit into deep space.
Painted BoatsPainted Boats · 1945
Painted Boats
7.01945
MovieDrama
In this modest drama, set during World War II, two rival boat families battle it out for supremacy.
The Titfield ThunderboltThe Titfield Thunderbolt · 1953
The Titfield Thunderbolt
7.01953
MovieComedy
When British Railways announce the closure of the Titfield to Mallingford branch line a group of local residents make a bid to run it themselves, backed by a monied member of the community who is attracted by the complete lack of licensing hours on trains. Unfortunately the local bus company starts to use methods that can hardly be seen as fair competition.

More Like This

La StradaLa Strada · 1954
La Strada
7.91954
MovieDrama
When Gelsomina, a naïve young woman, is purchased from her impoverished mother by brutish circus strongman Zampanò to be his wife and partner, she loyally endures her husband's coldness and abuse as they travel the Italian countryside performing together. Soon Zampanò must deal with his jealousy and conflicted feelings about Gelsomina when she finds a kindred spirit in Il Matto, the carefree circus fool, and contemplates leaving Zampanò.
La HaineLa Haine · 1995
La Haine
8.11995
MovieDrama
After a chaotic night of rioting in a marginal suburb of Paris, three young friends, Vinz, Hubert and Saïd, wander around unoccupied waiting for news about the state of health of a mutual friend who has been seriously injured when confronting the police.
8½ · 1963
8.11963
MovieDrama
Guido Anselmi, a film director, finds himself creatively barren at the peak of his career. Urged by his doctors to rest, Anselmi heads for a luxurious resort, but a sorry group gathers—his producer, staff, actors, wife, mistress, and relatives—each one begging him to get on with the show. In retreat from their dependency, he fantasizes about past women and dreams of his childhood.
Schindler's ListSchindler's List · 1993
Schindler's List
8.61993
MovieDramaHistory
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
La Dolce VitaLa Dolce Vita · 1960
La Dolce Vita
8.01960
MovieComedyDrama
Episodic journey of journalist Marcello who struggles to find his place in the world, torn between the allure of Rome's elite social scene and the stifling domesticity offered by his girlfriend, all the while searching for a way to become a serious writer.
The Seventh SealThe Seventh Seal · 1957
The Seventh Seal
8.11957
MovieFantasyDrama
When disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof and his wife, Mia, and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.
Cléo from 5 to 7Cléo from 5 to 7 · 1962
Cléo from 5 to 7
7.71962
MovieDrama
Agnès Varda eloquently captures Paris in the sixties with this real-time portrait of a singer set adrift in the city as she awaits test results of a biopsy. A chronicle of the minutes of one woman’s life, Cléo from 5 to 7 is a spirited mix of vivid vérité and melodrama, featuring a score by Michel Legrand and cameos by Jean-Luc Godard and Anna Karina.
BreathlessBreathless · 1960
Breathless
7.51960
MovieDramaCrime
A small-time thief steals a car and impulsively murders a motorcycle policeman. Wanted by the authorities, he attempts to persuade a girl to run away to Italy with him.
The ApartmentThe Apartment · 1960
The Apartment
8.21960
MovieComedyDrama
Bud Baxter is a minor clerk in a huge New York insurance company, until he discovers a quick way to climb the corporate ladder. He lends out his apartment to the executives as a place to take their mistresses. Although he often has to deal with the aftermath of their visits, one night he's left with a major problem to solve.
CasablancaCasablanca · 1943
Casablanca
8.11943
MovieDramaRomance
In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.
12 Angry Men12 Angry Men · 1957
12 Angry Men
8.61957
MovieDrama
The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? · 1966
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
7.71966
MovieDrama
A history professor and his wife entertain a young couple who are new to the university's faculty. As the drinks flow, secrets come to light, and the middle-aged couple unload onto their guests the full force of the bitterness, dysfunction, and animosity that defines their marriage.
Ed WoodEd Wood · 1994
Ed Wood
7.51994
MovieComedyDrama
The mostly true story of the legendary "worst director of all time", who, with the help of his strange friends, filmed countless B-movies without ever becoming famous or successful.
PiPi · 1998
Pi
7.11998
MovieMysteryDrama
A mathematical genius discovers a link between numbers and reality, and thus believes he can predict the future.
Murder She SaidMurder She Said · 1961
Murder She Said
7.31961
MovieComedyCrime
Miss Marple believes she's seen a murder in a passing-by train, yet when the police find no evidence she decides to investigate it on her own.
Judgment at NurembergJudgment at Nuremberg · 1961
Judgment at Nuremberg
8.01961
MovieDramaHistory
In 1947, four German judges who served on the bench during the Nazi regime face a military tribunal to answer charges of crimes against humanity. Chief Justice Haywood hears evidence and testimony not only from lead defendant Ernst Janning and his defense attorney Hans Rolfe, but also from the widow of a Nazi general, an idealistic U.S. Army captain and reluctant witness Irene Wallner.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter