Flying Leathernecks (1951) is an unusual entry in World
War II cinema. While it leans into the familiar camaraderie and hijinks of many
war films from the era, it offers a few visceral glimpses at the violent
realities of war. This is most likely due to the influence of director Nicholas
Ray, who was stuck with an assignment that ran opposite to his beliefs. I
recently viewed it on a new Blu-ray from Warner Archive.
John Wayne and Robert Ryan star as Major Dan Kirby and
Captain Carl “Grif” Griffin respectively. Kirby has been enlisted to lead the
Wildcats Marine squadron as they head into what would become the historic
battle of Guadalcanal. While the unit members had assumed that Grif would be
promoted to commander, they accept their new leader, as does Griffin, who is
disappointed to not get the promotion, but takes the rejection in stride and apparently with little surprise.
While they respect each other on a certain level, the men
butt heads. Griffin believes in the human touch, and focuses on building strong
relationships with his pilots, while Kirby is determined to face his tough job
with a hardline approach. That perspective is at odds with the tenderness of
his home life, where he is gentle and adoring with his wife (Janis Carter) and
physically affectionate with his young son (Gordon Gebert), if in a macho way and after gifting
him with a Japanese sword. It is possible that there is a divide between what
Kirby assumes he has to do and what he feels.
Grif seems to understand Kirby’s conflict on some level.
He doesn’t like his methods, but he doesn’t entirely write him off. Ray wisely
gives them plenty of space to talk it out in long scenes that revel in the
charisma of both stars. Perhaps they were both too old for their roles, but in
these moments I enjoyed their presence enough that I wasn’t concerned about
such details.
The supporting cast is sturdy, if not exciting. A
standout is Jay Flippen as crinkly-eyed line
chief and undercover supply thief Clancy. He has a face for Westerns, which is
mostly what he did throughout his career, and here that quality lends some
needed character and warmth to the proceedings.
As was typical of mid-century war films, the battle
scenes are framed for the most part as action set pieces, but you get a glimpse
of the horror these men are enduring. When they are shot, they don’t just flail
around; you see the blood and the way their eyes throb with pain.
Ray was anti-war and you can sense him sliding some of his
viewpoint into a studio assignment. However, for the most part the film feels
like a high-flying Howard Hughes production, with its extended air battles and patriotic
certainty.
Fans of World War II films will enjoy it. Ray fans won’t
see the director they love here. For the most part, it is the push and pull
between Wayne and Ryan that gives this production spice.
The only special feature on the disc is a trailer for the
film.
Many thanks to Warner Archive for providing a copy of the film for review. To order, visit The Warner Archive Collection.
