IMDb > Flying Tigers (1942)
Flying Tigers
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany credits
Awards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guidemessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsmemorable quotes
Did You Know?
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
box office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Flying Tigers (1942) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (See all 20 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   1,635 votes »
Your Rating:
Saving vote...
Deleting vote...
/10   (delete | history)
Sorry, there was a problem
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
David Miller
Writers:
Kenneth Gamet (screenplay) &
Barry Trivers (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Flying Tigers on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
8 October 1942 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Action | Drama | War | Romance See more »
Tagline:
NUNCA COMO HASTA AHORA SE FILMO LA GUERRA EL EL AIRE TAN CRUENTA, TAN REAL, TAN VIOLENTA! (original Argentine poster - all caps) See more »
Plot:
The Flying Tigers are a band of American Mercenaries called upon by China to help fight the Japanese two years before Pearl Harbour Full summary » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. See more »
NewsDesk:
(18 articles)
Red Tails review
 (From Den of Geek. 20 January 2012, 7:52 AM, PST)
Cinema Standoff: John Wayne vs Clint Eastwood
 (From Obsessed with Film. 23 November 2011, 9:21 AM, PST)
Mindy Newell, R.N., Cnor, C.G. (Comics Geek): How I Became A Comics Professional
 (From Comicmix. 8 August 2011, 5:40 AM, PDT)
User Reviews:
"You may serve the soup course now Pappy!" See more (32 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

John Wayne ... Capt. Jim Gordon
John Carroll ... Woody Jason
Anna Lee ... Brooke Elliott
Paul Kelly ... Hap Smith
Gordon Jones ... Alabama Smith

Mae Clarke ... Verna Bales
Addison Richards ... Col. Lindsay
Edmund MacDonald ... Blackie Bales
Bill Shirley ... Dale
Tom Neal ... Reardon
Malcolm 'Bud' McTaggart ... McCurdy (as Malcolm 'Bud' McTaggart)
David Bruce ... Lt. Barton
Chester Gan ... Mike
Jimmie Dodd ... McIntosh (as James Dodd)
Gregg Barton ... Tex Norton
John James ... Selby
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Crane ... Airfield Radioman (uncredited)
Elvira Curci ... Hindu Woman (uncredited)
Rico De Montez ... Passenger (uncredited)
Eddie Dew ... Miller - Injured Pilot (uncredited)
Dan Dowling ... Pilot (uncredited)
Walter Fenner ... American (uncredited)
Willie Fung ... Jim 'Gin' Sling - Waiter (uncredited)
Bill Hunter ... Mechanic (uncredited)

Anne Jeffreys ... Nurse (uncredited)
Allen Jung ... Dr. Tsing's Assistant (uncredited)
Dorothy Kelly ... Nurse (uncredited)
Charles La Torre ... Armenian Passenger (uncredited)

Charles Lane ... Repkin (uncredited)
Lotus Long ... Children's Matron (uncredited)
Richard Loo ... Dr. Tsing (uncredited)
Dick Morris ... Pilot (uncredited)
Nestor Paiva ... Missionairy (uncredited)
José Pérez ... Rangoon Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Franklin D. Roosevelt ... Himself (voice) (uncredited) (archive footage)
Tom Seidel ... Barratt - Replacement Pilot (uncredited)
Bhogwan Singh ... Hindu Passenger (uncredited)
Eleanor Soohoo ... Chinese Stewardess (uncredited)
Dave Willock ... Jim's Aide (uncredited)
Victor Wong ... Chinese Passenger (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

Directed by
David Miller 
 
Writing credits
Kenneth Gamet (screenplay) &
Barry Trivers (screenplay)

Kenneth Gamet (original story)

Produced by
Edmund Grainger .... associate producer
 
Original Music by
Victor Young 
 
Cinematography by
Jack A. Marta (photography) (as Jack Marta)
 
Film Editing by
Ernest J. Nims  (as Ernest Nims)
 
Art Direction by
Russell Kimball 
 
Set Decoration by
Otto Siegel 
 
Makeup Department
Peggy Gray .... hair stylist (uncredited)
Bob Mark .... makeup supervisor (uncredited)
 
Production Management
Arthur Siteman .... unit production manager (uncredited)
Al Wilson .... production manager (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Philip Ford .... assistant director (uncredited)
George Sherman .... second unit director (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Daniel J. Bloomberg .... sound (uncredited)
T.A. Carman .... sound editor (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Howard Lydecker .... special effects
Theodore Lydecker .... special effects (uncredited)
 
