Flying Leathernecks

Name: Flying Leathernecks
Genre: War, Action, Drama
Released: 1951-08-28
Duration: 1 h 42 min
Rating: 5.9
Cast: John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Don Taylor, Janis Carter, Jay C. Flippen

1951·Movie·NR·102 min·★ 5.9(72)

WarAction Drama More English titles

“From Guadalcanal to Okinawa...the Marine air-devils blazed a trail of glory...while the women they left behind fought battles of their own!”

Major Daniel Kirby takes command of a squadron of Marine fliers just before they are about to go into combat. While the men are well meaning, he finds them undisciplined and prone to always finding excuses to do what is easy rather than what is necessary. The root of the problem is the second in command, Capt. Carl 'Griff' Griffin. Griff is the best flier in the group but Kirby finds him a poor commander who is not prepared to make the difficult decision that all commanders have to make - to put men in harm's way knowing that they may be killed.

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Click a service to open Flying Leathernecks there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is Flying Leathernecks streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	TCM	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
Canada	Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Australia	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
France	Molotov TV, SFR Play	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Brazil	Oldflix	—
Japan	Amazon Prime Video, FOD Channel Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, FOD	—

About Flying Leathernecks

Flying Leathernecks is a 1951 English-language war, action and drama film directed by Nicholas Ray. The cast is led by John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Don Taylor. It has a runtime of 1h 42m. Viewers rate it 5.9/10 across 100 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on TCM.

Flying Leathernecks was produced by RKO Radio Pictures and made in United States of America. It was released on August 28, 1951, and carries a NR certification.

Director: Nicholas Ray
Writers: Beirne Lay Jr., Kenneth Gamet, Edmund Grainger
Release date: August 28, 1951
Original language: English
Age rating: NR
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Production: RKO Radio Pictures

#world war ii#fighter pilot#u.s. air force#marine corps#pacific#okinawa#pacific island

Flying Leathernecks cast & crew

Flying Leathernecks was directed by Nicholas Ray and written by Beirne Lay Jr., Kenneth Gamet, and Edmund Grainger.

The cast features John Wayne as Maj. Daniel Xavier Kirby, Robert Ryan as Capt. Carl 'Griff' Griffin, Don Taylor as Lt. Vern 'Cowboy' Blithe, Janis Carter as Joan Kirby, Jay C. Flippen as MSgt. Clancy, Line Chief, and William Harrigan as Dr. Lt.Cdr. Joe Curran.

Behind the camera, cinematography is by William E. Snyder and it was produced by Edmund Grainger.

Is Flying Leathernecks worth watching?

Flying Leathernecks holds an audience score of 5.9/10 from 72 ratings, a more divisive war films.

At 1h 42m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy war, action, and drama, Flying Leathernecks is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch Flying Leathernecks

In United States, you can stream Flying Leathernecks on TCM, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.