Flying Tigers (1942)

Lack of good storyline.

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

"They were the terror of the sky, a small daring band of American mercenaries who soared into battle against the Japanese in defense of China's freedom. They were aces, adventurers and heroes, America's hottest fighter pilots - 'The Flying Tigers'! Possessing unmatched skill and bravery, Jim Gordon (John Wayne), the Tigers' commander, is the top gun of China's skies. But he faces a battle on the ground when his good friend Woody Jason is suspected of recklessly causing the death of a fellow pilot and is accused of stealing Jim's fiancée. Jim's fight to retain his respect for Woody while maintaining the solidarity of his pilots is an explosive battle of courage and heroism that lights up the sky with action!" according to the DVD sleeve description.This looks like it was rushed together from other war stories featuring brave flight commanders and his heroic crews, with all the familiar theatrics - the exception that Captain Wayne (as "Pappy" Gordon) doesn't ease his pain with alcohol can be explained as the film's release during wartime necessitated a pro-war slant. Director David Miller and Republic Pictures owe their greatest debt to Howard Hawks, which can be evidenced by viewing "The Dawn Patrol" (1930) and "Only Angels Have Wings" (1939). "Flying Tigers" is usually claimed to be Wayne's first war picture, though he'd been fighting mightily in previous films. Herein, Mr. Wayne is a steadfast but easy to pushover leader, hotshot John Carroll (as "Woody" Jason) gets most of the script action, cute nurse Anna Lee (as Brooke Elliott) cleans up quickly in the bath, and Paul Kelly (as "Hap" Davis) supports the team well. Mouseketeers will recognize a young Jimmie Dodd.The picture should have been titled "Flying Sharks", to match the painted airplanes. It starts with a quote from "Generalissimo" Chang Kai-Shek, who praises United States forces for their glorious support of his invincible Chinese people. So sad, the Chinese are unable to conjure up a plate of roast beef for Captain Wayne. No matter. The first big story stumble occurs when Wayne advises Mae Clarke (as Verna) to have her husband report for duty in the morning without revealing that the two had spoken; hopefully, Ms. Clarke was able to figure something out. The film is so programmed and artificial, it's difficult to recommend - but, many in the cast are enjoyable, and they've included some good, action-packed aerial footage.***** Flying Tigers (10/8/42) David Miller ~ John Wayne, John Carroll, Anna Lee, Paul Kelly

Did John Wayne really win the Second World War? Perhaps not, but he certainly took the attack across the silver screen. In this early war film Wayne played Claire Chennault disguised under a pseudonym Jim Gordon perhaps to keep US intentions from the Japanese.AVG, the official acronym of the Flying Tigers, was composed of American mercenaries who flew for the Chinese Republic. A picture of Chiang Kia-chek the nationalist leader hangs on the door. The pilots are paid on apiece work basis. Yet they work together against the fearsome Japanes onslaught besieging China.Enter Woody, a wise guy, who wants to be an ace, mostly for the money. He's an overgrown teenager in a fighter aircraft. Will he mature in the role or destroy the unit by showboating? It is easy to dismiss this as a formula US war movie but there is some perception of the difficulties faced in running a mercenary unit.

