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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 70035
Released: June 6, 2006 |
| Our Price: $8.35 |
| Used Price: $4.44 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Cmdr. Frank "Spig" Wead was a pioneer aviator, renowned screenwriter (whose works included John Ford's They Were Expendable) and a man of war. The skies beckoned Spig to action; a crippling injury ultimately left him powerless to act, propelling him to discover the power of his pen. He was talented, driven, flawed, a friend of Ford ? and the subject of this compassionate biography. John Wayne plays Spig and Ford directs The Wings of Eagles, which also offers a fascinating glimpse into the ways and world of Ford: Ward Bond plays moviemaker John Dodge, a role modelled on Ford. Maureen O'Hara, Wayne's five-time co-star (including Ford's The Quiet Man), and Dan Dailey (of Ford's 1952 What Price Glory?) play Spig's indomitable wife Min and cigar-chomping sidekick "Jughead" Carson.
Description of The Wings of Eagles:
John Ford had a big emotional investment in The Wings of Eagles, and his favorite star John Wayne rewarded the director with one of his strongest performances. The subject is Frank "Spig" Wead, Naval aviation legend turned Hollywood screenwriter, who had written Ford's very good 1932 movie Air Mail and his magnificent WWII elegy They Were Expendable (1945). On the latter, Ford made the extraordinary gesture of putting Wead's screenplay credit on the same main-title panel as his own.
Ford was fond of exploring the theme of "victory in defeat." Wead's life was made to order for that. The hell-raising flyboy shenanigans, and his flailing marriage to a scrappy Irish redhead (The Quiet Man's Maureen O'Hara reporting for duty), were abruptly curtailed by a fall that left him with severe spinal damage. He should never have been able to walk again, but he fought his way back to limited mobility and built a new career as a writer. And when WWII broke out, Wead talked his way into uniform once more and made a key contribution to the Pacific air war.
It would be satisfying to report that The Wings of Eagles is a triumph--that the broad comedy of the early reels cuts brilliantly against the raw pain of the Weads' marriage, the grief of a family broken and mended and broken again, the film's specters of death and deep frustration. There are powerful moments--especially the complex, scalding scene of the newly injured Spig dismissing Min (O'Hara) from his life. But the low comedy is very low, the visual style sometimes stark but more often just drab, and the screenplay is very choppy about the passage of time. Ford-Wayne pal Ward Bond turns up as a crusty movie director with a walking stick full of booze, an office full of Western memorabilia, and the nudge-nudge moniker "John Dodge." --Richard T. Jameson
The Wings of Eagles Reviews:
One of Wayne's best 
2009-10-09 - A true story with proper respect paid to the primary character that is played by Wayne. Interesting family dynamics for the time period are explored and dealt with in a fashion not dissimilar to what we might find today.
The spinal cord injury is properly staged for the time and still holds relevance as a positive mental attitude and commitment are still primary recovery protocols.
Not his usual "shoot'em up" but the ending is Wayne all the way.
Doug k
great 
2009-05-23 - As usual another great war movie by John Wayne. Also liked it because it was a documentary.
Wings of Eagles 
2009-04-08 - Sorry, but I'am very angry. We did not get our movies from dvdlegeacy. So I only know that dvdlegeacy took our money from our account and never sent the movies I ordered. I hope Amazon will make good on this action. Either to send the movies or return our money. Thank You Susanne Reeves
Its Army vs Navy
2008-12-30 - Wings of Eagles is the lighthearted story of naval Commander Frank W. (Spig) Weed, a pioneer in naval aviation at the end of WWI. While not a biography in the strictest sense the movie highlights his life adventures, beginning as he serves as one of the first naval flight cadets and ending with his final retirement during WWII. John Wayne stars in the role of Spig, Maureen O'Hara as his wife and Dan Dailey as the supportive Navy CPO "Jughead" Carson.
While somewhat comical at times, the movie portrays actually events as Spig takes on the Army in the quest to support naval aviation. Unfortunately, life takes a nasty turn leaving Spig Weed crippled with little chance of recovery and now medically out of the navy. Spig now turns to writing and is offered a job to write about the navy for a Hollywood producer who is actually a representation of Director John Ford and played by Ward Bond. As WWII approaches and Spig is able to maneuver his way back to the Navy with the help his supportive naval friends. While not your typical John Wayne movie this one is worth a look-see.
As a side note to this movie, the combat footage was actually shot by Director John Ford who was an actual participant in the battle of Midway both on Midway Island while it was under attack and aboard ship.
The best of John Wayne
2007-10-05 - One of my favorite JW movies. I saw it when it was a new production... way back when... and it is still a great insight into an American hero, Spig Wead.
