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Friday, May 17, 2019

THE FIGHTING LADY (1944)

Superior WWII action-documentary (not too sticky/not too jingoistic), pieced together from on-the-spot 16mm war footage (in color) from aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown during a 1943 mission against Japanese air & sea forces in the Pacific. With sound & narration (Lt. Robert Taylor, whose flat voice is very effective here) added later, the film, credited to photog great Edward Steichen (in the Naval Reserve), was more likely shaped by producer Louis De Rochemont who went on from war documentaries to start the post-war trend in feature docu-dramas (THE HOUSE ON 92nd STREET; 13 RUE MADELEINE). This film, which runs an hour, while moving and exciting on its own (crew almost painfully young), also stands as useful corrective to the model special effects of the time and the overblown CGI of today; and in capturing the long waits before flare-ups of blunt, sudden violence. (A surprise attack after the ship is spotted by air giving off quite a jolt.) And they don’t forget the ship’s internal workings, nearly as fascinating as the all the topside flight heroics. (Watch for the steak & eggs breakfasts in prep before the big flying mission.) Essential stuff.

DOUBLE-BILL: Before he joined up, Robert Taylor did Hollywood naval service in STAND BY FOR ACTION/’42 (not seen here, but with Charles Laughton, Brian Donlevy & Walter Brennan in the cast, there must be a reason it’s not better known).

LINK: Here’s an excellent transfer that shows just how well the 16mm negative came up in 35mm release prints. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5JbXRDOP60

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