In the second installment of Thursday Cinema, I bring you Disney’s adaptation of Dave Stevens graphic novel, The Rocketeer. After a failed “snatch-and-grab” of a Howard Hughes’ created jetpack, it lands in the hands of two struggling pilots, the young Cliff and his mentor, Peevy (Alan Arkin). To make some extra dough after a crash and burn with one of their planes, the two show off the piece at an air show. It is later revealed that famous actor (and secret Nazi spy) Neville Sinclair (played by the two-time James Bond, Timothy Dalton) was the one trying to steal the jetpack. What ensues afterward is an action-adventure popcorn flick you’ll cheer for.
The film also stars Jennifer Connelly as Cliff’s girlfriend, who was inspired by the pin-up queen herself, Bettie Page. In the graphic novel, her name is Betty and is, in fact, a pin-up model. There are several shots of her either nude or in lingerie. However, in the film, Betty has been renamed Jenny and is now an actress breaking into Hollywood. Gotta keep it PG! The graphic novel has many wonderful squares dedicated to Betty in all of her pin-up glamor, including the image on the right. In the film we still have a few of these moments; there is a wonderful (albeit somewhat cliche) shot of Connelly putting on a stocking and fastening the garter. The stocking does have the proper welts, though it is difficult to see if seams (or a keyhole) are there due to the way it was shot.
From a story standpoint, The Rocketeer is good, clean fun with some witty one-liners, however some of the acting is a tad dry. But visually, the film is stunning. From the dog shaped diner to the utterly fabulous costumes, it’s a feast for the eyes! Connelly is gorgeous to look at, though falls terribly flat acting wise. But that aside, The Rocketeer is fabulous fun and comes highly recommended.
In terms of period correctness, I have found no real errors in the area of fashion and set decoration. I do call into question the model of the Spruce Goose, however. The film takes place in 1938, and I have heard of no Spruce Goose ideas pre-1942. Additionally, the portrayal of Howard Hughes is far from how he was in reality. Here, he is offered up as a generous, idealist instead of the dramatic obsessive compulsive character he was. The film also has a nice way of explaining the removal of “LAND” portion of the “HOLLYWOOD” sign, although this was not done until ten years later, in 1949.
A fun film from beginning to end, The Rocketeer is sure to have you cheering, and even more so if you dig the 1930s and 1940s.
