The Fighting Lady (1944)

The film follows the WWII exploits of the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) (unidentified in the film), in its first major operations following its commissioning in 1943. ... See full summary »

Directors:

Edward Steichen (as Commander Edward J Steichen USNR), William Wyler (uncredited)

Writers:

John S. Martin (narration written by) (as John Stuart Martin), Eugene Ling (narration written by)

Stars:

Robert Taylor, Charles Boyer, Joseph J. Clark

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Robert Taylor	...	Narrator (voice) (as Lieut Robert Taylor USNR)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Boyer	...	Récitant / Narrator (French version) (voice)
Joseph J. Clark	...	Self (as Jocko)
Dixie Kiefer	...	Self (as Dixie)
G.E. Lowe	...	Self
Jr. John S. McCain	...	Self (as John S. McCain)
John Meehan	...	Self
E.T. Stover	...	Self

Storyline

The film follows the WWII exploits of the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) (unidentified in the film), in its first major operations following its commissioning in 1943. The life of the crew is documented from July 1943 to June 1944, from its passage through the Panama Canal through assaults on Marcus, Kwajalein, Truk and Tinian Islands, and culminating with the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Spectacular 16mm Kodachrome footage of combat operations and naval aviation is prominent throughout.

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Plot Keywords:

war at sea | naval aviation | aircraft carrier | warship | ship's crew | 

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Taglines:

THE NARRATOR IS LT. ROBERT TAYLOR-USN (print ad - Lubbock Avalanche Journal - Tower Theatre - Lubbock, Texas - April 22, 1945 - all caps)

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Genres:

Documentary | History | War

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

The USS Yorktown (CV-10), the aircraft carrier featured in the film, was originally in service from 1943 to 1947. It was recommissioned in 1953 and remained in service until 1970. The ship was in active service in both World War II and the Vietnam War. It was used as a recovery ship for the Apollo 8 space mission in 1968. It was also used for the shooting of two well-known films: "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970) and "The Philadelphia Experiment" (1984).

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Quotes

Narrator: [commenting on the Japanese pilots] These little monkeys are fancy fliers.

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Crazy Credits

Most of the credits appear as if they had been typed out on a teletype machine.

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Connections

Features Home in Indiana (1944)

User Reviews

I would definitely recommend this movie to persons of all ages

I must have been 9 or 10 years old when i saw this movie in my hometown of Simcoe, Ontario, Canada and remember being impressed with the brilliant colors of the ocean and sky. At that time as a kid living on a farm I had never seen an aircraft carrier and recall being amazed at the size of this ship. This past summer, without realizing it until I boarded the ship, I toured the actual carrier featured in this movie. It was decommissioned in 1983 and is now docked at Charleston S.C. It was here that I really discovered its immense size and climbed from deck to deck realizing the dedication of the officers and men must have had to keep this floating city operational. I seem to recall the high action and fast timing of this film. How I would love to see this wonderful movie again after all these years. Where can it be obtained?

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 August 1945 (France)

Also Known As:

Le combattant

Filming Locations:

Marianas Trench, South Pacific, Pacific Ocean

Company Credits

Production Co:

Louis De Rochemont Associates, Delta Productions (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

61 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1