Customer Reviews

Men of the Fighting Lady [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Perhaps the most under-rated war film ever made, "Men of the Fighting Lady" is a fine piece of work. Like James Michener's "Bridges at Toko-Ri" this story centers on Naval Aviation during the Korean War. Taken from stories originally published in "The Saturday Evening Post," this is an engrossing and moving story with acting that is first class (Walter Pidgeon and Van Johnson head an outstanding cast of familiar faces). Though the print is decidely more grainy than that of "Bridges at Toko-Ri" (both movies use some of the same footage) the story is just as compelling.

The tale of Ensign Ken Shechter, based on "The Case of the Blind Pilot," is knuckle-biting to say the least. Far more captivating and emotionally taxing than "Top Gun," "Men of the Fighting Lady" must surely be ranked among the great war films. It is guaranteed to please. Don't forget to chcukle at "Ski," the absolute embodiment of the typical airplane maintenance chief.

This is a spectators view of how the Korean War was fought by carrier aircraft and about the pilots who flew round-trip sorties to their assigned targets. The "spectator" is the ship's flight surgeon who starts to tell the story to a visiting friend (and the audience) while on board the aircraft carrier.

Aircraft transported their pilots who "commuted" to the war with hope for a safe return to a warm bed, a hot meal and needed rest until their next assignment. A far cry from the previous bloody war within which many of the pilots were veterans.

Home and family seemed so far away, a vivid memory beyond reach. War was somewhere near, yet at a safe distance as the carrier sailed on in safe waters. Some of the men were questioning why they were there, and why this war was called a "police action".

Squadron assignments required low-level attack of ground targets exposing the pilots to heavy return fire. This led to the inevitable yet unexpected and sudden loss of a fellow pilot and friend. However, they were not challenged by enemy aircraft throughout the movie. The frequent flying scenes were impressively displayed with technical continuity and logical sequences.

Detailed shots of the flight deck crew rigging catapult launches and assisting in the recovery of aircraft were smoothly spliced in with realism. Acting was acceptably believable as the actors seemed to play themselves. Overall, great flying scenes with a simple plot that keeps the audience (and the pilots) wondering who will survive.

When I first started watching this film, I thought it was about WWII. Hence, I was disappointed when I found that it was about Korea, but I soon lost all disillusionment. The story caught and held me very quickly. The dialogue is well written as it shows the feelings of the pilots about the futility of their continuing mission. The scene when one pilot has to guide his blinded friend back to the carrier is definitely a literal "knuckle-biter", as mentioned by another reviewer. I highly recommend this story to anyone. Period.

As most viewers will know this 1954 movie was based upon two author's written works: The Case of the Blinded Pilot by Commander Harry A. Burns and The Forgotten Heroes of Korea by James A. Michener. The script from the written works attempts to depict visually life aboard an aircraft carrier during the Korean War.

One high point of the movie is of course the suspense filled episode of talking a blinded pilot (Ed Jackson actual pilot, guided back by Dayl Crow) flying an F9F-2 Panther back aboard their home carrier (Philippine Sea CV 47 was the actual carrier) after a mission. I served in the U.S. Navy, stationed in Pensacola, Florida for a year in the heart of naval and marine naval flight training, was 'black shoe' Navy, never an 'airdale' so these types of Naval flight movies always hold my attention just as anyone else. At NAS Pensacola I recall serving with man who had served as ship's company on an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea during the Korean War and he said one of the problems they had, beyond being strafed by enemy aircraft, was due to the up and down bobbing motion of the carrier's deck several raw, inexperienced pilots had misjudged the motion of the flight deck and with fatal explosion crashed into the stern of the ship. Finding and then landing a plane on carrier deck is one of the most hazardous operations known both to pilot and ship's crew. So talking a blind pilot back would be a tremendous feat for both men. The probability of it seems almost unimaginable, yet it did actually happen to Edward D. Jackson.

I had taken note of this film when it was released in theaters back 'then' long before I entered naval service, only later to serve in Japan near the Sea of Japan, the actual filming location I'm told for this motion picture.

This movie captures the raw experience of both living on a carrier and the experience of doing so during combat situations. Life in the military is always challenging but during combat those challenges only get steeper as well documented in this film. Thankfully James A. Michener and a few others saw the importance of informing a mostly uninterested nation what some of their young men were going through in a war still overshadowed by WWII.

Semper Fi.

As with many older movies, this deserves to be released on DVD. It is an entertaining war story destined to be lost to the ages if not revived and put out on DVD. Do it!!!!!

Like 'The Bridges of Toko-Ri, this depiction of men flying off aircraft carriers in the Korean war is a solid example of its genre. It focuses on the men and also lacks pro-way jingoism which mars many other war films. BUT WHY is this excellent movie not available on DVD?

1. I thought delivery was unusually slow (purchased
4/22/11, received 5/7/11).
2. Movie appears to have been taped from a cable
showing of this movie (Turner)... not an original
version.
3. Quality of images: fair...appear rather fuzzy.
4. Found no glitches in movie...no interruptions, etc.
5. Overall, I think I was charged too much considering
the fuzzy quality of this video and slow delivery.