Decision Against Time

John Mitchell

Mary Mitchell

Nicholas Mitchell

Philip Mitchell

Reginald Conway

Peter Hook

Ashmore

Joe Biggs

Keith

Mary's Mother

Mrs. Snowden

Maine

Jenkins

Sim

Ingrams, the Reporter

Lauderette Assistant

Cyclist

Cyclist

Cyclist

Cyclist

Cyclist

Cyclist

Stations Fire Officer

Hollingsworth

Ambulance Man

Cyclist (uncredited)

Betty Harris (uncredited)

The first Ealing Studios production after the company left its Ealing site. The movie was made at MGM-British at Borehamwood. The famous "Ealing Studios" logo was changed to "Ealing Films". The film was also the first Ealing film to be released by MGM rather than Rank Film Distributors, marking a move from Rank's Odeon and Gaumont circuit to the rival ABC circuit, which MGM was aligned with.

The aircraft featured was a TYPE 170 Mark 11A G-AIFV designed and produced by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Although the actual scenes were filmed at Wolverhampton, practice was carried out at Lydd Ferryfield in Kent (now London Ashford Airport). Filming was not without problems and on 15 May 1956 the aircraft overshot the runway, causing quite extensive damage to the nose and wing sections. Following repairs the aircraft returned to operations with Silver City Airways before being scrapped in May 1962.

Jack Hawkins mentions this movie in his autobiography ("Anything for a Quiet Life"). He refers to it by it's UK release title, "Man in the Sky".After his character lands and returns home to his wife... "I then had a six-minute speech, which was really the justification why a man does a job - any job - which was brilliantly written by Bill Rose, one of the finest screen-writers, and a man who wrote perfectly for me. This speech attracted a lot of attention..."