“FLYING TIGERS”

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 117, 12 February 1944, Page 5

“FLYING TIGERS”

In a way, “Flying Tigers” (Paramount) touches on the great themes that sire waiting to be made into motion pictures —the etory of the evolution of these grinning, oddly-painted aeroplanes that we know today as Flying Tigers—the story of China s, reaction to these strangers—the story of the bombed children who get the grapevine message from wbo-knows-whom, and walk a thousand miles across Cbi.ua to find food and shelter. These stories are really something, and some day someone will have the gumption to make them into a film, undisturbed by the box-office possibilities of Deanna Durbin as a missionary, or Loretta Young saving lotus-cyeu Chinese babies. John Wayne and John Carroll deal in a pleasant wav with a subject that has possibilities—the* American Volunteer Group, in China, who flew for General Chiang Kaishek at a salary of 600 dollars a month, and a bring-down-a-Jap bonus of 500 dollars. The story is of a group of adventurers who, in the beginning, .are hampered bv the presence of a Hollywood P* a -Vboy, who refuses to take to discipline, but th’s quality—so admirable in. others finally

comes to him and, like his co-star, Robert Taylor, in innumerable films, be distinguishes himself to such a degree that he becomes the hero of the outfit. Anna Lee conies some distance, too. . “Rhythm on Ice” is the other half of the programme. Megan Taylor, who skated so splendidly in that well-rememberel stage show, “Switzerland,” in Wellington some years ago, plays an important part and the billing and cooing is adequately looked after by Ellen Drew and Richard Denning. There arc equal proportions of skating and comedy, the latter department nicely cared for by Vera Vague and Jerry Colonna.