By Dawn's Early Light

By Dawn's Early Light

By Dawn’s Early Light (AKA The Grand Tour) is an HBO Original Movie, aired in 1990 and set in 1991. It is based on the 1983 novel Trinity's Child, written by William Prochnau. The film is one of the last films to depict the events of a fictional World War III before the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

Throughout the entire film, a sub-plot focuses on a single Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crew from the time of its emergency take-off from Fairchild AFB to receiving orders to enter the Soviet Union and begin destroying cities. The B-52 pilot and female co-pilot, who are shown carrying on a clandestine romance prior to the emergency, eventually decide to disobey orders, at which time one of the airmen on board mutinies and attempts to kill the pilot. After a violent struggle, every aircrew member, except for the pilot and co-pilot, is killed when the airman ejects from the bomber, blowing the other crew members out to their deaths. The end of the film shows the B-52 flying into the sunrise, just after the President has ordered a stand down of the armed forces.