hoffmanaz Anyone assuming this film is about World War I aviation will be seriously disappointed. More than half the film is about Thad Walker (Tab Hunter) who deserts from the Lafayette Escadrille to be with his French girl friend. The only footage of a dogfight is almost at the end of the film and lasts about three minutes. Walker improbably is forgiven for his desertion and gets a commission (!) in the U.S. Army Air Corps. The film overlooks the little detail that while he was with his girl friend the other pilots were all undergoing training; no mention of how Walker learned to fly a plane during his desertion, though the film may have skipped over a time period for this to happen. The movie ends on a note so implausible that it fools no one, and issue other reviewers have noted was due to the studio putting in an ending that differed from William Wellman's version (he quit). I am in sympathy with Wellman who after all directed the Academy award-winning "Wings." "Lafayette Escadrille" is NOT the film Wellman really wanted to make, done in by a mediocre script and a low budget.

jaygo214 This is my first review so I am going to caution against seeing a SPOILER since I am not real sure what might or might not be one. I will try to avoid intentional spoilers though. This is more of a history lesson than a movie review but, you have to understand the former to appreciate the latter. My point is that the movie is titled "Lafayette Escadrille." If you don't know what that is and what it means likely, you still won't after watching this film, and that's a shame because there is a real, very dramatic story to tell here. Sadly, this film fails miserably in doing so. Worse, it gives a pretty miserable impression of that organization and its members by focusing on a horrible example of (a fictional) one. The "Lafayette Escadrille"(French for "squadron") was a squadron of American volunteer fliers for France in WWI before America entered that conflict. Not to be confused with the "Lafayette Flying Corps" which referred to all Americans flying in different French squadrons, the L. Escarille only had 38 American pilots during it's French service(The "Valiant 38"). It was an elite unit made up of remarkable young men. They risked losing their US Citizenship, flew in flimsy, highly flammable aircraft with NO parachutes. Their planes were unheated and open to 100+ mph wind streams in freezing temperatures, their engines ejected a constant stream of castor oil that they breathed and which coated their faces and planes in a highly flammable glaze, there was no oxygen for higher altitude flying. Imagine spending up to 2 hours in such conditions and then fighting for your life with very skilled enemies in aircraft as good or better than your own. When just flying took an act of courage, fighting in these machines took a special kind of courage above and beyond the norm. Those are the men represented by the title of this film. But, the main character hardly appears before it's clear he suffers from cowardice. He soon goes down and becomes a deserter and takes up residence with a French woman. Their relationship and this man as a coward hiding out make up the bulk of the film. Finally, shame overcomes him and he makes his return. I won't reveal the details of that event but suffice it to say, that wraps up the film.So in summary, this film with the title of heroes is really about a coward, a deserter and his romance with a French girl. Hardly a fitting testament to the "Valiant 38." It may be an "entertaining film" with creditable performances by its cast members but, I am so put off by it I cannot recommend it. I watched it once decades ago and I have not nor will I ever watch it again.

thinker1691 The films involving early flying, aircraft and the conflict of air battle are very interesting. However, due to the limited equipment and the lack of good directors and writers, the earliest offerings of movie flying are greatly lacking. The late great Howard Hughes did one called 'Hells Angels' which was not bad, but difficult to follow. This is one of those attempts. The casting is overloaded with prime star material, in fact this movie has some of the best aspiring talent in Hollywood. If you'll look closely, you'll see, David Janssen, playing Duke Sinclair, Clint Eastwood playing George Moseley, Tom (Billy Jack) Laughlin as Arthur Blumenthal, Paul Fix as the General and Will Hutchins as Dave Putnam. Tab Hunter is Thad Walker in this story which is more love story than W.W.I fighting epic, is fine for it's day, but somewhat of a sleeper for modern audiences. Nvertheless, a good offering of primitive flying and fanciful storyline for it's time. ***

Sleepy-17 There isn't much here more than a great director's swan song. Tab Hunter's acting is pretty good (!?) but not enough to lift the drab GI-in-love-with-a-French-woman theme. Most of the flying scenes don't match the ones from the director's 30s films. If you're interested in the director's career, don't skip this, you'll enjoy the themes and the depiction of air combat. Also Leonard Rosenman's score is a stand-out. But if you're not a Wellman fan you won't remember this a month after you've seen it. Wellman is one of the great American directors; see everything else and watch for the evidence of his skills that are sadly not to be found here.