Product Details

• Actors: Tab Hunter, Clint Eastwood, Etchika Choureau, Marcel Dalio, David Janssen
• Directors: William A. Wellman
• Writers: William A. Wellman, Albert Sidney Fleischman
• Producers: William A. Wellman
• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: June 13, 1995
• Run Time: 93 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302756499
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #221,639 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Epic historical drama about the famous French flying legion of World War I.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars American Movie Classic type movie, not an airplane movie., August 27, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Kentucky, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lafayette Escadrille [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This video was interesting in a couple of areas. It has early appearances from Clint Eastwood, Tom Laughlin (Billy Jack), David Jansen. Some of the early training flights are interesting in their realism. But, it is not a movie for airplane buffs. Or WW1 historians. Or war movie fans. It is a love story based on a young American boy, who makes some mistakes, fights with his father, and runs off to join the war. While there, he falls in love, makes more mistakes, grows up, repents, etc.... everyone lives happily ever after. American Movie Classic buffs will enjoy it (once). Airplane buffs will hate it (wrong airplanes). WW1 buffs will hate it (no history here, except opening credits). War movie buffs will hate it (they call that a battle scene?) Two stars is all I can give. END

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Final Film from the Director of WINGS, July 4, 2001

By 

gobirds2 (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lafayette Escadrille [VHS] (VHS Tape)

William "Wild Bill" Wellman directed 1927's WINGS the first film to win an Academy Award. "Wild Bill" Wellman was a real life Ace in the US Army Air Corps in World War I. He was wounded, went to Hollywood and ended up a prolific and hard edged director. It would seem fitting that Wellman's last film would be LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE. Unfortunately Wellman's status as a director had greatly diminished in Hollywood and so was the budget allotted for this would-be epic. Wellman tries to put what style he can into the aerial sequences but essentially this becomes a standard wartime love story via Tab Hunter. The film still boasts good photography by Cinematographer William Clothier and a score by Composer Leonard Rosenman and has an excellent cast including Clint Eastwood, David Janssen, Paul Fix, Will Hutchins, Tom Laughlin, Bret Halsey and William Wellman Jr.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Final Film from the Director of WINGS, July 3, 2001

By 

gobirds2 (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lafayette Escadrille [VHS] (VHS Tape)

William "Wild Bill" Wellman directed 1927's WINGS the first film to win an Academy Award. "Wild Bill" Wellman was a real life Ace in the US Army Air Corps in World War I. He was wounded, went to Hollywood and ended up a prolific and hard edged director. It would seem fitting that Wellman's last film would be LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE. Unfortunately Wellman's status as a director had greatly diminished in Hollywood and so was the budget allotted for this would-be epic. Wellman tries to put what style he can into the aerial sequences but essentially this becomes a standard wartime love story via Tab Hunter. The film still boasts good photography by Cinematographer William Clothier and a score by Composer Leonard Rosenman and has an excellent cast including Clint Eastwood, David Janssen, Paul Fix, Will Hutchins, Tom Laughlin, Bret Halsey and William Wellman Jr.