Hellfighters (1968)

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writer:

Clair Huffaker (writer)

Release Date:

27 November 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Tagline:

The Toughest Hellfighter Of All! [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

The story of macho oil well firefighters and their wives.

Plot Keywords:

Jeep | Army | Romance | Firefighting | Disaster

Cast

John Wayne	...	Chance Buckman
Vera Miles	...	Madelyn Buckman
Katharine Ross	...	Tish Buckman
Jim Hutton	...	Greg Parker
Jay C. Flippen	...	Jack Lomax
Bruce Cabot	...	Joe Horn
Edward Faulkner	...	George Harris
Barbara Stuart	...	Irene Foster
Edmund Hashim	...	Col. Valdez
Valentin de Vargas	...	Amal Bokru
Frances Fong	...	Madame Loo
Alberto Morin	...	General López
Alan Caillou	...	Harry York
Laraine Stephens	...	Helen Meadows
John Alderson	...	Jim Hatch

Runtime:

121 min | Finland:112 min (cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

Spanish | English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Australia) | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Germany:12 (re-rating) (2008) | Finland:K-12 (heavily cut) (1969) (35 mm) | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-12 (uncut) (1968) (70 mm) | Singapore:PG | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Baytown, Texas, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The character of Chance Buckman is based on real-life oil well firefighter 'Red' Adair.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In the scene that is supposedly at Hobby Airport in Houston, mountains are seen in the background. There are no mountains (especially snow covered ones) around Houston.

Quotes:

Chance Buckman: [referring to the fact that Greg brings a girl to a different fire] What did you use for openers this time, the old headache gag? Why, you poor man, perhaps if I rubbed your neck?
Greg Parker: True - every word, true. But it works.
Chance Buckman: Can't say I blame you. A fellow as ugly as you are probably couldn't get to first base without a fire.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Sopranos: Walk Like a Man (#6.17)" (2007)

The Duke battles blazing Texas Tea.

One thing about John Wayne movies are the great first names he always had in them. Singin Sandy, Spig, Taw, John Henry, Cord, Rockwell, Rooster, Wedge. This ones no exception "Chance" Chance Buckman played by Wayne is the CEO of a company that fights fires. Oil well fires that is. Along with a number of character actors in supporting roles who teamed with the Duke in many of his films. The action is plenty and the story entertaining. The women in this movie are there as the faithful ladies whose husbands battle the flaming liquid from the bowels of the earth.

No film had been made about oil well fire fighters so this made it an original. This is one of those movies that would excite a person to the point of saying "That's the life for me. Good pay, travel, good-looking women all the time. A job of never ending excitement'! Don't miss this John Wayne classic. Also don't miss an A&E documentary about the real exploits of Oil Well Fire Fighters.