The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writers:

George Roy Hill (story)
William Goldman (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 March 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

Robert Redford Takes to the Skies in This Rousing Adventure

Plot:

A biplane pilot who had missed flying in WWI takes up barnstorming and later a movie career in his quest for the glory he had missed...

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Barnstorming | Biplane | WWI | Circus

Cast

Robert Redford	...	Waldo Pepper
Bo Svenson	...	Axel Olsson
Bo Brundin	...	Ernst Kessler
Susan Sarandon	...	Mary Beth
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Newt
Edward Herrmann	...	Ezra Stiles
Philip Bruns	...	Dillhoefer
Roderick Cook	...	Werfel
Kelly Jean Peters	...	Patsy
Margot Kidder	...	Maude
Scott Newman	...	Duke
James S. Appleby	...	Ace
Patrick W. Henderson Jr.	...	Scooter
James N. Harrell	...	Farmer (as James Harrell)
Elma Aicklen	...	Farmer's Wife

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Netherlands:12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Elgin, Texas, USA

Company:

Jennings Lang

Trivia:

When Waldo is recounting his fight with Kessler at the start of the movie, he mentions that his guns jammed and Kessler, seeing that he was helpless, saluted then flew away. This actually happened to Ernst Udet (on whom Kessler is based) when flying against the French ace Georges Guynemer in 1917, only it was Udet (at that time inexperienced) who had the jam and Guynemer (a high scoring ace) who let him go.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Waldo is refueling his plane from the can delivered to him by the little boy, his hand is seen resting for some time on what would presumably be a very hot exhaust pipe.

Quotes:

Ezra Stiles: It's gonna be a monoplane.
Waldo Pepper: A monoplane. Are you telling me you're building me an airplane with only one wing?
Ezra Stiles: Just thought you'd like to know: the biplane's gone the way of the Dodo.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Danger Zone: The Making of 'Top Gun' (2004) (V)

Waldo Pepper

Being a Big Robert Redford fan for years, I have seen this movie numerous times and just got the DVD of it. It makes you stop and think of the chances these young took back in the dirty 1930's to fly these machines. My dad use to tell us about how these small towns (he was from Nebraska too, just like the movie)had these air shows. One time he saw a dare devil, like the one in the movie, crash and burn to death in from of hundreds of people. They just don't make movies like the one Redford did, any more! I have a fear of heights and every time I saw that girl on the wings standing there, my heart will drop and my palms get sweaty!