Jet Pilot (1957)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Josef von Sternberg
(more)

Writer:

Jules Furthman (written by)

Release Date:

October 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Greatest Air Spectacle of the Jet Age! Earth-shaking, sky-shattering ... SO BIG it took years to make!

Plot:

Air Force Colonel Shannon is assigned to escort defecting Soviet pilot Anna. He falls in love with her...

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Beautiful Woman

Cast

John Wayne	...	Col. Jim Shannon
Janet Leigh	...	Lt. Anna Marladovna Shannon / Olga Orlief
Jay C. Flippen	...	Maj. Gen. Black
Paul Fix	...	Maj. Rexford
Richard Rober	...	FBI Agent George Rivers
Roland Winters	...	Col. Sokolov
Hans Conried	...	Col. Matoff
Ivan Triesault	...	Gen. Langrad
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Abbott	...	Girl (uncredited)
Phil Arnold	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Lois Austin	...	Saleswoman at Palm Springs dress shop (uncredited)
Paul Bakanas	...	Russian security man (uncredited)
Hall Bartlett	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Gregg Barton	...	Military Policeman (uncredited)
John Bishop	...	Major Sinclair (uncredited)
James Brown	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
William Bryant	...	Radar Monitor (uncredited)
Bruce Cameron	...	Batman (uncredited)
Perdita Chandler	...	Georgia Rexford (uncredited)
Joyce Compton	...	Mrs. Simpson (uncredited)
Tom Daly	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
James Dime	...	Russian security man (uncredited)
Alan Dinehart III	...	Fresh kid at Palm Springs dress shop (uncredited)
Art Dupuis	...	Russian (uncredited)
Jane Easton	...	Girl (uncredited)
Bill Erwin	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Gene Evans	...	Airfield sergeant (uncredited)
Elizabeth Flournoy	...	WAF captain (uncredited)
Paul Frees	...	Lt. Tiompkin (uncredited)
Barbara Freking	...	WAAF private (uncredited)
Vincent Gironda	...	Muscleman (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Don Haggerty	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Janice Hood	...	Girl (uncredited)
Darrell Huntley	...	Officer (uncredited)
Lamont Johnson	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Joan Jordan	...	WAC sergeant (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Harry Lauter	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Ruth Lee	...	Mother (uncredited)
Nelson Leigh	...	FBI agent (uncredited)
Sylvia Lewis	...	WAC corporal (uncredited)
Herbert Lytton	...	FBI agent (uncredited)
Mike Mahoney	...	Corporal (uncredited)
Michael Mark	...	Russian general (uncredited)
Gene Marshall	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Allen Mathews	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Keith McConnell	...	Bartender (uncredited)
John Morgan	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)
Alberto Morin	...	Russian Guard (uncredited)
Al Murphy	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Wendell Niles	...	Major (uncredited)
Richard Norris	...	Russian interrogator (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
David Ormont	...	Russian interrogator (uncredited)
Jack Overman	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
James Parnell	...	Control Officer (uncredited)
Denver Pyle	...	Mr. Simpson (uncredited)
Theodore Rand	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Joey Ray	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Al Rhein	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Ric Roman	...	Guard (uncredited)
Gene Roth	...	Sokolov's Batman (uncredited)
James H. Russell	...	Corporal (uncredited)
Sammy Shack	...	Driver (uncredited)
Jack Shea	...	Military Policeman (uncredited)
Carl Sklover	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Jim B. Smith	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Ruthelma Stevens	...	Saleswoman (uncredited)
Armand Tanny	...	Muscleman (uncredited)
Kenneth Tobey	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Rick Vallin	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Mamie Van Doren	...	WAF (uncredited)
Billy Vernon	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Ralph Volkie	...	Driver (uncredited)
Smoki Whitfield	...	Henry (uncredited)
Joan Whitney	...	WAC sergeant (uncredited)
Biff Yeager	...	Captain (uncredited)
Buck Young	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Carleton Young	...	Technical Sergeant in Palmer Field control tower (uncredited)

Directed by
Josef von Sternberg
Jules Furthman		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Jules Furthman		(written by)

Produced by
Jules Furthman	....	producer
Howard Hughes	....	producer

Original Music by
Bronislau Kaper

Cinematography by
Winton C. Hoch

Film Editing by
Harry Marker
Michael R. McAdam
William M. Moore
James Wilkinson

Art Direction by
Albert S. D'Agostino
Feild M. Gray		(as Feild Gray)

Set Decoration by
Harley Miller
Darrell Silvera

Costume Design by
Michael Woulfe

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Fleck	....	assistant director (as Fred A. Fleck)

Stunts
Chuck Yeager	....	aerial stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William H. Clothier	....	aerial photographer
Paul Mantz	....	aerial director of photography
Cliff Shirpser	....	aerial camera operator: Technicolor

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	conductor

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1979) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (UK) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1981) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1974) | West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:K-12

Filming Locations:

Edwards Air Force Base, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

The US Air Force, still taking advantage of Chuck Yeager's 1947 supersonic flight for publicity, offered his services as a stunt pilot. During a stunt involving the inverted dive of an F-86, Yeager misjudged the dive and overstressed the plane's tail, causing the horizontal stabilizer to come apart while he was too low to eject. He barely managed to pull out.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the fighter breaks off after the radar intercept, the markings on the plane are backwards (flipped film).

Quotes:

Lt. Anna Marladovna Shannon: [to Jim] One minute I want to kill you and the next minute I want to kiss you and... kiss you and... kiss you.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies (2000) (TV)

Jet Pilot Surprise

At the ripe old age of 50, I was amazed to see JET PILOT today for the very first time. Not many Wayne films have escaped me, but this one had. As I was watching the film, it occurred to me that ol Duke must have enjoyed being a fighter pilot (as he should) because he played a pilot in at least 6 films I could think of off the top of my head. Janet Leigh was not overly convincing as a Soviet, but WOW is she gorgeous... WHO CARES. Still, if she had a convincing Russian accent and some leather this would have been the Duke's best effort! Great film of some wonderful machines, and such a treat to see them as well. I became a fighter pilot because of the F-86 though I was too old to fly one... this film features them constantly. Chuck Yeager stunted for the film and broke a tail in a Sabre pressing the envelope. Overall, just a nice film, that was totally unlike any Wayne film I had ever seen. Normally, you know exactly how the plot will go, and that Good, Truth, and the American Way will prevail... but this one... actually makes you wonder if that is going to be the case?!?! Maybe not for the Duke, you know he has a trick up his sleeve, but Janet Leigh?? She is a wild card and you never know till the end who will win out. This movie was akin to finding a $20 bill in your pocket from last year... it has been there a long time, and just a nice treat to come across it.