Stoutor It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Robert J. Maxwell The title makes it sound as if this were some science fiction movie but it's really a celebration of the United States Air Force, circa 1956 -- a kind of enjoyable infomercial. Lots of high-echelon guys in snappy blue uniforms, Ineractional antagonisms, personal demons, technical challenges, and a nice-looking dame thrown in.As for the plot, it could be a recycling of one of the Warner Brothers' frames from the 1930s. The general in charge of flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base is Lloyd Nolan, but it could have been Pat O'Brien. The younger test pilot, anxious to prove himself after being tortured by the North Koreans, is William Holden but it could have been Jimmy Cagney. The pointless comic relief is supplied by the adjutant, Edward Brophy -- I mean L. Q. Jones. The dame is the general's secretary, Virginia Leith, who would have been somebody like Barbara Stanwyck in 1935.Overall, though it lacks originality in the narrative, it's an interesting movie, especially if you like the jet fighters and experimental rocket ships of the mid-50s. There's not much of it because most of the screen time is taken up with the muted competition between Holden and Nolan, both for the first "double-rocket" ride in the X-2, and for the affections of secretary Leith. (Guess who wins her heart?) Virginia Leith is an attractive enough woman and in real life, I imagine, a paragon of probity. The problem is that she can't act. She has the same problem with her voice that Sean Young had. There's nothing much they can do about it but neither has ever uttered a believable line. There's a scene between Leith and Holden, about half-way through, when she chides him for giving up on himself. They snap at each other and she runs away in tears. It's like watching a deliberate display of professional talent infused with boredom on Holden's part and an inability to act at all on Leith's, who leaves her dignity in a crumpled heap on the floor.The director is Mervyn LeRoy, who had been around for a long time. He tries to inject into some of the flight sequences the thrill of being aloft and having shed the surly bonds of earth but somehow it doesn't work, so what we see is a wide-eyed Holden in a big helmet intercut with aerial shots of the Mojave desert, accompanied by music designed to signal awe. LeRoy is sometimes careless too. The frightened Lieutenant, Jones, who tries to do everything by the book to please his general, accompanies Nolan to a departing airplane by more or less strolling after him instead of walking in step, per protocol.In a way, Lloyd Nolan as the general has the most appealing role. It's not nearly as dramatic as Holden's, yet Nolan does at least as good a job, and the character is more human. We can only imagine what Holden went through as a tortured prisoner of war. But we can all more easily identify with Nolan -- a man who is growing older, no longer fit for the rigors of test flying, never been married, in love with a younger woman who is attracted to a younger, more handsome man. A case study in declining potency. He has nothing to look forward to but his allegiance to the Air Force and a dull desk job in Baltimore. Now that's a real tragedy.

wes-connors Released from capture while serving in the Korean War, test pilot William Holden (as Lincoln "Linc" Bond) wants his military job back. Since he cracked while being tortured, there are trepidations about Mr. Holden's character and ability to carry out dangerous flight tests, but Edwards Air Force Base test center leader Lloyd Nolan (as William "Bill" Banner) decides to give Holden a chance. An even older man, Mr. Nolan has some retirement issues of his own. Also, Nolan is dating nicely figured young secretary Virginia Leith (as Connie Mitchell), who used to hang with Holden...Holden produced "Toward the Unknown" for himself, and it is not surprisingly a routine and unremarkable star vehicle. Given Holden's age, it might have been more interesting to make his character a World War II veteran with added back-story about the intervening years. Nolan is always good, here with a role that unfortunately leaves blanks in both his physical ailments and relationship with an amusing L.Q. Jones (as Sweeney). Trouble-maker Murray Hamilton (as Bromo) livens up his scenes. In his first appearance, future TV super-star James Garner plays a sympathetic part.***** Toward the Unknown (9/27/56) Mervyn LeRoy ~ William Holden, Lloyd Nolan, Virginia Leith, Charles McGraw

f75 I admit I am somewhat biased by the subject matter, as I am very intrigued by the 1950's era of rapid aviation development and flight testing.It seemed we were willing to try anything if it would give us a hand-up on the Russians, similar to the effort of the German war technology in WW2 to stave off the Allied advance. At any rate, the movie is an enjoyable time capsule of 1950's test aircraft and prototypes, especially a rare view of the Martin XB-51 (Gilbert XF-120 in the movie)of which none of the two built survive as they were destroyed in real-life crashes.The story-line is of course clichéd and predictable, though loosely based on actual test pilot Pete Everest. Stars William Holden, with a supporting role by James Garner who makes his motion picture debut. By the way, the movie is not available in the mass market, but I paid $45.00 for an excellent (legal) DVD copy off an internet company from Hollywood. It was worth it, as I hadn't seen the movie for 40 years. There is a website for this movie (search under "Toward the Unknown")that mentions the DVD company, as the name escapes me.

Ruth_Forsythe Just to let you know that I agree with alot of yous. This movie should be on DVD. Right now it is on VHS and the place to get it is at Block Buster Video Store, however you have to order it and the cost is very high $95.00. But I do have to agree the movie was GREAT! And my reason for wanted it is on a personal level. And I hope to obtain it to give to my mom for Mothers Day. Of course I will have to get a copy for myself and my brother. But if anyone out there can find alot cheaper copy please let me know. Thanks