John Wayne stars as the captain of an airplane flying over Greenland.  When the wings freeze over, Wayne is forced to make a crash landing on the uncharted frozen tundra.  Exposed to subzero temperatures and low on supplies, Wayne and his men fervently try to reach their base to order a rescue but since they are in the middle of nowhere, their signal is much too faint to be heard.  Pretty soon, the men start losing their marbles (one guy goes out hunting and never comes back) and it’s up to Wayne to keep everyone sane.

Like most movies that involve people awaiting a rescue, Island in the Sky loses a lot of tension whenever it cuts away from the stranded passengers.  I suppose we HAVE to see the rescue team try and do their thing, but the drama on their end isn’t nearly as involving as the drama concerning Wayne and his crew.  (Seriously, did we really need the protracted scene where the fat dude spends time swimming with his kids before going off on the rescue mission?  Look, there’s a bunch of guys who are going to freeze to death and all you can think of is doing laps at the YMCA!)  There’s also some really stupid comic relief involving a rescue pilot that doesn’t want to get out of bed that seems out of place given the desperateness of the situation.  Not to mention the superfluous Rod Serling-esque narrator who gets on your nerves PDQ.

Although fatally flawed in several areas, Island in the Sky benefits from a stellar performance by Wayne.  His mannerisms aren’t as broad and showy as they usually are and he essays his role in a realistic way.  In short, he’s actually “acting” in this one and not just playing himself like he normally does.

Assistant Director Andrew V. McLaglen later went on to direct Wayne in five movies including Chisum and Cahill:  U.S. Marshal.