Sands of Iwo Jima shows the Duke in one of his best wartime performance and actually has the best looking print of the reissues but that has to do with it being restored for it’s original release. The Flying Tigers is a pretty good war picture and benefits from the likeable performance of John Carroll. Not only did Sands of Iwo Jima get the Duke his first Oscar nomination but also saved the U.S. Marine Corps.
Bottom line: (I’m going to put this in all my Lionsgate Duke reviews so skip down if you want to hear my thoughts on the actual films) Lionsgate just repackages the titles that they’ve already released (under the Artisan/Republic Pictures banner). Those hoping for new transfers will be most disappointed. However, those Duke fans that don’t own these titles might want to take a look because they’ve doubled them up and reduced the MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price).
What the back of the box says:
Feared by many and hated by all, Stryker’s training is soon put to the test in a full-scale assault against the Japanese on Iwo Jima – an infamous battle that will live forever in one of cinema’s most famous scenes, the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi.
Flying Tigers (3 stars): They were the terror of the sky, a small band of American mercenaries who soared into battle against the Japanese in defense of China’s freedom. They were aces, adventurers, and heroes, America’s hottest fighter pilots – The Flying Tigers! Possessing unmatched skill and bravery, Jim Gordon (Wayne), the Tiger’s commander, is the Top Gun of China’s skies.
But he faces a battle on the ground when his good friend Woody Jason is suspected of recklessly causing the death of a fellow pilot and is accused of stealing Jim’s fiancé. Jim’s right to retain respect for Woody while maintaining the solidarity of his pilots is an explosive battle of courage and heroism that lights up the sky with action!”
It was only about four years after the famous flag raising on Mount Suribachi and Congress was considering cutting out all the elite forces of the military. This would’ve effectively ended the Marine Corps. However, a film strode into the box office and gave the Corps the public relations boost that it needed and earned the film four Oscar nominations including one for the Duke.
It also features three of the original men that raised the flag, Pfc. Rene A. Gagnon, Pfc. Ira H. Hayes, and PM 3/c John H. Bradley. Wayne hands them the flag on Mt. Suribachi in the film - although the film only heads to Iwo Jima in its final moments and its more about the trouble Sgt. Stryker (Wayne). He’s a hard taskmaster to those under his command but they learn to respect him in the end. John Agar (on loan from David O. Selznick) and Forrest Tucker are memorable in their roles.
It’s an interesting compare and contrast to see how the film was used as a sort of recruiting film in the ‘40s compared to Clint Eastwood’s Letters from Iwo Jima (I still haven’t watched Flags of Our Fathers) which is anything but a recruiting film. The Flying Tigers is more of a typical war movie with a romantic rivalry. John Carroll costars as the romantic rival for the affections of Anna Lee, the Duke’s girl. Carroll is like a Republic Pictures version of Clark Gable with his jovial attitude, rebellious nature, and pencil-thin mustache.
The buddies get apart when competing for Lee, but when it comes to blasting the enemy they become friends again. You know the typical story that’s played over and over again in these ‘40s war pictures. Though it is still entertaining, more for Carroll’s
Sands of Iwo Jima and The Flying Tigers are presented in fullscreen. The Sands of Iwo Jima has a 17 minute “Making of” featurette. It’s hosted by Leonard Maltin and interviews Michael Wayne, the Duke’s son, John Agar, Richard Jaeckel (“Pfc. Frank Flynn”), Wally Cassell (“Pfc. Benny Regazzi”), Richard Webb (“Pfc. Dan Shipley”), and Brigadier General Len Fribourg (Retired), who acted as liaison between the USMC and the film. There’s also the 2 minute theatrical trailer for Iwo Jima. The Flying Tigers has textual cast and crew information as special features.
Sands of Iwo Jima/Flying Tigers is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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