David Miller (35) (1909–1992)

Crawford is a rich heiress and also a very successful playwright. During rehearsals, she demands that Palance be removed as the romantic lead in her latest play because--well, because he looks like Jack Palance! Later, however, she meets him on a train to San Francisco and romance ensures. But, evil Gloria Grahame has other plans. Unfortunately, before the climactic scene, in one of the strangest turns in all of film noir, the entire cast dies of lung cancer! At last, a noir picture that recognizes the dangers of smoking. As a result, several of the actors in the film quit smoking immediately and lived longer lives as a result. Except, of course, for evil Gloria Grahame, who was simply beyond redemption.… (more)

Wayne stars as squadron leader of the American Volunteer Group of Flying Tigers, who fought for China's freedom from the Japanese before the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
John Wayne plays the tough commander of Flying Tigers, the famous fighter squadron that fought to save China from the Japanese. Wayne finds he is fighting a war on two fronts: he's taking on the enemy with only a handful of inexperienced men and patched-up planes while keeping a cocky new pilot from stealing his girl. The story has little in common with real history, and lots of classic post-Pearl Harbor propaganda fills the script. Regardless, the movie is all Wayne's, and Wayne fans will enjoy seeing the prototype for what would become the Duke's trademark portrayal of the military fighting man.

Although the pressure of making life-and-death decisions in wartime may be more maturely explored in Twelve O'Clock High, Flying Tigers still has enough characterization and action to keep the viewer's attention (not to mention special effects by the pioneering Howard Lydecker).… (more)