Lafayette Escadrille

Every scene between Thad and what's-her-name dragged the movie down. Sorry, the movie is called "Lafayette Escadrille", not "Thad and, Whomever Get Hitched." Yaaaaaaaaaawwn. David Janssen was terrific. Always a solid performance from him and the rest of the cast was also splendid to watch. Why William Wellman, Jr. didn't get better parts is beyond me. A great actor, nah, but did a nice job. Sure, Tab Hunter was used by the studio as the draw and I enjoyed his performance, and I guess having a love interest isn't a crime, but it took up way too much of the film and frankly ruined the whole experience for me. I'm not against love stories, I've enjoyed my share, but when it becomes a focal point of a movie that's supposed to be about the Lafayette Escadrille, well, let's put it this way; I watched it after recording it and ended up using the fast forward button.

What I found truly sad was, this should have been a superior film about the directors personal experiences and featuring his own son playing him. How rare an opportunity is that? As I read in the 'trivia', I guess the studio is to blame. That sickens me. Movie executives can be block headed, simpleminded twerps just like TV executives. What should have been a brilliant and fascinating film, was a mediocre crapshoot. How very, very sad.

The films involving early flying, aircraft and the conflict of air battle are very interesting. However, due to the limited equipment and the lack of good directors and writers, the earliest offerings of movie flying are greatly lacking. The late great Howard Hughes did one called 'Hells Angels' which was not bad, but difficult to follow. This is one of those attempts. The casting is overloaded with prime star material, in fact this movie has some of the best aspiring talent in Hollywood. If you'll look closely, you'll see, David Janssen, playing Duke Sinclair, Clint Eastwood playing George Moseley, Tom (Billy Jack) Laughlin as Arthur Blumenthal, Paul Fix as the General and Will Hutchins as Dave Putnam. Tab Hunter is Thad Walker in this story which is more love story than W.W.I fighting epic, is fine for it's day, but somewhat of a sleeper for modern audiences. Nvertheless, a good offering of primitive flying and fanciful storyline for it's time. ***

Thad Walker (Tab Hunter) steals a car and hits a bicyclist. Luckily, the victim survived. His abusive tycoon father is not so delighted. Thad runs away to Europe as a stowaway on a ship. He joins the Lafayette Escadrille, a squad of American flyers fighting for France during WWI. He falls for French girl Renée Beaulieu. George Moseley (Clint Eastwood) is a member of the squad.

To me, Tab Hunter is a beef cake with limited acting skills. He doesn't have that many chances to be shirtless, but he makes every one of them count. It is interesting that they gave him a scar on his face. It actually helped his acting. The movie is slow and plodding when it's only his story. It becomes more fun when it's the group. It doesn't hurt to have future star Clint Eastwood in the mix. I like the group, but I like the flying more. I love the trainer planes. They look like kites with wings. If there is more room to grow, it would be more flying sequences. I'm a sucker for real planes and real flying. There is some good flying at the end, but the movie needs more of it especially during the middle part.

There isn't much here more than a great director's swan song. Tab Hunter's acting is pretty good (!?) but not enough to lift the drab GI-in-love-with-a-French-woman theme. Most of the flying scenes don't match the ones from the director's 30s films. If you're interested in the director's career, don't skip this, you'll enjoy the themes and the depiction of air combat. Also Leonard Rosenman's score is a stand-out. But if you're not a Wellman fan you won't remember this a month after you've seen it. Wellman is one of the great American directors; see everything else and watch for the evidence of his skills that are sadly not to be found here.

William Wellman's Lafayette Escadrille is a his swan-song for Jack Warner and WARNER BROS Pictures. It starred Tab Hunter as probably the third movie he made as 'contract-player' for WARNER BROS, who Wellman cast after Hunter had made "Track of the Cat" (1955). It was based on Wellman's own experiences as an American, who volunteered to go to FRANCE, to fight as a 'pilot' in the 'first' World War I.The biplanes used in the training sequences are really remarkable in their simple construction; followed by more sophisticated planes for the fight sequences. They make you feel for the American boys flying those planes at that time. Hunter's fellow cast members are interesting to see as they all emerged as successful actors in the following years. (see if you can recognize them! in the back-grounds.)