CLASSIC or ANTIQUE: Flat Top (1952)

                “Flat Top” (entitled “Eagles of the Fleet” in the United Kingdom) was released in 1952 during the Korean War.  It was directed by Lesley Selander (“Fighter Attack”).  It was one of 127 movies he directed – mostly B-Westerns.  The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film Editing.  Some of the footage used for the final battle was from the Battle of Leyte Gulf.  The film also made use of color gun camera footage.  The movie got cooperation of the U.S. Navy which allowed filming on the USS Princeton.  Don’t expect a hard-hitting expose of the Navy.

       Commander Dan Collier (Sterling Hayden) is in charge of air operations on a carrier off the coast of Korea.  He flashes back to a similar role in WWII.  He decides to ground a Corsair pilot named Barney Smith (Keith Larson) who disregarded a wave-off.  His executive officer, Lt. Rogers (Richard Carlson) is big brother to his fighter jocks.  He goes to bat for the hot shot, but Collier shoots him down (figuratively).  Collier believes in team work and the discouraging of individualism.  He is a disciple of tough love.  You’ve seen this dynamic before -  Richardson (Gable) vs. Bledsoe (Lancaster) in “Run Silent, Run Deep”, Kirby (Wayne) vs. Griffin (Ryan) in “Flying Leathernecks”, Savage (Peck) vs. Davenport (Merrill) in “Twelve O’Clock High”.  I wonder if the players’ coach will lose again.  I wonder if Barney will get a chance at redemption.  The rest of the movie covers various missions.  In between the missions, Collier spends most of his time reaming his men and Rogers in particular.  I wonder if they will learn to respect him.  See the previously mentioned movies for clues.

                “Flat Top” is a plot built around combat footage.  It is not surprising it got an Academy Award nomination.  The quantity and quality are high and the blending is fine.  There is a lot of variety in the shots and that is something of a problem for observant aviation fans.  These fighter pilots are able to fly dive and torpedo bombers as well as other types of fighters!  Hell, sometimes they take off in Corsairs and land in Hellcats!  There is a lot of noise and tracers to distract from the continuity problems.  Because Collier is such a hardass, we are spared the usual laughable radio chatter.  If you have never seen a movie set on a carrier, it does a fair job of chronicling pilot life.  But don’t watch the movie for instruction on tactics.  We are thankfully spared any tear jerking, although a letter from Collier’s wife is highly schmaltzy. (This scene must have been inserted so they could get a woman on the poster.)  Hayden keeps a straight face throughout, which was easy since that is the only face he had.  The rest of the cast is equally average, like the movie.

                If you are an aviation and/or naval combat movie fan, “Flat Top” will fill some time.  You can fall asleep through parts and not get confused.  The movie is very predictable, but Selander was not exactly a maverick.  He gave the Navy and the studio what they expected. In that respect, it is an antique.

GRADE  =  C