Hellfighters List Price: $14.98 Our Price: $7.55 Your Save: $ 7.43 ( 50% ) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Manufacturer: Universal Studios Starring: John Wayne, Katharine Ross, Vera Miles, Jim Hutton, Jay C. Flippen Directed By: Andrew V. McLaglen Average Customer Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: G (General Audience) Binding: DVD Brand: Universal EAN: 9780783230474 Format: Closed-captioned ISBN: 0783230478 Label: Universal Studios Number Of Items: 1 Picture Format: Letterbox Publisher: Universal Studios Region Code: 1 Release Date: 1999-01-05 Running Time: 122 Studio: Universal Studios Theatrical Release Date: 1968-11-27 Related Items Hatari! Donovan's Reef The Green Berets McLintock! (Authentic Collector's Edition) Chisum Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: John Wayne Comment: I enjoyed seeing John Wayne in something other than a western. I purchased this for my mother, who likes the DUKE. Customer Rating: Summary: JOHN WAYNE FAN Comment: 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. Customer Rating: Summary: Best non-western John Wayne movie Comment: 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. Customer Rating: Summary: Even with the deck stacked against it HELLFIGHTERS succeeds...barely. Comment: 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!!!!" Customer Rating: Summary: Hellfighters Comment: 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. Editorial Reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: John Wayne Comment: I enjoyed seeing John Wayne in something other than a western. I purchased this for my mother, who likes the DUKE. Customer Rating: Summary: JOHN WAYNE FAN Comment: 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. Customer Rating: Summary: Best non-western John Wayne movie Comment: 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. Customer Rating: Summary: Even with the deck stacked against it HELLFIGHTERS succeeds...barely. Comment: 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!!!!" Customer Rating: Summary: Hellfighters Comment: 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. Bonus features: production notes talent bios film highlights and web link. A roughneck firefighter must fight to stay alive against the fires that surround him. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 09/02/2003 Starring: John Wayne Katharine Ross Run time: 122 minutes Rating: G Ask about this healthcare product "Hellfighters" in the forum Give review on this healthcare product "Hellfighters" in the forum Search related information in the forum