The Great Waldo Pepper (1975) User Reviews (41)

Still great after all these years

[splat99 · 8/10 · 15 January 2004]

I first saw this film in the theater almost 30 years ago and have caught it a few times on TV since. Finally, I was able to find a DVD copy on E-Bay (apparently it is not currently available on DVD through normal means) and I am glad I did so. This movie has stood the test of time. It is both fun to watch and has some depth to it - it is not just a piece of fluff.

The casting is excellent - not a single actor is unfit for the part. Redford's looks and charisma, coupled with the fact that while he is still pretty young he does have a few visible age lines, make him perfect for the part of a debonair flyboy, ten years removed from World War I, who is stubbornly resisting the increasing regulation of flying as a profession. Bo Svensen is a great complement as the slightly older, more experienced, and more even-keeled Axel Olsson. Geoffrey Lewis' Newt Potts, Pepper's old squadron commander, represents the future that Pepper is trying to avoid. Ed Herrmann is the embodiment of the "seat of your pants" spirit of the early aircraft producers. Phil Bruns is a convincing "carnival barker" as Doc Dillhoeffer. And the Swedish actor Bo Brundin puts in a great turn as Ernst Kessler, German fighter ace turned barnstormer, who has long since realized that the bravery and chivalry he found in the air (both among comrades and opponents) is rarely found on the ground.

Kessler is based on Ernst Udet, the second-highest scoring German ace of WWI. Udet barnstormed after the war, had a shortened version of "Lola" painted on his Fokker D-VII, and had a fight similar to the epic battle that is an important subplot in the movie. Thus it is a nice touch that Udet is shown in the opening photo montage. (It's also good that no sequel was made - I'd hate to see the Kessler character return to Germany, join Hitler's Luftwaffe and commit suicide.)

This is also notable, on a personal level, as the first place I ever saw Susan Sarandon. I've been a fan ever since. Hell, she still looks great.

The flying sequences are magnificent. There's no CGI here, folks. These are real aircraft - beautiful replicas of Curtiss Jennies, Standard E-4's, and of course the Sopwith Camel and Fokker Triplane (plus a few others) - doing real stunt flying. The talented stunt pilots are credited under the umbrella of Tallmantz Aviation, which I'm guessing was formed by legendary stunt pilots Frank Tallman and Paul Mantz. Tallman himself flew in this film (and died in a crash three years later; Mantz died making "Flight of the Phoenix," another of my favorite flight movies, in 1965.) And the climactic sequence, while it may seem unlikely to some, is actually based (perhaps loosely) on a similar incident that occurred during the filming of either "Hells' Angels" or "Wings" in the late 1920's. The only possible anachronism that I can spot is Kessler's stunt plane, which looks a little too advanced for 1928. But I could be wrong there.

Beautiful aircraft, great flying sequences, fine acting, and even a real plot - what more could you want?

The Surly Bonds of Earth

[JamesHitchcock · 7/10 · 17 June 2008]

Now that flying seems such a mundane, everyday way of getting people from A to B, it is strange to recall that there was a time, not so long ago, when it seemed far more magical. In the twenties and thirties aviation represented what space travel came to represent during my childhood in the sixties and seventies- mankind's most thrilling new adventure. The aviator-poet John Magee was able to write in his sonnet "High Flight" that while flying he had "slipped the surly bonds of Earth" and "put out my hand, and touched the face of God".

"The Great Waldo Pepper" is a film which, like the more recent "The Aviator", captures some of the excitement of those days. It is set in the world of the "barnstormers", troupes of pilots who would perform stunts to entertain the crowds. This was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s, and many of the barnstormers were former fighter pilots from the First World War; the troupes became known as "flying circuses", after the squadron commanded by Manfred von Richthofen, Germany's greatest ace. At first their stunts were relatively simple ones, but as time went on the crowds became more demanding and the pilots were expected to perform increasingly dangerous manoeuvres, sometimes verging on the suicidal. The proprietor of the "flying circus" featured in the film puts it simply. "I'm not selling good flying. I'm selling sudden death." The film charts the exploits of the title character and his two great rivals, Axel Olsson (an American but presumably originally from Scandinavia, to judge from his accent) and Ernst Kessler (a German loosely based upon another real-life flying ace, Ernst Udet). Pepper's rivalry with these two men stems from the fact that they both had distinguished combat records during the war, whereas he served in the American forces but was employed as an instructor and never saw active service. (His rivalry with Olsson, however, does not prevent them from becoming close friends).

At the beginning of the 1920s flying was an almost entirely unregulated activity, but during the decade it became more commercialised as the first airlines and air mail services were launched and tighter regulations were introduced in the interests of public safety. After a young woman is killed in a dangerous stunt that goes wrong, Pepper loses his pilot's licence and is forced to abandon barnstorming. He is, however, unwilling to give up flying altogether, and travels to Hollywood where he becomes a stunt pilot under an assumed name. He learns that Kessler and he are both working on the same film, a wartime aviation drama, and that they are due to re-enact a famous dogfight between British and German planes. Somehow, they manage to turn their film sequence into a real-life duel.

