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Flying Leathernecks
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Flying Leathernecks (1951) More at IMDbPro »

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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   1,479 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
James Edward Grant (screenplay)
Kenneth Gamet (story)
(more)
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 Reviews:
Oustanding Character Study more (25 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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:
Charles Brunner ... Navajo father on reservation (uncredited)
Ralph Cook ... (uncredited)
James Craven ... Fleet CIC commander (uncredited)
Gail Davis ... Virginia Blithe (uncredited)
Michael Devery ... (uncredited)

Sam Edwards ... Junior (uncredited)
Fred Graham ... MP sergeant (uncredited)
Douglas Henderson ... (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee ... Indian Affairs clerk (uncredited)
Keith Larsen ... (uncredited)
Harry Lauter ... Freddie (uncredited)
John Mitchum ... Lt. Black (uncredited)
Brit Norton ... Capt. Walter Tanner (uncredited)
Melville Robert ... (uncredited)
Elaine Roberts ... (uncredited)
Lynn Stalmaster ... Lt. Billy Castle (uncredited)
Milburn Stone ... Fleet CIC radio operator (uncredited)
Harlan Warde ... Admiral's aide (uncredited)
Dick Wessel ... Mess sergeant (uncredited)
Mack Williams ... (uncredited)
Adam York ... (uncredited)
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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 
John Sturtevant 
 
Makeup Department
Mel Berns .... makeup artist
Larry Germain .... hair stylist
 
Production Management
Cliff P. Broughton .... production supervisor
 
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
Colonel Richard Hughes .... technical advisor (as Colonel Richard Hughes U.S.M.C.)
Howard Hughes .... presenter
Morgan Padelford .... technicolor color consultant
Sid Davis .... stand-in: John Wayne (uncredited)
 
Crew believed to be complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Devil Dogs of the Air (USA) (working title)
Flying Devil Dogs (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
102 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (archive footage) | 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:
There was some controversy over the casting, since both John Wayne and Robert Ryan were clearly much older than real pilots were during World War II. more
Goofs:
Continuity: During the 1st patrol off Guadalcanal after the nightly ship bombardment, "Jigsaw 4" is returning to base due to an engine problem (assumed cowardice by Pilot). Later in the same patrol, another Pilot is leaving formation and is shot down (later killed by Jap Infantry) under codename Jigsaw 4 also. more
Movie Connections:

FAQ

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10 out of 17 people found the following review 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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