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:

The squadron's designation in the movie was VMF-247 "Wildcats" but in the movie was based on VMF-223 "The Bulldogs". VMF-223 was a Marine fighter squadron that flew Grumman F4F Wildcats. They were also formed at MCAS Ewa on Oahu and was the first fighter squadron at the Battle of Guadalcanal. The unit still exists to this day as VMA-223, or Marine Attack Squadron 223. Based at Cherry Point, NC, it is comprised of AV-8B Harrier (V/STOL) jets and is under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14. The unit has flown in every major conflict from WWII to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Goofs:

Continuity: At about the 56 minute mark, the Navajo Indian pilot is shot in a dogfight. In the initial scene he is wounded in the right leg; in subsequent scenes, the wound is in the left leg.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "That Girl: Anatomy of a Blunder (#1.5)" (1966)

John Wayne and Robert Ryan raise the film to a higher level...

Any tension FLYING LEATHERNECKS has as a war film from the '40s about the fight against the Japanese on Guadalcanal is bolstered considerably by the decent acting jobs done by JOHN WAYNE and ROBERT RYAN as men who are soon in conflict with each other over training methods. Wayne has his usual tough guy role, hard on the surface but soft inside, and Ryan is the man who stands up to him but soon appreciates him when the going gets rough.

Whatever inaccuracies there are in historical details (as pointed out by other reviewers) don't really harm the story which is well photographed in Technicolor and includes a number of hard-hitting action scenes that are the best moments in the film. The domestic moments are the weakest elements of the story.

Wayne and Ryan are well supported by JANIS CARTER (as Wayne's worried wife) and DON TAYLOR as a carefree soldier. Well directed by Nicholas Ray, it's not as tense and exciting as it could have been but it passes the time efficiently in its own way with lots of actual war footage appearing in the action scenes.