IMDb RATING
6.6/10
4.7K
YOUR RATING
A biography of Navy flier-turned-screenwriter Frank W. "Spig" Wead.A biography of Navy flier-turned-screenwriter Frank W. "Spig" Wead.A biography of Navy flier-turned-screenwriter Frank W. "Spig" Wead.
Tige Andrews
- Arizona Pincus
- (uncredited)
Frank Baker
- Police Officer
- (uncredited)
Audrey Betz
- Tourist
- (uncredited)
Veda Ann Borg
- Lovely
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- GoofsWhen Frank "Spig" Wead is taking command of the aircraft carrier during WWII the car that drives up to the docked carrier is a 1950 or '51 Chevrolet or Pontiac yet the scene is supposed to be during the war, which ended in 1945.
- Quotes
Frank W. 'Spig' Wead: [while trying to regain nerve control of his toes in the hospital] I'm gonna move that toe!
- ConnectionsEdited from Hell Divers (1931)
Featured review
Excellent
Not one of Ford's best works as a director, but it's an excellent film nonetheless. It's one of the best biopics I've ever seen. The subject is Frank "Spig" Wead, a Navy man through and through who, despite all his success in the service, was never able to make much of a connection with his wife and daughters. It was a very personal story for John Ford, who was a good friend of Wead's. Wead was the screenwriter on Ford's excellent They Were Expendable (and also Air Mail, which I haven't seen). The film concentrates on the man and his relationships. John Wayne gives a downright excellent performance as Wead. Maureen O'Hara is back as his love interest, and their interactions here are marvelous. Also giving excellent performances are Ken Curtis (maybe his best role in a Ford film), Dan Dailey, and Ward Bond as the first movie producer who hires Wead. Bond's performance is in loving imitation of John Ford. The Wings of Eagles is a very touching tribute to a friend. The only problem is that it is such a personal story to Ford that the most interesting part, the relationship with the wife and kids, is not treated fully in order to make Wead look better than he probably did in real life. 8/10.
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $2,644,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 50 minutes
- Sound mix
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