Flying Leathernecks

This technicolor feast isn't much more than a soap for men, but especially lamentable are the continuity problems director Ray had with anything military. He clearly doesn't know a Hellcat from the Hindenburg as his aerial sequences at Guadalcanal feature badly matched combat footage from Europe (look for the Thunderbolts) in front of live action cockpits of Marines flying Hellcats and Japanese flying Hellcats painted a different color. Other shots do throw in a few Texans subbing for Zeroes (a pleasant improvement) but all the shots jump around so much and are so unrealistic that the overall effect is disorienting and more than a little dishonorable to the brave lads who survived the Canal.

source: Flying Leathernecks

Trailer—Flying Leathernecks

Flying Leathernecks

I have seen "Flying Leathernecks" countless times since I was a boy. This morning on TCM, it was on again and I almost missed my Saturday morningtee-time with my golf buddies. They were forgiving though, as they, like me, had grown up with the stories of our fathers, uncles and cousins whohad served in WWII and of course, it was a JOHN WAYNE film. You ALWAYS have to stop and watch the Duke anytime he takes on the Japanese. The movie utilizes much Navy combat film from WWII, most of it not of the Guadacanal campaign and the aerial "combat" was typical of most war flicks in the 1940s and '50s. While it has many production errors (not matching recreated action with actual combat footage, reversing damage/wounds on planes and pilots, etc.) it is still a good movie to kick back with and watch a simple story.

On one level this is a standard flag-waving WW2 film--which was what audiences wanted. On another level, though, this movie says some pretty harsh things about war. Mixed in with the combat footage are several scenes of wounded soldiers covered in blood, the sort of images that were censored from pictures made during the war. Some have objected to this... but I think it adds an extra layer of realism. Yes, they are shocking images--maybe that was Ray's point. We should be shocked that men get killed like this. The interplay between Robert Ryan and John Wayne is fascinating. Ryan turns in a splendid performance and Wayne surprised me with the depth of emotion he displayed, particularly when he visits his family. The movie shows us the emotional toll of ordering men to their deaths. The movie has pacing problems, particularly in the final battle, and Jay C. Flippen's scrounging sergeant wears a little thin. Still, this is a well-done war film.

Hard-assed Marine major (John Wayne) drives his men hard. Robert Ryan is his second-in-command with a different method of leadership. It's the iron fist versus the velvet glove in this entertaining if not overly original war picture. Really nice technicolor. Lots of stock war footage. It doesn't fit seamlessly with the film footage. That's a minor issue to me but it might bother other viewers more. Wayne and Ryan are good, which should surprise no one. Great character actor Jay C. Flippen offers strong support. Pretty Janis Carter has a small part in the picture but she certainly improves the scenery. It's nothing exceptional but never dull.

This RKO production is good considering that the studio was on life support by this time. Often in the film you can tell where the stock combat footage from news reels of the war are thrown in by the fuzzy quality of the scenes. There is a noticeable mix, particularly when you see the film commercial free on TCM. To me, Robert Ryan and Flippin have the strongest performances. John Wayne has pretty much his usual tough guy image that is as tough as nails. What is impressive is RKO putting a lot into the Technicolor look of the movie. You can see Wayne sweating at times. The story is pretty much standard - tough as nails commander keeping his subordinates at bay while his unit draws the dirty work. Meanwhile, he has a wife & son at home & a Sargeant (Flippin) who is really good at midnight requisitions. Obviously this is the usual Wayne all American hero type of vehicle he had been doing since the war and would do until near the end of his career.

i thought this was a fairly decent war picture.it's not what i would call a classic,but it passes the time.the action sequences are pretty good,sometimes exciting.there's some obvious stock war scene footage mixed in with the film scenes.the acting is decent enough but not stellar,by any means,with maybe a bit of overacting going on possibly intentional.there's a bit of lite comedy thrown in that works well.the movie definitely has a pro war slant to it,so if that's not your thing,you may want to avoid it.otherwise,i'd say the movie is worth a watch on a lazy day when you have nothing better to do.for me,Flying Leathernecks is a 6/10

FLYING LEATHERNECKS is an example of the typical WW2 movie starring John Wayne. This one's unusual in that it was made in vivid Technicolour, and that it has a second lead in the form of Robert Ryan, himself a leading man familiar from many film noir movies made during the era. Much of the entertainment value comes from seeing the two stars butting heads while the main story involves the battle of Guadalcanal. I find that WW2 movies concentrating on pilots are more limited than those dealing with ground infantry; the action is invariably based around either special effects footage or, as in the case here, genuine stock footage of WW2 action. When the action's on the ground, you get up close and personal to it in a way that airborne movies lack. Still, this is acceptable enough genre fare for undemanding viewers, even if the pro-war message is wearyingly wholesome.