The "Flying Tigers" gets off the ground early as Commander Jim Gordon (John Wayne) leads his blue group fighters into exciting aerial battle against the Japanese. The film takes a look at an American band of mercenary fliers defending China just prior to our entry into World War II. For historical perspective, there's a scene right after Gordon chastises hot shot flier Woody Jason (John Carroll) for missing a night time reconnaissance flight; on Gordon's desk is a calendar with the date - Sunday December 7, 1941. President Truman's declaration of war is listened to intently by the squadron on the radio, and soon after the Tigers get orders to take out a railroad supply line.In between aerial dog fights, Gordon has his hands full managing the aforementioned loose cannon Jason, an old friend who thinks the war was made just for him. He sees each Japanese opponent as another five hundred dollar bounty, and is too impressed with himself to follow orders, even when it leads to disastrous results. The set up though allows Jason to lead the movie to it's predictable ending, in which he redeems himself by ramming a damaged transport plane into a Japanese rail car loaded with military supplies. This right after giving parachuted buddy Gordon the old Geronimo out the plane's door before disobeying orders one last time.John Wayne's romantic interest in the movie is suitably portrayed by Anna Lee, her character a nurse at the air base tending to Chinese children and wounded fliers when necessary. Other supporting players of note include Paul Kelly as Commander Gordon's Number #2 man Hap Smith, and Gordon Jones as Alabama, who has a fondness for saying "I'm getting that old feeling" whenever hot shot Jason makes an appearance. Jones looks a bit out of place in the film, perhaps I've seen him too many times playing the foil to Abbott and Costello in any number of their own movies and TV shows.Both as a war film and a John Wayne vehicle, "Flying Tigers" is generally adequate, taking some liberties from a historical viewpoint to be considered entirely accurate. For fans of the "Duke", it's the type of action adventure in which he excels, combining elements of courage and heroism on which his fame as an entertainer rests.

Many of the posts here are so filled with diatribes and inaccuracies that I had to laugh! One poster complained that the Flying Tigers actually were only flight trainers for the Chinese Air Force, and only lost three pilots in combat. At least two complained that John Wayne was a draft dodger. One stated that the Tigers were in combat two years before Pearl Harbor. One stated that the Japanese were unfairly treated as bad guys in the film. One declared that the Flying Tigers were up against a superior plane in the Japanese Zero....First off, the Flying Tigers started training in September of '41 and were disbanded in July of '42. In that roughly ten month period they shot down 286 CONFIRMED kills for the loss of 12 Flying Tigers. They were not "Chinese Air Force flight instructors!" Their kill-to-loss ratio remains one of the finest in aviation combat history. Secondly, the Tigers never encountered the Zero in Combat. Their foes were primarily J.A.A.F. pilots, and the Zero was a Navy plane. Third, the Japanese indeed DID SHOOT AT PILOTS in parachutes and in life rafts, whenever possible, because they were taught that the enemy must be killed at all costs, lest he survive to fight you another day. Fourth, the Japanese committed the most UNSPEAKABLE horrors against the Chinese people during WW II, as the book, "The Rape of Nanking" can testify to. Fifth, John Wayne was NOT a draft dodger. He had a bum ear due to an infection which rendered him physically 4-F. Sixth, the outdoor sequences of "The Flying Tigers" were not filmed in Northridge, California, but rather in the high desert area around Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the (successful) attempt to give the foliage a more "foreign" look.As to the film itself, I would suggest you go to the Fighter Museum in Phoenix, AZ, or the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH, and find out just how close the film was to reality. The Tigers WERE usually outnumbered about 8 to 1 in combat. The 3 squadrons of the Tigers DID USE outdoor facilities as shown in the film. The Tigers were indeed mercenaries, paid by the kill, as well as by the month. The Tigers WERE frequently short of spares and fuel. The Tigers DID have nicknames, like "Tex" (David Lee Hill) and "Pappy" (Gregory Boyington). The Tigers DID have a few beautiful nurses on station. (In fact one of them, Jane Foster, ended up marrying a Tiger, who was subsequently shot down and killed a week before they were to leave for the States.) Truthfully, the only real overt fiction in the film is the pre-Pearl Harbor combat, as in fact, the Tigers did not start combat operation until after Pearl Harbor, (being in training prior to that.) Why is the film so accurate? Because two guys who weren't able to cut it as Tigers decided to take the story of the Tigers to Hollywood to sell it. They were the "technical advisers" for Republic, which was able to glean much about the unit from them.Leave your politics at home and take a second look. This is actually an excellent depiction of the organization and the men, backed up with a superior special effects unit and a great score. (Both nominated for Oscars.)