The Kid Who Couldn’t Miss has been the subject of controversy since its release in 1982. It is the fascinating account of how a brash kid from Owen Sound, Ontario, named William Avery (Billy) Bishop, became one of the leading fighter pilots of World War I. This film is a docudrama and combines elements of both reality and fiction. It does not pretend to be a biography of Billy Bishop. Certain characters have been used to express certain doubts and reservations about Bishop’s exploits. There is no evidence that these were shared by the actual characters. At age 23, Bishop became a hero and Canada’s most decorated military figure. Excerpts from John Gray’s play Billy Bishop Goes to War, featuring Eric Peterson, provide a thread throughout the film.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
016603
Language
English
Subject categories
Armed Forces, Military, War & Weapons → Bishop, Billy
Armed Forces, Military, War & Weapons → Fighter pilots
Armed Forces, Military, War & Weapons → World War, 1914-1918
Armed Forces, Military, War & Weapons → World War, 1914-1918 - Canada
Communications, Infrastructure, & Transport → Airplanes
Feature films → Feature films - Canada
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)
16mm film; Access Print (Section 1)