The Great Waldo Pepper

3/13/19751h 48m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ The second greatest flyer in the world. ~

Overview:

A biplane pilot and WWI veteran takes up barnstorming and later a movie career in his quest for the glory days he misses.

Director:

George Roy Hill

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$5,000,000.00

Revenue:

$20,642,922.00

Key words:

world war i
aerial combat
red baron
biplane
flying ace
barnstorming
fighter ace
stunt pilot
the red baron
airplane pilot

Cast

Robert Redford

~ as ~

Waldo Pepper

Bo Svenson

~ as ~

Axel Olsson

Bo Brundin

~ as ~

Ernst Kessler

Susan Sarandon

~ as ~

Mary Beth

Geoffrey Lewis

~ as ~

Newt

Edward Herrmann

~ as ~

Ezra Stiles

Philip Bruns

~ as ~

Dilhoefer

Roderick Cook

~ as ~

Werfel

Kelly Jean Peters

~ as ~

Patsy

Margot Kidder

~ as ~

Maude

View full cast & crew

Reviews (2)

PE
Patrick E. Abe
Written 9 year(s) ago
6
Former World War I pilot Waldo Pepper barnstorms across rural America, giving 5 minute rides to skeptical townsfolk. Clearly the people behind this project love aviation and capture the feel of the post-World-War-I era when "the sky's the limit" was literally true.

The downside of early aviation is shown via the ups and downs of "Doc Dilhoefer's Flying Circus," where a novice wing walker freezes in place. The long arm of the FAA catches up to Waldo because "it's time that aviation got civilized." With limited opportunities after being grounded for life, Waldo finds salvation at the movies, where danger is ever-present in the rickety, worn-out planes and fatal stunts for the camera.

An old nemesis that Waldo missed meeting over France, Ernst Kessler (Ernst Udet?), arrives for the next project--the epic three vs. one dogfight. With the FAA closing in, Waldo's days in the air are numbered, though he's in better shape than the down-at-heels Kessler. Waldo and Kessler leave their parachutes behind as the cameras roll; this aerial ballet is going to be a battle! 7/10
Wuchak
Written 1 year(s) ago
7
The daredevil barnstormers of the 1920s with Robert Redford and Bo Svenson

Two former pilots of WW1 team-up to entertain people in middle America with increasingly risky aerial maneuvers. Susan Sarandon plays a woman who joins the team while Margot Kidder appears as the protagonist’s on-again, off-again girlfriend. Geoffrey Lewis is also on hand as an inspector of the newly formed Air Commerce.

"The Great Waldo Pepper" (1975) is a tribute to the men & women who risked their lives to entertain people in ‘flying circuses’ in the ’20s through the early ’30s. By the time of this particular story, competition amongst stunt fliers resulted in progressively dangerous tricks, as well as highly publicized accidents, which led to hampering safety regulations and the demise of barnstorming.

The tone mixes life-or-death drama with amusing bits. There are a couple of shocking sequences that some critics have interpreted as ‘coldhearted,’ but they just reflect those times. Even if you were a female who joined the team, you’re one of the boys and they all knew the risks. Sudden deaths, while unfortunate, didn’t change the fact that it was part of how these people made a living. And the show must go on, as they say.

Speaking of which, if you’re familiar with movies like “The Blue Max,” “Flyboys” and “The Red Baron,” this is what some of the surviving flying aces were doing after the war.

It runs 1 hour, 47 minutes, and was mostly shot in and around Elgin, Texas (which is just east of Austin), and Piru, California (which is a 50-minute drive northwest of Los Angeles). Studio stuff was done at Universal Studios.

GRADE: B-/B