The Wings of Eagles

Soon after World War I is over, Naval Aviator in training "Spig" Wead boldly tries flying a Vought UO-1 when challenged by an Army soldier, without yet having flight experience. Running out of fuel, he crash lands at the garden party he is meant to attend, halting in the pool. Wead, along with John Dale Price, tries to prove to the Navy the value of aviation in combat. To do this, Wead pushes the Navy to compete in racing and endurance competitions. Several races are against the US Army aviation team led by Captain Herbert Allen Hazard. Wead spends most of his time either flying or horsing around with his teammates, meaning that his wife Minnie, or "Min", and children are ignored. The night Wead is promoted to fighter squadron commander, he falls down a flight of stairs at home, breaks his neck and is paralyzed. When "Min" tries to console him he rejects her and the family. He will only let his Navy mates like "Jughead" Carson and Price near him. "Jughead" visits the hospital almost daily to encourage Frank's rehabilitation ("I'm gonna move that toe"). Carson also pushes "Spig" to get over his depression, try to walk, and start writing. Wead achieves some success in all three goals. After great success in Hollywood, Wead returns to active sea duty with the Navy in World War II, developing the idea of smaller escort, or "jeep," carriers which follow behind the main fleet as auxiliary strength to the main aircraft carrier force. He returns to active combat duty in the Pacific, witnessing first hand kamikaze attacks. Following a 50-hour shift during combat operations, Wead has a heart attack and is retired home before the war ends. When he leaves the carrier he is serving in for the last time, he receives eight sideboy in honor of his contributions to aviation—all of them Navy admirals or Army generals. ==Cast==

• John Wayne as Frank "Spig" Wead • Dan Dailey as "Jughead" Carson • Maureen O'Hara as Min Wead • Ward Bond as John Dodge • Ken Curtis as John Dale Price[Price is credited as film's technical adviser] • Edmund Lowe as Admiral Moffett • Kenneth Tobey as Capt. Herbert Allen Hazard • James Todd as Jack Travis • Barry Kelley as Captain Clark • Sig Ruman as Manager • Henry O'Neill as Capt. Spear • Willis Bouchey as Barton • Tige Andrews as Arizona Pincus • Louis Jean Heydt as Dr. John Keye • Dorothy Jordan as Rose Brentmann • Olive Carey as Bridy O'Faolain (uncredited) • Charles Trowbridge as Adm. Crown (uncredited) • Blue Washington as Bartender (uncredited) ==Historical inaccuracies==

An early scene shows first the U.S Army, around-the-world flight and then the U.S. Navy winning the Schneider Cup. In fact, the U.S. Navy won the Schneider Cup in 1923. and the U.S. Army embarked on the first aerial circumnavigation from March to September 1924. Another scene shows a newsreel related to the sinking of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8), suggesting that she had been doomed by the hit of three kamikaze suicide planes. Although two aircraft did crash into her, she received substantial damage by bombs and torpedoes, then was sunk by Japanese destroyers. Additionally, the term "kamikaze" was not in use to describe suicide pilots at the time of Hornet's sinking. ==Production==

The film's battle scenes, based around aircraft carriers, include real combat footage. Director John Ford is represented in the film in the character of film director John Dodge, played by Ward Bond. ==Box office==

MGM reported that the film earned $2.3 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $1,350,000 in other markets, resulting in a profit of $804,000. ==Comic book adaptation==

• Dell Four Color #790 (April 1957) ==See also==