While most moviegoers may have regarded the film as typical of Hollywood, the scriptwriters were instructed to be faithful to Col. Robert Lee Scott Jr.'s original account of his exploits over China, and to provide backstory to enlarge his character. By basing the film on exploits of historical figures (only occasionally resorting to fictional characters such as "Tokyo Joe"), the film gained considerable authenticity. However, by 1945 the American film-going public were wary of what was essentially seen as another in a series of patriotic, "flag-waving" films.