Flying Leathernecks (1951)

Major Dan Kirby (John Wayne), commanding a Marine fighter squadron in the South Pacific, quickly earns the resentment of his men—and even his executive officer, Captain Carl Griffin (Robert Ryan). His hard-nosed discipline and unyielding command style make him deeply unpopular.

But as the brutal realities of war close in, the squadron begins to understand the truth: in the chaos of combat, it’s discipline—not camaraderie—that can mean the difference between survival and death. Through fire and loss, respect is earned, and Kirby’s leadership reveals its true value.

Film programs

Books with substantial mentioning of Flying Leathernecks

		Fred Landesman The John Wayne Filmography Jefferson, North Carolina, and London, 2004

		Mark Ricci, Boris Zmijewsky, Steve Zmijewsky The Complete Films of John Wayne New York, NY, 1995

		Peter Biskind Seeing Is Believing, How Hollywood Taught Us to Stop Worrying and Love the Fifties New York, 1983