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Flying Leathernecks Overview:

Flying Leathernecks (1951) was a Drama - War Film directed by Nicholas Ray and produced by Edmund Grainger.

Flying Leathernecks BlogHub Articles:

On Blu-ray: John Wayne and Robert Ryan Butt Heads in Flying Leathernecks (1951)

By KC on Nov 4, 2020 From Classic Movies

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 wa... Read full article

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Flying Leathernecks Quotes:

No Quote for this film.
Flying Leathernecks Facts
The squadron's designation in the movie was VMF-247 but in the real life campaign the movie was based on the designation was VMF-223. VMA 223 stands for Marine Attack Squadron 223. This was the United States Marine Corps fixed wing attack squadron that comprised mainly AV-8B Harrier (V/STOL) jets. It has been active since 1st May 1942 and is still presently today an active air force squadron.
The Leathernecks of the film's title is military slang. Leatherneck is a common nickname for marines of the United States Marine Corps (USMC).
John Wayne's character in this movie, Major Daniel Xavier Kirby, was based on Captain John Lucien Smith, USMC Ace who was Commanding Officer in the Marine Fighting Squadron 223 at Guadalcanal in 1942 during World War II. Smith was a Medal of Honor recipient in 1943 and a leader of the "Cactus" Air Force. Smith, a wildcat fighter pilot, shot down nineteen Japanese airplanes over Guadalcanal in 1942. Smith's achievements and commendations were well known to the public prior to this film being made. Smith was eventually promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and likewise, Wayne's Kirby character is also promoted to the same rank in this movie. Moreover, there is also a physical likeness and resemblance between Wayne and Smith.
There was some controversy over the casting, since both John Wayne and Robert Ryan were clearly much older than real pilots during World War II.
The fighter planes seen in the early part of the film are not the actual Grumman F4F Wildcat planes which were part of the Guadalcanal air campaign but Grumman F6F Hellcat planes. Hellcats were more readily available at the time the movie was made in 1951 as not many Wildcats had actually survived World War II. Moreover, Hellcats painted white and red also doubled as enemy Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter planes of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS).
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