Hellfighters (1968)

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writer:

Clair Huffaker (writer)

Release Date:

27 November 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance

Tagline:

The Toughest Hellfighter Of All! [Australia Theatrical]

Plot:

The story of macho oil well firefighters and their wives.

Plot Keywords:

Jeep | Family Relationships | Male Female Relationship | Army | Firefighting

Cast

John Wayne	...	Chance Buckman
Vera Miles	...	Madelyn Buckman
Katharine Ross	...	Tish Buckman
Jim Hutton	...	Greg Parker
Jay C. Flippen	...	Jack Lomax
Bruce Cabot	...	Joe Horn
Edward Faulkner	...	George Harris
Barbara Stuart	...	Irene Foster
Edmund Hashim	...	Col. Valdez
Valentin de Vargas	...	Amal Bokru
Frances Fong	...	Madame Loo
Alberto Morin	...	General López
Alan Caillou	...	Harry York
Laraine Stephens	...	Helen Meadows
John Alderson	...	Jim Hatch

Runtime:

121 min | Finland:112 min (cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

Spanish | English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Australia) | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 (uncut) (1968) (70 mm) | Finland:K-12 (heavily cut) (1969) (35 mm) | Singapore:PG | West Germany:16 (f) | Germany:12 (re-rating) (2008) | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Baytown, Texas, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The character of Chance Buckman is based on real-life oil well firefighter 'Red' Adair.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In the scene that is supposedly at Hobby Airport in Houston, mountains are seen in the background. There are no mountains (especially snow covered ones) around Houston.

Quotes:

Chance Buckman: [referring to the fact that Greg brings a girl to a different fire] What did you use for openers this time, the old headache gag? Why, you poor man, perhaps if I rubbed your neck?
Greg Parker: True - every word, true. But it works.
Chance Buckman: Can't say I blame you. A fellow as ugly as you are probably couldn't get to first base without a fire.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Sopranos: Walk Like a Man (#6.17)" (2007)

The Original Armageddon!

Exciting adventure (re-made years later as ARMAGEDDON with Bruce Willis and re-set in outer space) with John Wayne as a successful contractor to oil companies. He's successful because his job is a very dangerous one: Drill into oil fields that are on fire, set explosives into the heart oil field fires, and cause them to lose oxygen. This job description has caused his wife to divorce him. John Wayne's top employee is young hot shot Jim Hutton, who John Wayne sees as someday taking over the company. Jim Hutton and John Wayne's daughter, Katharine Ross, are in love and want to get married, but John Wayne wants nothing of it. He doesn't want his daughter to suffer the same stress his own wife suffered, wondering if her husband would live through another dangerous assignment. Unlike ARMAGEDDON in which we never explore Bruce Willis' marriage we actually get to see John Wayne's wife, Vera Miles and listen to her concerns (the divorce was more than just because he had a dangerous job). The climax of the film centers around a government contract that sends the crew into the middle of a war where aircraft is blowing up oil fields as John Wayne and company are trying to put the fires out. Will John Wayne allow Jim Hutton to marry Katharine Ross? Will John Wayne get back together with Vera Miles? Will John Wayne and Jim Hutton blow themselves up in a fire ball or be blown apart my the aerial attacks? If you loved ARMAGEDDON check out the film that started it all.