If you know about aviation and some of the people involved in Aviation then this film is great to watch. I wasn't so much interested in the story but in the airplanes used in the movie. I was richly rewarded with some of the OLD airplanes (that are no longer flying)and was thrilled to see pre-world war 2 airplanes flying. But as the movie/story plays along I greatly enjoyed the acting it protrayed. Some of it is comical. John Wayne has always been a good actor in his flying movies and this one rates just as good as his other ones. I never seen this movie and I was so entertained by it. You don't see much acting like this in today's world and it would awaken your folk's memory who grew up in the 40's and 50's. Toward the end of the movie I enjoyed seeing the Navy ships used and enjoyed our former protector of the United States Navy. A very good film to watch.
For shear escapism this little know movie staring John Wayne, Dan Dailey and Maureen O'Hara is an excellent film. As a Navy film it takes place during the infancy of Naval Avaiation centering around Wayne's true life character Cmdr "Spig" Wead and the personal and professional adventures he undergoes as Naval Aviation becomes established. The diretion is top notch by John Ford. The romance with Maureen O'Hara is swomewhat similar to The Quiet Man movie they made together earlier. Dan Dailey provides supurbe support as Jughead. If there is any weakness in the film it is a tendency to become a little like a soap opera at times. These periods however are short. An excellent entertaining movie.