The film was directed by George Roy Hill and starred Robert Redford, who had previously worked with Hill in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting". (Unlike those two films, however, this one does not co-star Paul Newman). One of Redford's greatest assets as an actor was his amiable, boyish charm, and that is much in evidence in this film, especially during the more comic first half. He plays Pepper as charming and debonair, with an insouciant, devil-may-care attitude, in contrast to the more level-headed Olsson and the gloomy, saturnine Kessler. Kessler has fallen on hard times after Germany's defeat; his pessimistic attitude is due to the fact that he was a hero in wartime but has become a nobody in peacetime. (Something similar happened to the real Udet, who went on to join the Nazis and ended up committing suicide). His character comes more to the fore in the second half of the film which is notably darker than the light-hearted early scenes.

There are excellent performances from Redford and from Bo Brundin as Kessler. (Olsson is played by Bo Svenson; are there any other English-language films where two major male characters are played by actors named Bo?) The main attraction of the film, however, is not the acting but the magnificent flying sequences, all of which were performed using real aircraft, not models or special effects. (It is said that the actors performed all their own stunts, including wing walking, which must have given the film's insurers some nervous moments). It is these exhilarating scenes which give the film its excitement and much of its emotional power, making it a fitting tribute to the pioneers of aviation. 7/10

When the airplane was a big toy

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 22 February 2016]

Robert Redford got one of his best roles in The Great Waldo Pepper which was directed by George Roy Hill who did right by him with Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid and The Sting. It does a wonderful job of capturing a bygone era of the Twenties when after World War I, the airplane was a big toy played with by some big kids.

The airplane got invented just in time for use in the war to end all wars. But no one figured out quite what to do with it. In point of fact it didn't have the capacity to drop bombs on the enemy to do that much damage. In the trench warfare days the real function was scouting those enemy lines to see and report on troop dispositions. But the other side did the same thing. So when they met dogfights happened. They were colorful and exciting, but didn't really do much militarily.

Aces got their reputations like the real life Baron Von Richtofen and Hermann Goering and the fictional Ernest Kessler as played by Bo Brundin here. Waldo Pepper in the Great War came up too late to show his stuff even though his former squadron leader Geoffrey Lewis says he was the most natural flier he ever saw. He had a brief encounter with Brundin days before the Armistice where Brundin let him off. He never got a chance to prove himself.

Now he proves himself every day in the various flying circuses doing daredevil stunts. People who fly do it for the love it and won't be happy going 9 to 5 on the ground. Redford is at the height of his abilities and this is his frustration that he never got to show his stuff in the arena where it really counted. Redford did a wonderful job in fleshing this aspect of his character.

But his world is changing, if the military has put aviation on hold there are lots of commercial uses. And a guy named Herbert Hoover who Secretary of Commerce at that time spearheaded the creation of the Civil Aeronautics Agency to regulate air traffic. Airplanes would be hauling mail and people and would soon be large enough to haul freight. Not a world that calls for daredevil daring.

The Great Waldo Pepper is one of Robert Redford's best films and roles. The Great Robert Redford has this part really nailed down. Some other folks in the cast are a tragic Edward Herrmann who hasn't got the skill as a pilot that Redford has and shows it. Susan Sarandon plays a budding wing walker who also perishes tragically in one of her early roles. George Roy Hill assembled a great supporting cast to back up Redford.

In the end it's Redford who makes The Great Waldo Pepper great.

Great For People Who Love These Old Planes

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 9 June 2006]

Anybody who likes old airplanes, stunt flying or just plain adventure and an interesting story should like this early Robert Redford film.

Redford plays the "The Great Waldo Pepper" as he barnstorms from place to place in the early 1900s. You see some wonderful bi-planes and the interesting characters who flew them. The most flamboyant person in this story is "Axel Olsson," played by Bo Svenson. He and Redford are intense competitors and the competition between the two is fun to witness, especially with humor thrown into the mix.

This film is noted for sporting a very young and beautiful Susan Sarandon who makes a very memorable exit from the film! Except for an excessive amount of usages of the Lord's name in vain, this would have been an excellent family film. Other actors whose names you might recognize in here are Edward Herrman, Georffrey Lewis and Margot Kidder.

bittersweet

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 15 December 2019]

It's 1926. WWI pilot Waldo Pepper (Robert Redford) is barnstorming and telling tales of his war exploits in a legendary fight against German ace Kessler. He gets into a rivalry with Axel Olsson (Bo Svenson) who travels with his girlfriend Mary Beth (Susan Sarandon). Waldo has been telling tall tales. In fact, he was a great instructor who was held out of the majority of the war. The two rivals become partners in Doc Dillhoefer (Philip Bruns)'s flying circus. He reconnects with sometimes girlfriend Maude (Margot Kidder). Maude's brother Ezra (Ed Herrmann) is building a monoplane to attempt the impossible outside loop. After many tragedies, he is reduced to being a Hollywood stuntman under an assumed name in a movie about the legendary dogfight.

