EditorASC Reviews

Fate Is the Hunter (1964)

Perfect example of how Hollywood can distort reality

[2/10 · 23 July 2006]

The only thing in common between Ernest Gann's excellent book and this movie, is the title. Clearly, the producers of this movie were gambling that Gann's reputation as a fine aviation writer, would provide the Teflon coattails to drag box office receipts into the plus column.

Hanging two jet engines on the empennage of a DC-4 fuselage and wings, is the height of aeronautical absurdity. It looked like a bad dream right out of Saturday Night Live.

But, the incompetence of the script writers doesn't end there. Airliner accident investigations are not conducted by an executive of the affected airline, much less by one who starts out with the polemic that his pilot friend could not have been drinking. And, true investigators of such accidents (officials of the CAA, at that time), don't start speculating about "fate" (it was ordained to happen by some higher power), as a possible cause of an accident. Airliner accident investigation is a form of science inquiry, and there is no room for such irrational ravings as that.

It is a gross distortion of Gann's theme, that "luck" is often involved in what happens to you in life. It may be bad luck, when some soldiers get hit by bullets, while others don't, but that is not evidence that the victim's names were pre-written on those bullets.

The main characters in the film, are phony to the core; nothing like real-life airline pilots and executives. It is obvious that there were no technical advisors on this film, or if there was, their advice was completely ignored by the script writers.

Sorry to be a plot spoiler, but the cause of the crash being a cup of coffee on the cockpit pedestal----which was pre-ordained by some higher power----is pure idiocy. Pilots have enough brains to not set liquids there (turbulence is a constant, in airline flying), because it could cause problems with the radios. But, to cause an engine to fail? No way. Electronic engine controls are not located there, even if a pilot was that stupid.

I do recommend that this movie be seen, just so the customers can learn to spot chinchy producers and incompetent script writers. This was a quickie and deliberately cheap production, relying on star names and the reputation of a fine book writer, to sell it. Total trash in plot line, character development and technical displays.

Ernest K. Gann was so disgusted with this film script, that he insisted his name be removed from it.

The Wings of Eagles (1957)

Technical error, in an otherwise fine film

[7/10 · 23 July 2006]

July 23, 2006.

A very enjoyable movie, about the life of a military patriot. Reasonably skilled blending of comedy, with serious issues of history.

I was a bit surprised, however, to see a historical error in dialog.

While John Wayne was reviewing the film of the burning carrier, the USS Hornet, he stated that it was destroyed by Kamikaze attacks, three total with two hitting the target.

The Hornet was sunk during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, on October 26th, 1942, after being hit by numerous torpedoes, bombs from dive bombers, and shell fire from destroyers. There were no Kamikaze attacks that early in the war. The first Kamikaze attack occurred on October 25, 1944, two years after the Hornet had been lost in battle.

Movies which are historical biographies, usually have expert advisors, whose job it is to ferret out historical script errors like that. I cannot help but wonder how that one got by without detection.

Nevertheless, a good action movie which never gets boring. John Ford did a fine job with this story.