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Dive Bomber is a 1941 film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Errol Flynn, Fred MacMurray, and Ralph Bellamy. The movie follows the story of a U.S. Navy doctor, Lieutenant Douglas Lee (played by Fred MacMurray), who is assigned to work with Dr. Lance Rogers (played by Errol Flynn), a renowned aviation medical researcher, in order to investigate the causes of pilot blackout during high-g maneuvers.

The setting of the movie is in the pre-World War II era, when U.S. Navy pilots were testing new types of aircraft, including dive bombers, which were designed to attack enemy ships by diving at a steep angle from high altitudes. The dive bomber pilots were facing the challenge of pulling out of the dive before they reached the water or they risked severe injury or death due to the high g-forces they experienced during the maneuver.

The two doctors set up a research laboratory to study the physiological effects of high g-forces on the human body, and they devise a method of measuring the gravity forces on the pilots by using a centrifuge. The experiments are carried out with volunteers, who are subjected to increasing levels of g-forces until they experience blackouts or lose consciousness.

During the course of the movie, the relationship between the two doctors becomes strained due to their differing attitudes towards research methodology, and their personal lives also undergo upheaval. Lee is a bachelor who becomes romantically involved with Nurse Swanson (played by Alexis Smith), a nurse who works in the hospital where he is posted. Rogers, on the other hand, is a married man whose wife (played by Ann Sheridan) is unhappy with his obsessiveness about his work and his neglect of their relationship.

The plot takes a dramatic turn when one of the test pilots, Lieutenant Tim Griffin (played by Robert Armstrong), is injured during a dive bomber test flight and suffers from a brain hemorrhage as a result of the g-forces he experienced. The doctors race against time to save his life, and their medical skills and innovative treatments are put to the test.

The movie features impressive aerial footage of dive bomber planes in flight, and it also showcases the dangers and sacrifices made by U.S. Navy pilots in their quest for aviation supremacy. The film was released just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, and it presents a patriotic and optimistic view of the Navy's aviation program at a time when war was looming on the horizon.

Errol Flynn delivers a solid performance as Dr. Rogers, portraying him as an ambitious and hard-driving researcher with a passion for aviation medicine. Fred MacMurray's character, Lt. Lee, represents the more practical and cautious approach to research, and his romantic storyline adds a touch of romantic Hollywood glamour to the story.

Overall, Dive Bomber is a compelling and entertaining movie that combines action, drama, and romance in a way that captures the spirit of the times. It showcases the bravery and dedication of U.S. Navy pilots and medical personnel who were pioneering new aviation technologies and techniques, and it serves as a tribute to their courage and sacrifice.

Dive Bomber is a 1941 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 12 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5.