American youth and flying ace flies for France in World War I, meets and loves a French girl and a prostitute.American youth and flying ace flies for France in World War I, meets and loves a French girl and a prostitute.American youth and flying ace flies for France in World War I, meets and loves a French girl and a prostitute.
- Dave Judd
- (as Bob Hover)
- Lawrence 'Red' Scanlon
- (as Dennis Devine)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to Tab Hunter in his memoirs, "Tab Hunter Confidential", William A. Wellman was furious because, on the set, Warner Brothers replaced a coffee man, who gave coffee to the crew, with an automatic machine where everyone had to pay, so Wellman grabbed the machine, threw it on the floor and brought it brutally to the street. The coffee man came back.
- GoofsAviators in World War I generally didn't wear the high-collar tunics like the one worn by Thad. This is because they needed to be able to turn their heads while flying. Rather, they wore a uniform coat that required a shirt and tie.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Narrator: A half-forgotten corner of France in a wholly-forgotten war. In memory of the heroes of the Lafayette Escadrille, who died in defense of life and of liberty. This monument, this patch of foreign sky, belongs to a handful of Americans who flew for France and died for France in the First World War. They came with an air of adventure or a sense of impatience in the days before America entered the war. The wore French uniforms, they fought in French planes, and they fell in love with French women. These weren't just names in 1917; they were headlines. But this story is about a man whose name isn't carved in stone with the other young men of that old war. He ran away to war for reasons of his own. His name is Thad Walker.
- Crazy creditsAnd Introducing Bill Wellman, Jr. Jody McCrea Dennis Devine
- Alternate versionsThere are two versions of the film: in one the main characters marry each other happily, in the other Tab Hunter's character dies and Etchika Choureau's commits suicide.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Tab Hunter Confidential (2015)
'Lafayette Escadrille' is mildly watchable but I can't really recall anything that occurred across the 90 minutes or so. The potential-filled story isn't all that interestingly portrayed and the acting is, while nothing bad, just very plain, pardon the pun, as no-one stands out.
This is one of Clint Eastwood's early credited roles, though he may as well have been uncredited to be honest - very much seen more than he is heard, though apparently could've been lead if director William A. Wellman had his way. Tab Hunter is the lead here, but the only thing I'll take from him here is that he kinda looks like MMA fighter Ian Garry... just me that sees that? Probably.
Could be worth a watch for some of the neat aerial sequences near the end, but otherwise this 1958 flick isn't one I'd recommend.
- How long is Lafayette Escadrille?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 33 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1