Arts and Entertainment

TV adds faculty member's PBS film about secret, illegal operation

Amazon-owned IMDb TV has added a Penn State faculty member's PBS documentary, “A Wing and a Prayer,” to its free streaming offerings. Credit: Image SubmittedAll Rights Reserved.

Amazon-owned IMDb TV has added a Penn State faculty member's PBS documentary, “A Wing and a Prayer,” to its free streaming offerings.

In the hour-long film, Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications assistant professor Boaz Dvir tells the story of U.S. World War II veterans who risked their lives and freedom in 1947-49 to prevent what they viewed as an imminent second Holocaust.

“A Wing and a Prayer,” which is narrated by actor William Baldwin (“Backdraft,” “Squid and the Whale”), features firsthand accounts by the operation’s leaders, including mastermind Al Schwimmer, chief pilot Sam Lewis, and crew leader Eddie Styrak.

Named Best Documentary at the 2016 Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, “A Wing and a Prayer” is also available on Roku, Amazon Video, PlexHoopla, Tubi and Pluto TV.

Since PBS first aired “A Wing and a Prayer” in 2015, Dvir has also produced a documentary short and a book about the operation:

  •  “Israel Survived an Early Challenge” — This eight-minute film, which Dvir co-produced with New York-based Retro Report, is available on Apple News.
  •  “Saving Israel: The Unknown Story of Smuggling Weapons and Winning a Nation’s Independence” — The 320-page book is available in hardcover, digital, and audiobook formats on AmazonBarnes & Noble, Audible, and other websites and stores.

 

 

 

Last Updated June 2, 2021