Flying Leathernecks (1951)

Director:

Nicholas Ray

Writers:

James Edward Grant (screenplay)
Kenneth Gamet (story)
(more)

Release Date:

28 August 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War | Action

Tagline:

AIR-DEVILS OF THE SKY!

Plot:

Major Kirby leads The Wildcats squadron into the historic WWII battle of Guadalcanal.

Plot Keywords:

Guadalcanal | Rainstorm | Air Raid | U.S. Marine Corps | Military

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hal Bokar	...	Lt. Deal (uncredited)
Barry Brooks	...	Squadron Commander (uncredited)
Charles Brunner	...	Charlie's Father (uncredited)
Richard Condon	...	1st Pilot Replacement (uncredited)
Ralph Cook	...	Lt. Kelvin (uncredited)
Inez Cooper	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Chuck Courtney	...	3rd Pilot Replacement (uncredited)
James Craven	...	Fleet CIC Commander (uncredited)
Victor Cutler	...	2nd Pilot Replacement (uncredited)
Gail Davis	...	Virginia Blithe (uncredited)
Michael Devery	...	Lt. Hoagland (uncredited)
Jayn Lee Dockstader	...	Infant (uncredited)
Chris Drake	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)
Jane Easton	...	Girl (uncredited)
Sam Edwards	...	Junior (uncredited)
Frank Fiumara	...	Lt. Hawkins (uncredited)
Shela Fritz	...	Charlie's Mother (uncredited)
Grady Galloway	...	4th Pilot Replacement (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	MP Sergeant (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Intelligence Officer (uncredited)
Douglas Henderson	...	Lt. Foster (uncredited)
James Hickman	...	Hicks (uncredited)
Frank Iwanaga	...	Japanese Pilot (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Indian Affairs Clerk (uncredited)
Mona Knox	...	Annabelle (uncredited)
Keith Larsen	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Harry Lauter	...	Freddie (uncredited)
Tony Layng	...	Lt.Woods (uncredited)
Frank Marlowe	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Gene Marshall	...	6th Pilot Replacement (uncredited)
Mickey McCardle	...	Marine (uncredited)
Paul McGuire	...	Major Benson (uncredited)
Eda Reiss Merin	...	Mama Malotke (uncredited)
John Mitchum	...	Lt. Black (uncredited)
Rollin Moriyama	...	Japanese Pilot (uncredited)
Al Murphy	...	Grease Monkey (uncredited)
Brit Norton	...	Capt. Walter Tanner (uncredited)
Leslie K. O'Pace	...	Peter (uncredited)
Jimmy Ogg	...	Messenger (uncredited)
Peter Ortiz	...	Captain (uncredited)
Patricia Prest	...	Greta Malotke (uncredited)
Noel Reyburn	...	Madden (uncredited)
Melville Robert	...	Jack (uncredited)
Elaine Roberts	...	Jill (uncredited)
Don Rockland	...	Lt. Stuart (uncredited)
Mavis Russell	...	Mrs. Jorgenson (uncredited)
Hugh Sanders	...	General on Guadalcanal (uncredited)
Lynn Stalmaster	...	Lt. Billy Castle (uncredited)
Milburn Stone	...	Fleet CIC Radio Operator (uncredited)
Bernard Szold	...	Papa Malotke (uncredited)
Mort Thompson	...	5th Pilot Replacement (uncredited)
Richard Ullman	...	Jeep Driver (uncredited)
Harlan Warde	...	Admiral's Aide (uncredited)
Dick Wessel	...	Mess Sergeant (uncredited)
Mack Williams	...	Colonel (uncredited)
Adam York	...	Lt. Simmons (uncredited)

Directed by
Nicholas Ray

Writing credits
James Edward Grant		(screenplay)
Kenneth Gamet		(story)
Beirne Lay Jr.		(screenplay) uncredited

Produced by
Edmund Grainger	....	producer

Original Music by
Roy Webb

Cinematography by
William E. Snyder		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Sherman Todd

Art Direction by
Albert S. D'Agostino
James W. Sullivan

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera		(set decorations)
John Sturtevant		(set decorations)

Makeup Department
Mel Berns	....	makeup artist
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Cliff P. Broughton	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Ruman	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Frank McWhorter	....	sound
Clem Portman	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Mantz	....	pilot: camera airplane (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	aerial camera operator: Technicolor (uncredited)

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director

Other crew
Howard Hughes	....	presenter
Richard Hughes	....	technical adviser (as Colonel Richard Hughes U.S.M.C.)
Morgan Padelford	....	technicolor color consultant
Sid Davis	....	stand-in: John Wayne (uncredited)
Edmund Grainger	....	fill-in director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical) (as An RKO Radio Picture)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1952) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Europa Film (195?) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Home Video Center (1988) (Greece) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Lime Lights Pictures (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Video City International (1986) (Greece) (VHS)

Other Companies

• United States Marine Corps  dedicated to: and especially to Marine aviation - appreciation is gratefully acknowledged for their participation and assistance which made this picture possible (as the United States Marine Corps)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (archive footage) | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-8 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | USA:Approved (PCA #14994) | Australia:PG | Iceland:12 | West Germany:16 (f) | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) (2012) | Netherlands:14 (original rating) (1951)

Filming Locations:

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, Oceanside, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Even though this film is in color, the RKO Studio's film logo seen at the beginning of the movie is in black-and-white.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Wires used to pull the canopy away are visible when Cowboy bails out over point Zebra.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Rockford Files: The Queen of Peru (#4.12)" (1977)

Close Air Ground Support

Flying Leathernecks finds John Wayne in the Marines again, but this time as a commissioned officer/pilot. He has an idea about better coordination with ground troops on that lovely tropic isle of Guadalcanal and he inherits a squadron that essentially become guinea pigs to test his theory out.

He also inherits a resentful Executive Officer in Robert Ryan who keeps getting passed over for command. Ryan's a favorite with the men and he bleeds over the prospect of any of them being killed. Fine traits for a human being, but not something that works in a war situation.

As so many others have said, Flying Leathernecks has a whole lot of the elements that made Sands of Iwo Jima a critical and popular success. Wayne and Ryan work well together, possibly the political differences with both in real life lent itself to the performances of both men.

In the supporting cast you will like Jay C. Flippen as the larcenous sergeant in charge of the ground crews. Flippen provides a lot of what comic relief we have in Flying Leathernecks. Years later Flippen and Wayne worked together again after Flippen lost a leg to diabetes. Wayne gave him a small part in The Hellfighters to help him with medical expenses. Wayne did that on numerous occasions when he later produced films himself or had a say in casting. He wasn't about hand outs, but he always was ready to help an ill colleague with a pay day that did not rob folks of dignity. He didn't give jobs, he hired men as he said in a later film

Not the best stuff technically speaking for the air sequences. That Howard Hughes put in Jet Pilot with unfortunately a ridiculous story to go with it, not anything like the Flying Leathernecks story which admittedly is average at best.

Still it's far from the worst or best work John Wayne ever did.