Men of the Fighting Lady (1954)
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Leave it to MGM to turn the Korean War into a splashy, big-budget, all-star extravaganza. Men of the Fighting Lady is set on the US aircraft career of the same name. Van Johnson stars as Lt. Howard Thayer, while other MGM stalwarts in the cast include Walter Pidgeon, Kennan Wynn and Louis Calhern. The film's highlight is the famous fact-based scene wherein Lt. Thayer "talks in" blinded pilot Kenneth Schechter (Dewey Martin), assuring a safe landing for the incapacitated flyer. As a novelty, no concessions are made to the "love stuff" addicts in the audience: there is no contrived romantic subplot in the film, nor are there any women in the cast. Men of the Fighting Lady was based on two literary works: "The Case of the Blinded Pilot" by Cmdr. Harry A. Burns, and "The Forgotten Heroes of Korea" by James A. Michener (who is impersonated in the film by Louis Calhern). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Complete Cast:
- Van Johnson - Lt. Howard Thayer
- Louis Calhern - James A. Michener
- Keenan Wynn - Lt. Cmdr. Ted Dodson
- Robert Horton - Ensign Neil Conovan
- Lewis Martin - Cmdr. Michael Coughlin
- Ann Baker - Mary Reynolds
- Sarah Selby - Mrs. Szymanski
- John Rosser - Officer
- George A. Cooper - Cyril Roberts
- Jerry Mathers - Dodson's Son
- Jonathan Hale - Announcer
- Walter Pidgeon - Cmdr. Kent Dowling
- Dewey Martin - Ensign Kenneth Schechter
- Frank Lovejoy - Lieutenant Commander Paul Grayson
- Bert Freed - Lt. Andrew Szymanski
- Dick Simmons - Lt. Wayne Kimbrell
- Dorothy Patrick - Mrs. Dodson
- Paul L. Smith - Ensign Dispatcher
- Chris Warfield - Pilot White
- Steve Rowland - Pilot Johnson
- Teddy Infur - Szymanski's Son
- Director(s):
- Andrew Marton
- Writer(s):
- Art Cohn
- Producer(s):
- Henry Berman
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