''Heroes del Aire'' (aka ''Air Heroes'', ''Aguilas de Paz'', ''Heroes of the Sky'' and ''Hèreos del Air'') is a 1958 Spanish

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

directed by Ramón Torrado and written by H.S. Valdés and stars

Alfredo Mayo Alfredo Fernández Martínez (17 May 1911 in Barcelona – 19 May 1985 in Palma de Mallorca) better known as Alfredo Mayo was a Spanish actor. Biography After studying medicine, in 1929 Mayo made his debut in the theatre with the company of ...

, Lina Rosales, Maria Piazzai and Julio Núñez. The film was released on May 19, 1958, by Arturo González Producciones Cinematográficas. During the postwar years, only 21 Spanish films depicted the combat of the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

, with ''Heroes del Aire'' treating the subject obliquely in a series of flashbacks.

Plot

Coronel Rivas (Alfredo Mayo) was a daring pilot in the

. He marries the sister (Lina Rosales) of a friend (Julio Núñez) in an air force unit. Both had flown for the

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...

side. During the war, Rivas had stolen a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

aircraft, but was shot down by his friend. After surviving the attack, in the 1950s, Rivas eventually becomes the commander of a search and rescue service. When an aircraft from his air rescue squadron crashes during landing, an investigation begins. Complications from a blackmail attempt threaten to involve more than just the commander. In the end, the fear of being exposed for his role in the scandal that could destroy his entire family, leads Rivas to rescue terrified passengers aboard a doomed airliner.

Cast

as Coronel (en: Colonel) Rivas * Lina Rosales as wife of Coronel Rivas * Maria Piazzai as Herminia * Julio Núñez as Civil War flyer * Jose Marco as pilot * Thomas Bianco as Ernesto * Javier Armet as pilot * Francisco Bernal as Aznar * Mario Berriatúa as Guzman * José Calvo as Capitán * Xan das Bolas as Percebe * Carlos Casaravilla as Ibáñez * Antonio Casas as Asesor * Ángel Córdoba as Teniente * Félix Dafauce as Médico * Rafael de la Rosa as Soldado * Francisco Montalvo as Morales * Antonio Riquelme as Andaluz * Rufino Inglés as Comandante * Julio Goróstegui as General * José Sepúlveda as Comandante Rojo * Vicente Ávila as Capitán

Production

''Heroes del Aire'' was shot primarily at

Barajas Airport Barajas may refer to: *Barajas (Madrid), the district of Madrid in which the airport lies ** Barajas (Madrid Metro), station along Line 8 of the Madrid Metro **Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, principal airport of Madrid, Spain * Barajas ( ...

in Barajas, Spain, and in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

in 1957. The film was one of the few military-themed productions that came out of the

General Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War and thereafter ruled over Spain from 193 ...

era.

Reception

''Heroes del Aire was not well received by critics. Reviewer Hal Erickson noted "Though nothing special, 'Heroes del Aire' was deemed worthy of entry in the 1957 San Sebastián Film Festival." He also observed, "Though Alfredo Mayo is the real star of 'Heroes del Aire', top billing goes to leading lady Lina Rosales."Erickson, Hal
"Synopsis: 'Heroes del Aire'."
''AllMovies''. Retrieved: November 13, 2015.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Higginbotham, Virginia. ''Spanish Film Under Franco''. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 1978. . * Pendo, Stephen. ''Aviation in the Cinema''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. .

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 0050529, Air Heroes 1958 films 1950s war drama films Spanish war drama films Spanish aviation films 1950s Spanish-language films 1958 drama films