Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		2.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

Jet Pilot Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 23, 2023

Josef von Sternberg's "Jet Pilot" (1957) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with critic Tony Rayns; short documentary film; collection of vintage promotional materials; and original trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Comrade Marladovna

It is very easy to understand why at one point John Wayne considered Jet Pilot the worst film he had appeared in. Whatever Howard Hughes’ initial plans for this film might have been, it is so badly mismanaged that it does not even work as a parody. What about Josef von Sternberg? Why did he agree to replace Peter Godfrey? Did Hughes just make him a financial offer he could not refuse? Or did he do it because he feared Hughes’ influence and ability to destroy the careers and reputations of people that questioned his creative instincts? It was probably a combination of both. Jet Pilot had an astronomical budget and Hughes always got what he wanted, so Sternberg most likely received a very nice check that kept him quiet while he was behind the camera.

The plot is so ridiculous that it actually makes Billy Wilder’s Five Graves to Cairo look like a brilliant documentary. Russian pilot Lt. Anna Marladovna (Janet Leigh) casually enters American airspace and soon after is allowed to land her bomber. While speaking perfect English with an American accent, Marladovna declares that she has escaped the commies and wishes to be a ‘refugee’ in America, but to be absolutely certain that she tells the truth General Black (Jay. C. Flippen) asks Jim Shannon (Wayne), his most experienced pilot, to keep an eye on her. It is an assignment that instantly awakens the frisky bachelor in Shannon and he enthusiastically goes to work. Not too long after that, Marladovna and Shannon get married.

But Marladovna turns out to be a commie spy on a mission to steal top secret aircraft plans from the Americans, so when General Black and FBI agent Rivers (Richard Rober) uncover her true intentions, they decide to send her right back to where she came from with a dud. Marladovna and Shannon are then allowed to ‘steal’ a U.S. bomber and defect to a military base somewhere in the U.S.S.R. where General Sokolov (Roland Winters) welcomes them with open arms. As Shannon struggles to get used to Soviet reality, however, Marladovna accidentally discovers that her bosses are planning to permanently erase his memory, so together they hatch a bold plan to return to America.

To write that Jules Furthman’s screenplay immediately insults the intelligence of the viewer is like declaring that a root canal procedure may cause only some minor discomfort, which of course makes the impressive list of actors that agreed to do Jet Pilot seriously puzzling. Again, Hughes’ money almost certainly convinced a lot of them to swallow their pride, but how is it possible that at least some of them did not intervene to get the end product to look more authentic? If, as reported, Hughes wanted Jet Pilot to be only a big promo piece for a bunch of bombers, why did he even seek Furthman’s services in the first place? Any amateur writer could have scripted the ridiculous situations Wayne and Leigh are forced to endure immediately after the opening credits disappear.

The few somewhat entertaining scenes are the ones where Wayne flirts with Leigh and does a bit of good old-fashioned improvising. The best one is at the very end of the film where Wayne and Leigh are seen in an upscale restaurant supposedly somewhere in Palm Springs, each enjoying a good steak. While Wayne looks lovingly at her, Leigh utters a typically undercooked statement addressing her people and how the world would be a safer place if they knew what a good steak tastes like. Leigh then tries to kiss Wayne, but right before their lips connect, he says “wipe off your chin”. Leigh is caught off guard, so her genuine reaction is priceless.

Jet Pilot Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in aspect ratios of 1.85:1 and 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jet Pilot arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

In 2021, Kino Lorber produced this release of Jet Pilot for the U.S. market. This Region-B release is sourced from the same old master that Universal supplied to Kino Lorber.

This master is quite weak and does not produce convincing organic visuals. I personally do not mind old masters that produce good organic visuals, but as you can tell from the screencaptures we have provided with this release, Jet Pilot needs a proper makeover to look as it should. On the other hand, I must also make it clear that the technical presentation of Jet Pilot is not a disaster. It is serviceable, in certain areas perhaps even somewhat decent. It is very shaky because there are numerous age-related imperfections that combined make it extremely difficult to have proper film qualities. Plus, the master must have been prepared a long time ago. This is why delineation, clarity, depth, and even color reproduction are underwhelming. Image stability is fine but there is room for some stabilization work there as well. Scratches, debris, blemished, and dark spots can be seen throughout the entire film. My score is 2.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Jet Pilot Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is rather surprisingly good. All changes, for instance, are very clear and easy to follow. However, as mentioned in our review of the U.S. release, there are a few areas with small yet noticeable 'thinning'. (The footage with the bombers is a good example). Proper restoration of Jet Pilot will most likely introduce some meaningful improvements there, but I do not think that this is a serious issue. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report.

Jet Pilot Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Something in the Air - in this exclusive new program, critic Tony Rayns discusses Jet Pilot. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Jet Pilot. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Textless Opening Sequence - with music. (2 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of original promotional materials for Jet Pilot.

• The Town (1943) - an archival documentary short about the classic small American town during WWII, directed by Josef von Sternberg for The American Scene film series. Restored. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (12 min).

• Booklet - limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Glenn Kenny, an extract from Joseph von Sternberg's autobiography, archival interviews with von Sternberg, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and technical credits.

Jet Pilot Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Just like The Outlaw, Jet Pilot was a big vanity project for Howard Hughes that turned out to be a big turkey. John Wayne had every right to consider it the worst film he had appeared in because it is ridiculous in so many different ways that it does not even work as a parody. Some of the footage with the bombers is mildly entertaining, plus there are a couple of short hilarious scenes where Wayne clearly flirts with Janet Leigh, but this isn't enough to declare that Jet Pilot is suitable even for very late-night viewing. On the other hand, Jet Pilot probably deserves to be described as a historic relic, so it is good to have it on Blu-ray.