Gallant Journey is a 1946 American historical film written, produced and directed by William A. Wellman and starring Glenn Ford, Janet Blair and Charles Ruggles.

When Father Dick Ball (Charles Kemper) in San Diego, California, recalls his childhood friend, John Joseph Montgomery (Glenn Ford), he recounts the story of the first American to ever fly a glider in 1883.

As early as 1879, John told his girlfriend Regina Cleary (Janet Blair) about his dreams of flying, although his family was very much opposed to this idea and considered him a fool.

John's prominent father, Zachary Montgomery, who had become Assistant Attorney General of the United States, was keen on keeping his reputation intact.

Another priest, Father Kenton (Arthur Shields), turned out to be an aviation enthusiast, and helped John with his inventions, arranging a job for him at a Santa Clara workshop.

A series of misfortunes and unfortunate events serve as additional discouragement for John, when Dan crashes and dies during a test flight, and an earthquake destroys his glider.

[2] Gallant Journey had its beginnings with the San Diego Junior Chamber of Commerce which had obtained the film rights to a biography on John Montgomery.

For this curiously ill-constructed picture about a man who was crazy to fly goes bumping around in clumsy circles and ends up in a miserable heap.

"[5] Aviation film historians Hardwick and Schnepf noted that Gallant Journey was "... (a) well-told story" with "Good aerial sequences of gliders and balloons.