''Steel Against the Sky'' is a 1941 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by A. Edward Sutherland, written by

Paul Gerard Smith Paul Gerard Smith (September 14, 1894 – April 4, 1968) was an American screenwriter. He wrote for 90 films between 1926 and 1955. Biography Born in 1894, Smith started writing musical revues at the age of ten. He joined the Marines for ...

, and starring

Lloyd Nolan Lloyd Benedict Nolan (August 11, 1902 – September 27, 1985) was an American film and television actor. Among his many roles, Nolan is remembered for originating the role of private investigator Michael Shayne in a series of 1940s B movies. Bi ...

Alexis Smith Margaret Alexis Fitzsimmons-Smith (June 8, 1921 – June 9, 1993) was a Canadian-born American actress and singer. She appeared in several major Hollywood films in the 1940s and had a notable career on Broadway in the 1970s, winning a Tony Awar ...

, Craig Stevens,

Gene Lockhart Edwin Eugene Lockhart (July 18, 1891 – March 31, 1957)"Gene Lockhart"
''The ...

, Edward Ellis and

Walter Catlett Walter Leland Catlett (February 4, 1889 – November 14, 1960) was an American actor and comedian. He made a career of playing excitable, meddlesome, temperamental, and officious blowhards. Career Catlett was born on February 4, 1889, in S ...

. It was released by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

on December 13, 1941.

Plot

Rocky and Pete Evans are following in their father's footsteps working on girders building a bridge for John Powers. Chuck, their brother, prefers using his brains over brawn in get rich quick schemes that usually fail. Chuck tries to interest Rocky in financing a plan by Professor Samson, who claims to have invented a new product called Samsonite, (named after him), which is as strong as steel and as flexible as rubber. Rocky is not interested in wasting his money. Chuck brings the Professor home and Pop Evans loans him $25. A lab is set up in the basement of the Evans home. Rocky is romantically interested in Helen Powers, the daughter of the bridge contractor, and invites her home for dinner. The three brothers humorously vie for the use of the bathroom before Helen arrives. Meanwhile, the Professor's experiments create small explosions at the Evans' house. Chuck is enchanted with Helen and decides to work on the bridge with Rocky as his boss. Rocky is attacked on the girders by a disgruntled employee and Chuck rescues him, thus, impressing Helen. Completion of the job, on time, is threatened by an impending storm. Work begins around the clock. Rocky sees Chuck kissing Helen and is furious. The brothers fight. Pop is devastated by the rift between the boys, whom he has raised since he was widowed and disabled on the job. He blames Helen for toying with the feelings of the boys, when she goes to his house to explain. Helen tries to make amends by rejecting Chuck. The storm causes a problem on the bridge. Rocky and Pete climb the ice covered girders to attempt repairs. Pete slips and falls into the icy water. Rocky continues but also slips and is treacherously hanging by his safety belt. Chuck climbs the girders to rescue his brother and all is forgiven. Helen professes her love for Chuck and in the final scene they are married (They were married in real life for over 50 years.)

Cast

as Rocky Evans *

as Helen Powers * Craig Stevens as Chuck Evans *

Gene Lockhart Edwin Eugene Lockhart (July 18, 1891 – March 31, 1957)"Gene Lockhart"
''The ...

as John Powers * Edward Ellis as Pop Evans *

as Professor Sampson *

Howard Da Silva Howard Da Silva (born Howard Silverblatt, May 4, 1909 – February 16, 1986) was an American actor, director and musical performer on stage, film, television and radio. He was cast in dozens of productions on the New York stage, appeared in mo ...

as Bugs *

Edward Brophy Edward Santree Brophy (February 27, 1895 – May 27, 1960) was an American character actor and comedian, as well as an assistant director and second unit director during the 1920s. Small of build, balding, and raucous-voiced, he frequently ...

as Pete Evans *

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

as Cliff (uncredited) *

Julie Bishop Julie Isabel Bishop (born 17 July 1956) is an Australian former politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2018 and deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 2007 to 2018. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Curtin ...

as Myrt

References

External links

* * * * 1941 films Warner Bros. films American comedy films 1941 comedy films Films directed by A. Edward Sutherland American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{1940s-comedy-film-stub