It deals with red suited firefighters who attempt to quell large scale oil and gas blazes around the world. Enterprise Buckman and Co. whose owner results to be John Wayne , takes up with his younger colleague, Jim Hutton, and subsequently takes place a romantic subplot in Armageddon film style, being entirely suspicious , as young guy falls for the chief's daughter .It is based on the real career of Red Adair. Acceptable and passable film, though the moving screenplay turns out to be uneven, sexist, windy and dull, remarking a strong machism. Buckman/Adair and his group of brave hell fighters are the authentic protagonists . In fact, real life of oil well fire fighter Adair was used as main axis in script and he served as technical advisor to this. And Wayne role is clearly based on him. What passes for a script involves Wayne's stranged daughter, Katharine Ross coming down off The Graduate , and who falls for the second in command, Jim Hutton. As they extinguish massive fires in oil fields all around the world. As they go aboard their airplane to Canada, Malaysia,and South America : Venezuela where the valiant bunch is attacked by a violent guerrilla.
This exciting film packs emotion, ordinary fights, thrills and spectacular scenes . Apart from the main subject, this is a typical Wayne vehicle, screen-written by Western expert Clair Huffaker, and ,being accompanied by a peculiar team , as well as developing troubles between themselves and their wives . Fragmentary but enjoyable, the movie is full of saloon brawls , action , battles, blunt staccato dialog and silly love stories . But is a shame Adair or other writers didn't fire up the screenplay . The picture benefits itself immensely from the breathtaking conflagrations and impressive production design by Alexander Golitzen. Here Wayne was generally deemed to be too old for this role. Wayne gives his habitual acting thanks to McLagen, in fact he directed him in several Westerns as Cahill United States Marshal, The undefeated, Chisum, McLintock , Big Jake . Along with a fine cast as his redundant love interest, Vera Miles, and their daughter Katharina Ross , though Vera was only 10 years older than Ross. Support cast is pretty good , such as : J C Flippen, Bruce Cabot, Laraine Stephens, Edward Faulkner, Valentin Vargas , among others.
It contains a rousing and attractive musical score by Leonard Rosenman. Colorful and evocative cinematography in Technicolor and color de Luxe by William H Clothier, John Ford's regular . This stirring tale of macho oil well firefighters and their wives was professionally directed by Andrew McLagen. He was the son of Ford's stock company stalwart, Victor McLagen. He was a prolific craftsman who made all kinds of genres , such as : Wartime : Dirty dozen next mission, Sea wolves, Breakthrough, Wild geese, The Devil's brigade . Action adventure genre : Sahara , Ffolkes , Mitchell, On wings of eagles . And Western : Shenandoah, The way west , The rare breed, Bandolero, The last hard men , The Blue and the Gray and The shadow riders again with JKatharine Ross. The flick will appeal to John Wayne fans. Well worth watching.
This exciting film packs emotion, ordinary fights, thrills and spectacular scenes . Apart from the main subject, this is a typical Wayne vehicle, screen-written by Western expert Clair Huffaker, and ,being accompanied by a peculiar team , as well as developing troubles between themselves and their wives . Fragmentary but enjoyable, the movie is full of saloon brawls , action , battles, blunt staccato dialog and silly love stories . But is a shame Adair or other writers didn't fire up the screenplay . The picture benefits itself immensely from the breathtaking conflagrations and impressive production design by Alexander Golitzen. Here Wayne was generally deemed to be too old for this role. Wayne gives his habitual acting thanks to McLagen, in fact he directed him in several Westerns as Cahill United States Marshal, The undefeated, Chisum, McLintock , Big Jake . Along with a fine cast as his redundant love interest, Vera Miles, and their daughter Katharina Ross , though Vera was only 10 years older than Ross. Support cast is pretty good , such as : J C Flippen, Bruce Cabot, Laraine Stephens, Edward Faulkner, Valentin Vargas , among others.
It contains a rousing and attractive musical score by Leonard Rosenman. Colorful and evocative cinematography in Technicolor and color de Luxe by William H Clothier, John Ford's regular . This stirring tale of macho oil well firefighters and their wives was professionally directed by Andrew McLagen. He was the son of Ford's stock company stalwart, Victor McLagen. He was a prolific craftsman who made all kinds of genres , such as : Wartime : Dirty dozen next mission, Sea wolves, Breakthrough, Wild geese, The Devil's brigade . Action adventure genre : Sahara , Ffolkes , Mitchell, On wings of eagles . And Western : Shenandoah, The way west , The rare breed, Bandolero, The last hard men , The Blue and the Gray and The shadow riders again with JKatharine Ross. The flick will appeal to John Wayne fans. Well worth watching.