Stunts
Yakima Canutt .... stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Paul Mantz .... stunt pilot (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
William Bradford .... location camera (uncredited)
Nels Mathias .... grip (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser .... assistant camera (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Adele Palmer .... wardrobe
 
Music Department
Walter Scharf .... musical director
Herman Hand .... orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish .... orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken .... orchestrator (uncredited)
 
Other crew
John T. Bourke .... location manager (uncredited)
Sid Davis .... stand-in: John Wayne (uncredited)
Lawrence Moore .... technical advisor (uncredited)
Kenneth Sanger .... technical advisor (uncredited)
 
Thanks
William D. Pawley .... thanks: for the cooperation and technical assistance rendered by, co-founder of The American Volunteer Group
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
102 min | West Germany:90 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White (archive footage) | Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | West Germany:12 (f) | UK:A (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #8468) | UK:PG
Filming Locations:
Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Co., Buffalo, New York, USASee more »
Company:
Republic Pictures (I)See more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
No scene of the interior of the airplane could be shown for security reasons. The instrument boards shown were fake.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: When Woody crashes the airplane he took up without permission we hear the engine running and see it running (you can't see the propeller) as it passes the camera several times on the way down, but just before he touches down in the crash the engine is not running and the propeller is clearly stopped.See more »
Quotes:
Jim Gordon:[after Woody joins a sortie against Jim's orders, in a fighter without ammo or a radio, and gets himself shot down] Where do you think you are, with some broken-down flying circus?
Woody Jason:Aw, it would've been a cinch; I was ridin' the murder-spot right above those Jap bombers! If I had ammo, I'd have blown them clear out of China!
Jim Gordon:Instead, you wasted a good ship!
Woody Jason:Hey, you talk like that crate's more important than me.
Jim Gordon:I can't afford to lose planes OR pilots...
Woody Jason:It's like I told you earlier, Pappy: All I get out of this is the dough, so you can't blame me for trying. In a skeet match, the guy who knocks down the most pigeons wins the cup.
[...]
See more »
Movie Connections:
Featured in Raggedy Man (1981)See more »
Soundtrack:
That Old FeelingSee more »

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
7 out of 10 people found the following review useful.
"You may serve the soup course now Pappy!", 7 August 2005
Author: classicsoncall from United States

The "Flying Tigers" gets off the ground early as Commander Jim Gordon (John Wayne) leads his blue group fighters into exciting aerial battle against the Japanese. The film takes a look at an American band of mercenary fliers defending China just prior to our entry into World War II. For historical perspective, there's a scene right after Gordon chastises hot shot flier Woody Jason (John Carroll) for missing a night time reconnaissance flight; on Gordon's desk is a calendar with the date - Sunday December 7, 1941. President Truman's declaration of war is listened to intently by the squadron on the radio, and soon after the Tigers get orders to take out a railroad supply line.

In between aerial dog fights, Gordon has his hands full managing the aforementioned loose cannon Jason, an old friend who thinks the war was made just for him. He sees each Japanese opponent as another five hundred dollar bounty, and is too impressed with himself to follow orders, even when it leads to disastrous results. The set up though allows Jason to lead the movie to it's predictable ending, in which he redeems himself by ramming a damaged transport plane into a Japanese rail car loaded with military supplies. This right after giving parachuted buddy Gordon the old Geronimo out the plane's door before disobeying orders one last time.

John Wayne's romantic interest in the movie is suitably portrayed by Anna Lee, her character a nurse at the air base tending to Chinese children and wounded fliers when necessary. Other supporting players of note include Paul Kelly as Commander Gordon's Number #2 man Hap Smith, and Gordon Jones as Alabama, who has a fondness for saying "I'm getting that old feeling" whenever hot shot Jason makes an appearance. Jones looks a bit out of place in the film, perhaps I've seen him too many times playing the foil to Abbott and Costello in any number of their own movies and TV shows.

Both as a war film and a John Wayne vehicle, "Flying Tigers" is generally adequate, taking some liberties from a historical viewpoint to be considered entirely accurate. For fans of the "Duke", it's the type of action adventure in which he excels, combining elements of courage and heroism on which his fame as an entertainer rests.

Was the above review useful to you?
See more (32 total) »

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Flying Tigers (1942)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Airliner portrayed in Flying Tigers lilmarci
Yet another (dreaded) call for a REMAKE. kdmagnusson
God is My Co-Pilot (1945) eThink
IMDB's plot summary is . . . . thatfeel68
Only Angels have Wings ? fonteius
Aircraft used in Flying Tigers joan.murphy
See more »

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Pearl Harbor The Fighting Seabees Captain America: The First Avenger Empire of the Sun Australia
IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
 IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Action section IMDb USA section

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.