Beyond the Line of Duty
1942 | 22m | English
Popularity: 0.2 (history)
| Director: | Lewis Seiler |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Edwin Gilbert |
| Staring: |
| This short film in support of the war effort focuses on the training and missions of Army Air Corps Captain Hewitt T. Wheless just after the U.S. entry into World War II. | |
| Release Date: | Nov 07, 1942 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Lewis Seiler |
| Writer: | Edwin Gilbert |
| Genres: | War |
| Keywords | patriotism, world war ii, propaganda, us military, army air force, 1940s |
| Production Companies | Warner Bros. Pictures, The Vitaphone Corporation, U.S. Army Air Forces |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 19, 2026 Entered: May 02, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Hewitt T. Wheless | Himself - Captain, U.S. Army Air Forces |
| Ronald Reagan | Narrator (voice) |
| William Hopper | University of Texas Classmate (uncredited) |
| Bill Kennedy | Wheless' Air Force Buddy (uncredited) |
| Harry Lewis | Wheless' Neighbor (uncredited) |
| Knox Manning | Radio Announcer (uncredited) |
| Glenn Strange | Cal (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Edwin Gilbert | Writer |
| Robert B. Lee | Sound |
| Lewis Seiler | Director |
| Arthur L. Todd | Director of Photography |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Gordon Hollingshead | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 2024 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 2025 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trending Position
In wartime, everyone needs some sort of hero and this film provides one in the unassuming guise of Hewitt T. Wheless. Teased by his pals for being vertically challenged, he decides to join the US Army Air Force. What ensues now follows his training regime of theory and practice flights before he and ... his crew of seven other men head on a dangerous mission to attack shipping in the Philippines. The man himself reminded me a little of Glenn Ford with a big smile and a charismatic look to him that was obviously designed by the film-makers to entice others to follow in his stead and get their own silver wings. It mixes actuality with some dramatic-looking archive footage and what’s produced is a less jingoistic but still quite effective piece of WWII spirit-raising. It even gets a plug in for war bonds, too.