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The Wings of Eagles Overview:

The Wings of Eagles (1957) was a Biographical - Drama Film directed by John Ford and produced by Charles Schnee and James E. Newcom.

SYNOPSIS

This rarely screened Ford drama is among his most deeply felt, personal pictures. Frank "Spig" Wead (Wayne) was a screenwriter (Dirigible, Ceiling Zero, They Were Expendable) and one of the fathers of naval aviation. A man of action obsessed with his naval career, he was less successful sustaining a family life, eventually alienating wife O'Hara and unable to reach her even as their child dies. Features a dead-on impersonation of Ford himself by stock company player Bond.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

The Wings of Eagles BlogHub Articles:

The Wings of Eagles

By Michael on Dec 7, 2015 From Le Mot du Cinephiliaque

This post is part of the “Try It, You’ll Like It!” Blogathon, hosted by Sister Celluloid and Movies Silently, where we write about “gateway films” that might bring non-classic-film lovers into the fold! The Wings of Eagles (John Ford, 1957) A biography of Navy ... Read full article

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The Wings of Eagles Quotes:

Min Wead: Why don't you!
Frank W. 'Spig' Wead: Alright, I been thinking what a heel I been about you and my own kids, I do something I go all the way, living, gambling, flying, tap myself out I guess that what I wanted to be. Maybe way I am.
Min Wead: Star spangled Spad damn the marguritte and full speed ahead and don't give up the ship.
Frank W. 'Spig' Wead: Have a drink, Listen Min I'm trying to say I been a fool, first grade gold brand
Min Wead: So Have I!
Frank W. 'Spig' Wead: [Grabs her] Okay, Let change it, lets grow up before our kids do
Min Wead: We better hurry up.
[They kiss passionate]
John Dodge: I don't want a story just about ships and planes. I want it about the men who run them - how they live and think and talk. I want it from a pen dipped in salt water, not dry martinis.
Frank W. 'Spig' Wead: [while trying to regain nerve control of his toes in the hospital] I'm gonna move that toe!
Min Wead: [Phones rings while their cuddling] Let it ring
Frank W. 'Spig' Wead: Why not, It probably just Washington, oh I forgot, you know you're in the arms of the new sergeant commander in the United States Navy.
Min Wead: Star Spangled Spad
Frank W. 'Spig' Wead: And a squad leader
Min Wead: All I know is I'm in the arms with a fellow name spig that I'm nuts about. Hey! How about getting back to your necking with a little more enthusiasm.
Frank W. 'Spig' Wead: Right!
Min Wead: I'm not going
Frank W. 'Spig' Wead: Stay broke and keep moving that the story of our lives.
Min Wead: Spig you got two daughters and they lived in seven different houses and seven seven states and seven different years back and forth across the country and out of it too. Well, I'm just not going to move them anymore.
Frank W. 'Spig' Wead: Well, Have a Drink
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The Wings of Eagles Facts
There is a scene in the movie where we see the director, played by Ward Bond, looking at a clip of a film written by the main character. The clip is from the film Hell Divers, which was actually written by Frank Wead. In the same scene, Bond asks one of the producers "How'd you like that kid with Beery" (Wallace Beery), the producer says "Great. Sign him up." The actor they are talking about is Clark Gable
Most of the extras in the Pensacola Florida scenes were actual Navy flight students and flight instructors. Although the Navy objected, director John Ford made certain that the military men were paid "extra" wages.
The real Frank Wead grew noticeably balder as he got older (WWII era). In order to be accurate about that, this is the only film in which John Wayne appears without his toupee.
After John Dodge (the fictional version of John Ford) gives Spig a job writing for his studio, he is lead out to his new office to begin work and passes in front of numerous actor's head shots. Wayne pauses for a beat in front of one of his earliest head shots before continuing.
The character of John Dodge was a fictional version of John Ford. Many of the props in Dodge's office - the Oscars, the pipe, the hollow cane - were borrowed from Ford.
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