Jet Pilot (1957)

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

There is so much I want to say, but I am going to try to organize my thoughts. This movie is trying to be 3 things: an accurate depiction of pilots, a patriotic jingoistic propaganda piece, and a romantic comedy.Let's start with the accuracy, there were some great shots of planes and I guess what they were saying was accurate. They had this thing where they would have to be painting an arrow to show where a plane was at any given time, that must have been an awful job.The three officers above everything were the main military dude, the CIA and FBI. The g-man got to wear a cool suit! OK, I'm losing you, let's get to the good stuff…the plot of this movie revolves around a woman who claims to be a refugee or something from Russia. The first major joke is that the officers are talking in English assuming she will not speak it, well it turns out she does speak English, so she heard all of it! Haha! Funny, right? Now in a movie of today, she would be speaking in a Russian accent, right? Well, not back then, in this movie, our Russian, played by Janet Leigh, speaks perfect American English! So she just sounds like Janet Leigh. Which would be fine, if THREE JOKES didn't revolve around this character having BROKEN English! Way to go Hollywood! Which brings us to the jingoistic nature of this film. Now I realize it was a different time, but this movie is so against Russia, that NOT ONE CHARACTER USES A Russian ACCENT! Not even the Russians! Today I see Russian accents all the time, so it was jarring to say the least. Now I also realize no self respecting Russian would want to appear in this movie which seethes with rage against this country and communism, but surely there were actors who could do Russian accents.Oh, but are American audiences of the time too stupid to be able to understand Russian accents? I guess so! OK this next part of the review has to do with Janet Leigh and the characterization put forth by this movie. It was so funny how this movie approached the attraction of John Wayne to this character. First of all, most of it was focused on her … um … bosom. There was this one part where she took off her jacket, and a jet from outside made a louder swooshing noise, just to accentuate these attributes! John Wayne has zero impact on me, I really don't get the appeal, all he has is the weird voice. He is not really that likable of a person and I have never seen him have any chemistry with women characters. Also the way he kisses her in this movie. She is always kind of slouching back almost limp, and he grabs her hip and pulls her up to kiss her. It looks very uncomfortable and not at all appealing.Also she has princess Leah hair in a couple parts, and I can see some George Lucas inspiration points even beyond that. It reminded me a bit of Redtails as well.OK I think I conveyed nothing, and you have to see the movie to believe it, but I don't know I'd that's even worth it, I've done the leg work for you! So do or don't, but just be aware of the craziness you will experience!

What a fun film this turned out to be. I don't recall it at all from my high school days in 1957, and now having seen it in my retirement years, "Jet Pilot" is a very entertaining movie. The history of this film, from its making in 1950 and delayed release until 1957 is interesting in itself. Thanks to those reviewers who added to that background.The flying sequences with all the aerial antics are excellent. Howard Hughes was known for his interest and work in aviation, so his interest in producing this movie is obvious. It would be interesting to know some of the politics or other hidden details behind the film's delayed release of so many years. How much of a concern might there have been in Washington about a film like this during the early months of the Korean War (then called "conflict")? To those whose sons, husbands or brothers were in peril on the battlefields of Korea, a film with humor about the Cold War could be seen as dispassionate. The world was just five years beyond the end of World War II, and it was still fresh in the minds of most. The extent of the atrocities of the Holocaust was still being unveiled. Likewise, the horrors and effects of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan to end World War II in 1945. Were there other reasons for holding this film back?Whatever the reason, by the time of its release, "Jet Pilot" was clearly the first tongue-in-cheek treatment of the Cold War and Soviet Union that would reach its zenith in 1964 with "Dr. Strangelove." More than half a century later, the flying scenes in "Jet Pilot" are exciting and fun to watch. With all of the supersonic developments in aviation and all the space missions in the past half century, most of us still don't move at the speed of jet fighters when traveling. So, the film isn't outdated to that extent. As for plot and script, I think this movie may indeed have been ahead of its time. Anyone with a sense of humor has to appreciate the obvious spoofing in this film. The idea that the U.S. would let a dubious Soviet defector fly any aircraft she wanted, and have free reign to go where she wanted around military bases in 1950 is itself so preposterous that even a modern-day Scrooge would have to laugh. In its day, the humor of that would not have been lost, and most audiences by 1957 surely would have been able to enjoy the obvious word play, characterizations and humorous jabs throughout the script. John Wayne and Janet Leigh especially added to the humor with their facial expressions and sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious comedic nuances. The supporting cast did likewise – check out the laid back almost nonchalant attitudes of the FBI and CIA agents. That some reviewers could not see the intentional spoofing in this film – by director, writer, actors and all, is puzzling. Maybe some have lost all sense of humor. Anyway, the film makers gave us sufficient obvious signals – Leigh's miscues on Wayne's baloney, bird hatching and other idiomatic references. And then, to be sure the audience didn't miss its laugh, each one of those was followed with Paul Fix giving Leigh some other concocted explanation for what Wayne had said. Another laugh, bigger than the first. In 1962, Agent 007 gave birth to the James Bond movies in "Dr. No." Ian Fleming's and later writers' subsequent stories have continued to entertain audiences with their mixture of mystery, action, romance and humor for half a century. And the humor is usually in the form of spoofery. Anyone who has enjoyed the James Bond franchise of films will enjoy "Jet Pilot." It's a milder form of this mixed genre. Who knows, it may even have influenced the James Bond producers. Clearly, all involved in this film were having fun. So, enjoy it yourself. Just don't take it any more seriously than you would a James Bond movie.

I can watch this film just for the flying.I'd love to get my hands on all of the footage and remake it with a descent plot.Although intended to showcase American airpower in the 50's, it could be redone as cold war retro flick because the footage is still cool and beautiful. This the only place you will likely ever see some off that magnificent old hardware in use.We know the Duke was a hardcore anti-communist as was Howard Hughes. The two no doubt saw eye-to-eye on politics, ergo it is no surprise that they would both be involved in this movie, yet it was probably a bad idea for the Duke. Some people consider it his worst movie (through no fault of his own, the script is ludicrous). I doubt even the red hunting members of the House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC) could take it seriously.Still, it has a really cool theater poster. It's a painting of the Duke in an old P-2 flight helmet with the late/post WW2 style flying goggles (althought I believe they use the P-4 helmet in the movie. The P-4 is just a P-2 with a big retractable visor screwed on. The visor replaced the old style goggles). Again, it also has some great aerial footage, which is what you would expect from Hughes.

Not much to say here, and that's about exactly what this flic deserves. But I wonder what it would've been considered if released back when it was written; Just as poor or rather interesting?Well I'm a movie lover, not a movie reviewer, but I can easily say this was a dog.I bet even John & Janet were rather embarrassed by this one.Still, I watched it and found myself quite taken by Janet Leigh's beauty and enchanting eyes, along with Johnny's youthful amorousity.The plot(?) is a sham, the "Commies" are treated as the usual moron's we were taught to believe them to be in every other propaganda flic, but it still serves to remind us of a time when even seduction was innocently provocative.Return to an earlier time while viewing this comedy-that-never-was, and please don't expect to walk away with a moral, or inspired.It's just a 'cute' way to blow an hour or two, and to remember what Studs Janet and John were in their day....get the popcorn popping' and leave the Kleenex on the shelf, you won't need it for this one.