ut y ▁observer ▁ab o ard ▁a ▁B - 5 2 F . ▁Thus , ▁Stewart ' s ▁character ▁was ▁not ▁too ▁far ▁from ▁the ▁life ▁he ▁was ▁actually ▁living . ▁ ▁Stewart ' s ▁military ▁service ▁and ▁lif el ong ▁interest ▁in ▁av iation ▁greatly ▁influenced ▁the ▁making ▁of ▁the ▁film . ▁He ▁pushed ▁for ▁an ▁authentic ▁but ▁sympath etic ▁port ray al ▁of ▁the ▁Str ateg ic ▁Air ▁Command , ▁which ▁led ▁Param ount ▁to ▁put ▁together ▁a ▁strong ▁cast ▁of ▁Hollywood ▁veter ans ▁and ▁production ▁people ▁including ▁June ▁Al ly son , ▁Frank ▁Love jo y , ▁director ▁Anthony ▁Mann , ▁and ▁the ▁top ▁st unt ▁pilot ▁of ▁the ▁day , ▁Paul ▁Mant z . ▁The ▁film ▁accur ately ▁port ray s ▁( from ▁the ▁perspective ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁starting ▁point ▁of ▁the ▁script ) ▁the ▁duties ▁and ▁respons ib ilities ▁of ▁an ▁Air ▁Force ▁strateg ic ▁bom ber ▁pilot , ▁and ▁the ▁dem ands ▁such ▁service ▁places ▁on ▁family ▁life . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁includes ▁dram atic ▁aer ial ▁phot ography , ▁for ▁which ▁it ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁special ▁c itation ▁by ▁the ▁American ▁National ▁Board ▁of ▁Review . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁only ▁motion ▁picture ▁to ▁highlight ▁the ▁Con v air ▁B - 3 6 ▁( dep icted ▁in ▁the ▁the atr ical ▁release ▁poster ), ▁the ▁largest ▁mass - produ ced ▁p ist on - power ed ▁aircraft ▁ever ▁built , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁bom ber ▁for ▁the ▁hydro gen ▁bomb . ▁The