Hellfighters (1968)

Fans of Armageddon might see one or two resemblances between that 1998 box office hit and Hellfighters, a 1968 action film by Andrew V. McLaglen, one of John Wayne's favorite directors in his late career. (Their joint ventures included Chisum, Cahill: United States Marshal, and McLintock!) Wayne plays an oil well firefighter in the mold of Red Adair, turning up anywhere in the world where a geyser of fire is shooting up from a once-profitable gusher. His right-hand man (Jim Hutton) has questionable judgment about safety matters and is a scoundrel with the ladies--and neither fact is lost on Wayne when Hutton's character marries his long-lost daughter (Katharine Ross, a mere year after The Graduate). The film is an early entry in the disaster-meets-soap-opera genre that flourished in the '70s with such titles as The Towering Infernoand The Poseidon Adventure. McClaglen gets a lot of crackle out of his action scenes (many of the firefighting sequences are still startling in their intensity) and turns twin love stories (Hutton and Ross, Wayne and Vera Miles) into frothy studies of adult manners, with equal hints of Howard Hawks and Sidney Sheldon. The widescreen image on DVD offers viewers a chance to see what was then a developing vogue for gratuitous breadth and scope in all its goofy, self-congratulatory glory. (Is it necessary to look at a golf course the way one might look at an African veldt? Hellfighters says yes!) The DVD also includes production notes and written bios on the stars, plus optional French and Spanish subtitles and an optional Spanish soundtrack. The cast and sundry thrills make this film highly enjoyable, and easily forgivable for indulging in such inanities as a subplot concerning--hold on--Venezuelan terrorists! The Duke lives! --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

John Wayne

I enjoyed seeing John Wayne in something other than a western. I purchased this for my mother, who likes the DUKE. June 9, 2008

JOHN WAYNE FAN

I HAVE BEEN A JOHN WAYNE FAN FOR MANY YEARS. I GREW UP WATCHING HIS MOVIES WITH MY dAD. THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF HIS GREAT MOVIES. NOT TO BE MISSED. June 2, 2008

Best non-western John Wayne movie

My husband and love this movie. It's action packed, romantic in the old fashioned way where everybody ends up happy. There is enough gloom and doom today, I want romance and happy endings. June 2, 2008

Even with the deck stacked against it HELLFIGHTERS succeeds...barely.

John Wayne films can be divided into three categories: those before STAGECOACH, his critical hits (THE SEARCHERS, RIO BRAVO, etc.) and his more formulaic efforts that usually left critics and audiences cold (JET PILOT, BLOOD ALLEY and the like).

HELLFIGHTERS is one of the more successful of that third category thanks to the interesting subject (fighting oil well fires) and John Wayne himself, but no thanks to the horrible overacting of Jim; the by-the-numbers direction by Andrew V. McLaglen (who James Coburn once called a "hack") and the inept script by Clair Huffaker (who's biggest hit was THE WAR WAGON) that tries it's best to flush the whole thing down the toilet by giving way, way too much screen time to the worrying and crying of the spineless wives who just can't face the fact that their husbands are rugged, firefighting superstuds! Example: "This fire is it for me! It's the answer. I may fall apart and get the screaming memes...I don't know!" I actually felt bad for the great Vera Miles having to spout off garbage like that.

The sexist subplot aside the firefighting scenes were exciting, well shot and educational (I had no idea how they put out oil well fires). Worth a watch, even for non-Wayne fans.

Fun Fact: McLaglen went on to direct the legendary bad movie MITCHELL that was immortalized for all time by MST3K. "Baby oil?! NO!!!!" April 3, 2008

Hellfighters

Classic John Wayne. Very enjoyable film. Jim Hutton is great as well as Katharine Ross. Enjoyed being able to pick out the "regular or frequent players" in this film from Wayne's other films of this period. Wayne's common theme of using the same names throughout his films also comes into play. The action scenarios are taken from actual well fire experiences. In later years, I confirmed this with Red Adair, whom Wayne patterned the Chance Buchman character after. Red explained he had a great time as technical advisor on the film and remained a lifelong friend of Wayne's until his passing. Incidently, Red Adair's personal Rolex had a face very similar to "The Buchman Group" insignia on their vehicles. March 23, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...