IMDb > Flying Leathernecks (1951)
Flying Leathernecks
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Flying Leathernecks (1951) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2)
Flying Leathernecks (1951) -- Major Kirby leads The Wildcats squadron into the historic WWII battle of Guadalcanal.
Flying Leathernecks (1951) -- Major Kirby leads The Wildcats squadron into the historic WWII battle of Guadalcanal.

Overview

User Rating:
6.2/10   1,464 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
James Edward Grant (screenplay)
Kenneth Gamet (story)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Flying Leathernecks on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 August 1951 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
AIR-DEVILS OF THE SKY! more
Plot:
Major Kirby leads The Wildcats squadron into the historic WWII battle of Guadalcanal. full summary | add synopsis
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
DVD Spotlight: 11/18.
 (From GreenCine. 19 November 2008, 11:46 AM, PST)

Veteran’s Day: 16 Of The Best World War II Movies
 (From Screen Rant. 11 November 2008, 12:27 PM, PST)

User Comments:
Oustanding Character Study more (25 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

John Wayne ... Maj. Daniel Xavier Kirby

Robert Ryan ... Capt. Carl 'Griff' Griffin
Don Taylor ... Lt. Vern 'Cowboy' Blithe
Janis Carter ... Joan Kirby
Jay C. Flippen ... MSgt. Clancy, Line Chief
William Harrigan ... Dr. Lt.Cdr. Joe Curran
James Bell ... Colonel
Barry Kelley ... Brigadier General
Maurice Jara ... Shorty Vegay
Adam Williams ... Lt. Bert Malotke
James Dobson ... Lt. Pudge McCabe
Carleton Young ... Col. Riley
Michael St. Angel ... Capt. Harold Jorgensen, Ops. Officer (as Steve Flagg)
Brett King ... 1st Lt. Ernie Stark
Gordon Gebert ... Tommy Kirby
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Devil Dogs of the Air (USA) (working title)
Flying Devil Dogs (USA) (working title)
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Runtime:
102 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Australia:PG | Iceland:12 | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-8 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | USA:Approved (PCA #14994)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This movie is often considered merely another assignment of Nicholas Ray's at RKO for Howard Hughes to prove his political and professional alliance during the Red Scare. A blatant pro-war movie that Hughes cared about and Ray did not, Ray disagreed with the film's politics and is said to have, along with Robert Ryan, intentionally over-act. Ryan and Ray, who were leftist liberals, constantly fought against John Wayne and Jay C. Flippen, who were conservatives and supported the Blacklist. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: Early in the movie, it states the date was summer 1941. This would make the planes and insignia incorrect. The insignia after Pearl Harbor removed the red circle inside the white star, but didn't have the white sidebars. Further, the planes shown are Grumman F6F Hellcats. In 1941 the Navy/Marines used the Grumman F4F Wildcat. The Hellcat didn't tangle with Japanese planes until the later half of 1943. more
Movie Connections:

FAQ

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10 out of 17 people found the following comment useful.
Oustanding Character Study, 29 December 2005
7/10
Author: nabor7 from Texas

Watching the interaction between Wayne and Ryan took me back to my days in submarines. A captain who remained distant yet caring and an exec who seemed more crew friendly and down to earth. I thought this was played out very well. Ryan only had to look at his own actions to realize why he had been passed over for command. I believe every command had a scrounger and this was a good addition for realism. I overlooked some location errors and airplane types and focused on what was the real story. Young men were trained quickly and sent into combat and as all young people do even now, feel invincible. This movie portrays war as a reality, men die. As long as the earth is inhabited there will be wars. One reviewer termed this movie as a snuff movie. This was war. Men fought and men died. Guadelcanal was not a pristine resort. We were attacked by an enemy who showed no mercy and as sad as it is, men die in war to protect our freedom. This movie shows how new pilots are forced to face the reality that they may be killed and that they must kill. They were led by a squadron commander (Wayne) who was a veteran and knew what it would take to give his men the highest odds of living. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to anyone who has a moral problem with war. The bottom line for the anti-war crowd is, "reality sucks."

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