Jet Job

Joe Kovak is a test pilot for military-aircraft designer Sam Bentley, who thinks of Joe as a son. A competing plane company is seeking the same Army contract as Bentley, and offers a $500 bonus to their publicity woman Marge Stevens if she can entice Joe into quitting Bentley to join their company. When Joe takes repeated unnecessary risks in the air, Bentley fires him and Joe goes to work for the competitor. He almost loses his life when the inferior plane he is testing fails to function at a high altitude, a fault that the designer had anticipated but had let get by because of his greed in getting the contract.

Directed by William Beaudine, Jet Job leans on a strong ensemble — Stanley Clements, Elena Verdugo, John Litel — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1952.