MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for Flying Leathernecks

Flying Leathernecks

1951 · 102 min

A tense, earnest war drama that puts you in the cockpit and the command tent, weighing duty against the cost of sending young men to die.

Tagline
From Guadalcanal to Okinawa...the Marine air-devils blazed a trail of glory...while the women they left behind fought battles of their own!
Overview
Major Daniel Kirby takes command of a squadron of Marine fliers just before they are about to go into combat. While the men are well meaning, he finds them undisciplined and prone to always finding excuses to do what is easy rather than what is necessary. The root of the problem is the second in command, Capt. Carl 'Griff' Griffin. Griff is the best flier in the group but Kirby finds him a poor commander who is not prepared to make the difficult decision that all commanders have to make - to put men in harm's way knowing that they may be killed.

Search YouTube for the trailer

In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • darkstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • war
  • loyalty
  • betrayal
  • grief
  • morality
Places
  • military
  • sea
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • ensemble
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action6
Horror2
Humour3
Realism7
Romance1
Tension6
Darkness5
Complexity5
Emotional weight6

More like this

Titles like Flying Leathernecks

Movie

Twelve O'Clock High

1949

A sober, psychologically acute war drama that immerses you in the strain of command and the slow erosion of men under pressure.

Same writer: Beirne Lay Jr. · Tense, earnest · about war and loyalty

Also
Same writer: Beirne Lay Jr.
Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • loyalty
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
132 min
Details In your watch list
Twelve O'Clock HighHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Sands of Iwo Jima

1950

A grim, earnest war drama that grinds through training and carnage toward a quiet, mournful payoff.

Same writer: James Edward Grant · Tense, earnest · about war and loyalty · ensemble

Also
Same writer: James Edward Grant
Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • loyalty
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
100 min
Details In your watch list
Sands of Iwo JimaHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Frogmen

1951

A tense, earnest wartime drama about earning trust under pressure, with underwater missions and a brooding sense of loss.

Tense, earnest · about war and loyalty

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • loyalty
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
96 min
Details In your watch list
The FrogmenHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Saving Private Ryan

1998

A harrowing, immersive plunge into combat that leaves you shaken, then quietly moved by the weight of sacrifice and brotherhood.

Tense, earnest · about war and loyalty · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • loyalty
  • ensemble
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
169 min
Details In your watch list
Saving Private RyanHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Patton

1970

A sweeping, character-driven war epic that immerses you in the mind of a brilliant, flawed commander, balancing grand battles with intimate psychological study.

Tense, earnest · about war and betrayal · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • betrayal
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
172 min
Details In your watch list
PattonHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Wake Island

1942

A gritty, stirring war drama that immerses you in the tense, hopeless defense of a tiny island, blending camaraderie with mounting dread.

Tense, earnest · about war and loyalty · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • loyalty
  • ensemble
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
87 min
Details In your watch list
Wake IslandHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Top Gun: Maverick

2022

A soaring, crowd-pleasing thrill ride that balances breathtaking aerial action with sincere emotional stakes and a satisfying sense of closure.

Tense, earnest · about grief · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • grief
  • ensemble
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
131 min
Details In your watch list
Top Gun: MaverickHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

They Were Expendable

1945

A somber, quietly heroic wartime portrait that lingers on loss, duty and dwindling hope more than on battle spectacle.

Tense, earnest · about war and loyalty · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • loyalty
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
135 min
Details In your watch list
They Were ExpendableHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Halls of Montezuma

1951

A gritty, earnest war patrol that mixes documentary-like combat footage with intimate squad drama, building tension and sorrow as young men are tested under fire.

Tense, earnest · about war and loyalty · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • loyalty
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
113 min
Details In your watch list
Halls of MontezumaHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Guns of Navarone

1961

A long, sturdy wartime adventure that builds tension through a perilous climb, a fortress, and a ticking clock, with stoic heroes and a grand orchestral sweep.

Tense, earnest · about war and loyalty · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • loyalty
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
160 min
Details In your watch list
The Guns of NavaroneHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

12 O'Clock High

1964–1967

A grounded, earnest WWII drama that mixes aerial tension with quiet character studies, feeling both harrowing and humane.

Tense, earnest · about war and loyalty

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • loyalty
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
3
Details In your watch list
12 O'Clock HighHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Memphis Belle

1990

A tense, old-fashioned war picture that follows one bomber crew through a single harrowing mission, mixing camaraderie and dread with aerial spectacle.

Tense, earnest · about war and loyalty · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • loyalty
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
107 min
Details In your watch list
Memphis BelleHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
war, action, drama
Directed by
Nicholas Ray
Written by
James Edward Grant, Edmund Grainger, Beirne Lay Jr.
Starring
John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Don Taylor, Janis Carter, Jay C. Flippen, William Harrigan, James Bell, Barry Kelley
Cinematography
William E. Snyder
Runtime
102 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata