The Wings of Eagles

Drama, War · 1957APPROVED

Commander Frank "Spig" Wead was a pioneer aviator, renowned screenwriter (whose works included John Ford's They Were Expendable) and a man of war. The skies beckoned Spig to action; a crippling injury ultimately left him powerless to act, propelling him to discover the power of his pen. He was talented, driven, flawed, a friend of Ford and the subject of this compassionate biography. John Wayne plays Spig and Ford directs The Wings of Eagles, which also offers a fascinating glimpse into the ways and world of Ford: Ward Bond plays moviemaker John Dodge, a role modelled on Ford. Maureen O'Hara, Wayne's five-time co-star (including Ford's The Quiet Man), and Dan Dailey (of Ford's 1952 What Price Glory) play Spig's indomitable wife, Minnie, and cigar-chomping sidekick "Jughead" Carson.

Starring

Wesley C. Miller, John Wayne, John Ford, Dan Dailey, Malcolm Brown, Maureen O'Hara, Ward Bond, William A. Horning, Ken Curtis, Edwin B. Willis

Director

John Ford