4GEMWORKS COMPLETE FOUR COLOR EMPORIUM
Four Color 790

COMIC DETAILS

Comic Description: Four Color #790 Universal
Grade: 9.0
Page Quality: CREAM TO OFF-WHITE
Certification #: 0072209018
Owner: 4GEMWORKS

SET DETAILS

Winning Set: 4GEMWORKS COMPLETE FOUR COLOR EMPORIUM
Date Added: 4/10/2009
Research: See CGC's Census Report for this Comic

Owner's Description

The Wings of Eagles 4/57. Out of the Dallas Stephens collection, marketed by Mile High DComics. John Wayne Photo cover. Alex Toth art. Story back-cool "Aviation Firsts".

More interesting background:

The Wings of Eagles


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Wings of Eagles is a 1957 Metrocolor film about Frank "Spig" Wead and US Naval aviation from its inception through World War II. The film is a tribute to Wead from his friend, director John Ford.

John Wayne plays naval aviator-turned-screenwriter Wead, who wrote the story or screenplay for such films as Hell Divers, Ceiling Zero, and They Were Expendable.

Plot

Soon after World War I is over, "Spig" Wead, along with John Dale Price (Ken Curtis), tries to prove to the Navy the value of aviation in combat. To do this, Wead pushes the Navy to compete in racing and endurance competitions. Several races are against the US Army aviation team led by Captain Herbert Allen Hazard (based on Jimmy Doolittle - played by Kenneth Tobey).

Wead spends most of his time either flying or horsing around with his teammates, meaning that his wife Minnie, or "Min" (Maureen O'Hara), and children are ignored.

The night Wead is promoted to fighter squadron commander, he falls down a flight of stairs at home, breaks his neck and is paralyzed. When "Min" tries to console him he rejects her and the family. He will only let his Navy mates like "Jughead" Carson (Dan Dailey) and Price near him. "Jughead" visits the hospital almost daily to encourage Frank's rehabilitation. Carson also pushes "Spig" to get over his depression, try to walk, and start writing. Wead achieves some success in all three goals.

After great success in Hollywood, Wead returns to active sea duty with the Navy in World War II, developing the idea of smaller escort, or "jeep," carriers to augment the main aircraft carrier force. A heart attack sends Wead home before the war's end.

Director John Ford is himself represented in the film, in the humorously-named character of film director John Dodge, played by another Ford favorite, Ward Bond.

Inaccuracies

Dramatic license allows for some historical inaccuracies in the film. One scene shows first the US Army around-the-world flight and then the US Navy winning the Schneider Cup. In fact the US Navy won the Schneider Cup in 1923 and the US Army embarked on the first aerial circumnavigation from March to September 1924.

Another scene shows a newsreel related to the sinking of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8), suggesting that it had been doomed by the hit of three kamikaze suicide planes. Although two aircraft did crash into it, it also received substantial damage by bombs and torpedoes before finally being sunk by American destroyers.[1] Additionally, the term "kamikaze" was not in use to describe suicide pilots at the time of Hornet's sinking.
  
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