Educational Media Reviews Online

Using both archival film, still photographs, and location shots this production chronicles the life of the legendary World War II aviator and hero. Jimmy Doolittle grew up as a scrappy, tough, and adventurous youth in territorial Alaska and California, serving the country honorably in the First World War, and becoming well-known to the country and the world as a test pilot in the 1920s and ‘30s. It was during this time that he developed instrument flying, which is his most enduring contribution to aviation. He is perhaps best known for leading the daring raid on Tokyo in the early spring of 1942 – a mission which lifted morale in the U.S. and for which Doolittle received the Congressional Medal of Honor and a two grade promotion to Brigadier General. His war-time service continued with the 15th and 8th Air Forces in the Mediterranean and Europe. The production does a good job in showing the exciting life of Doolittle and technically is excellent, with no perceived flaws in sound or picture. A problem for some may be that some of the footage and photographs shown are from the era described, but do not actually depict the event described in the narrative. Also, the producer/director, Gardner Doolittle (a distant cousin of the general), as narrator can be a bit monotonous in his delivery. He is at his best in the supplemental feature where he describes some of the candid conversations he had with his distant cousin. Overall, this is a good production to introduce junior and senior high students and the general public to the life of a great American and aviation legend.