Posts from nordy in thread „Jet Pilot (1957)“

    By far the WORST MOVIE he ever made!



    Duke did a huge number of movies of great variation in quality. Some of them were pretty bad. This one is beyond bad. The plot is ridiculous--a female Russian pilot in 1957? It's also utterly predictable. Of course Janet Leigh will fall for Duke. While I'm fine with romance, this film isn't about romance. It's about ogling Janet Leigh. What a dog.

    By far the WORST MOVIE he ever made!



    Duke did a huge number of movies of great variation in quality. Some of them were pretty bad. This one is beyond bad. The plot is ridiculous--a female Russian pilot in 1957? It's also utterly predictable. Of course Janet Leigh will fall for Duke. While I'm fine with romance, this film isn't about romance. It's about ogling Janet Leigh. What a dog.

    The above are all strong candidates for the worst, but for my money the worst of them all is "Jet Pilot." This collaboration between Howard Hughes and John Wayne seemed to bring out the worst in both of them.


    The film, wrote Duke biographers Roberts and Olson, let Hughes explore "three of his obsessions, anticommunism, women's breasts and aviation."


    The plot is ludicrous, involving a female Soviet jet pilot (Janet Leigh) who also qualifies for Playmate of the Month. After some initial political sparring and some flying lessons by Duke, they of course fall in love. I've seen better screen chemistry between Duke and some of his horses.


    Then they escape to the Soviet Union. Then they come back. All ends happily.


    But what you went through to get there.