Operation Haylift (1950)

Interesting facts

Operation Haylift is a 1950 American aviation film directed by William Berke and starring Bill Williams, Ann Rutherford and Tom Brown. The film is a fictionalized account of a true story that documents the United States Air Force mission in 1948–49 to save thousands of cattle caught in the snowdrifts of a sudden winter storm in northern Nevada. The mission, titled "Operation Haylift", involved scores of cargo aircraft delivering hay to the stranded animals.

Production

The opening credits include the following written prologue: "This production was photographed entirely in Ely, Nevada, and was made possible through the cooperation of the Department of Defense, U.S. Air Force and the Department of Agriculture." In the months prior to production, producer Joe Sawyer and cameraman Benjamin Kline made six trips to Ely to arrange filming locations.

Filming began on January 11, 1950 and was expected to last at least eight days.

Production of Operation Haylift took place in Ely, the center of the actual operation. Primary filming locations included Ely's main street, the office of United Stockmen, various ranches and Ely Airport. Ely's Hotel Nevada and Gambling Hall was used as a filming location and also served as headquarters for the cast and crew. For filming, the Air Force provided C-82s from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

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