The flying sequences are amazing with real planes. There are some dangerous stunts with limited camera tricks. The dogfight is thrilling. The tone turns quite sad in the middle. Quite frankly, I expected a heroic tale but it turns into a bummer with one particular incident. While that incident is powerful, it damaged the mood of the movie in a profound way. It actually may not be necessary since there are two tragedies in a row. The second one is the only absolutely necessary one. The first one should be reversed to uplift the story and the second one can be used to create the turn into the third act. Sarandon had more to give in this movie. The mood is bittersweet and the movie is pretty good overall.

Spectacular story about WWI fliers turned barnstorming aerial stunt pilots including superb flying sequences

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 23 December 2014]

The film's opening title card read: "Nebraska, 1926" and shows the old black-and-white Universal Pictures logo presentation, which features an old early 20th Century plane flying around the orbit of the planet earth . The Second Greatest Flyer in the World . The war was over - and the world's greatest flyers had never met in combat . But Waldo was going to change all that - even if it killed him . The era the picture is set in is mostly the ¨Roaring Twenties¨ , specifically the period is between 1926 and 1931 , in which bitter pilots are reduced to defying death in air flying circus such as Waldo Pepper (Robert Redford) , Axel Olson (Bo Svenson) and Ezra Stiles (Edward Herrmann). As a disillusioned biplane pilot named Waldo who had missed flying in WWI takes up barnstorming and later he carries out a movie career in his quest for the glory he had missed . After that , the pilot-become-barnstormer gets hired as a stuntman for the Hollywood movies . Eventually getting a chance to prove himself in a film depicting the dogfights in the Great War . Waldo believes the honor of the best WWI fighter pilots and he deems to be the German Ernst Kessler (Bo Brundin) who is working in Hollywwod as an aerial stunt .

This attractive drama about flying results to be an elegiac homage to WWI fliers . It features impressive vintage aircraft flying sequences made by expert stunts and professional pilots . However , there are no studio takes in airplanes , all close-ups of actors being airborne were done for real, sometimes with George Roy Hill, a former Marine pilot himself, flying the airplane while directing ; as scenes with Robert Redford and Bo Svenson climbing out on the wing were done without any security harness or parachutes . The film reunited three successful Hollywood professionals of the sixties and seventies : actor Robert Redford , filmmaker George Roy Hill , and screen-writer William Goldman , the latter Oscar Winner for ¨The Sting ¨. All of them got a big hit with ¨Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid¨ . Breathtaking as well as overwhelming flying sequences , intelligent plot and brilliant scenes are major assets in this stunning flick . Robert Redford gives one of his best acting , along with Bo Svenson and Bo Brundin ; both actors are Swedish . The notorious secondary player Geoffrey Lewis also gives an admiring interpretation , as always . The movie represents an early screen role of actress Susan Sarandon , the film was one two 1975 movies that Sarandon appeared in that were released in that year , he other one was The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) which is considered to feature Sarandon's breakthrough film role . The yarn features actress Margot Kidder who became famous for starring in the "Superman" franchise with Christopher Reeve .

Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by the great cameraman Robert Surtees , a photographer expert on super-productions . Lively and enjoyable musical score by Henry Mancini , Pink Panther's composer . The movie is pretty well but had a commercial flop . The motion picture was compellingly directed by George Roy Hill . This is third and final of three films that as an actor, Robert Redford made with director George Roy Hill, he first two were The Sting (1973) and Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid (1969) . George Roy Hill had a long career from the fifties until the eighties with hit smashes such as ¨The world according to Garp¨ , ¨Slap shot¨, ¨Butch Cassidy¨, ¨The Sting¨ , ¨Hawaii¨ , ¨The world of Henry Orient¨ and commercial failures such as ¨The little drummer girl¨ , ¨A little romance¨ , ¨Slaughterhouse five¨, ¨Throughly Millie¨ , ¨Toys in the attic¨ , ¨Period of adjustment¨ and this ¨The great Waldo Pepper¨ ; however , the latter being today better considered than old times . Rating : 6,5/10 Above average . Worthwhile watching .

Good Aviation Adventure Flick

[jbartelone · 7/10 · 29 October 2007]

I saw The Great Waldo Pepper in its first theatrical release back in 1975. The story revolves around Waldo Pepper, a flight instructor from the post-Word War I era, who along with his buddies have a passion for stunt flying. Desperate for money, they preform numerous barnstorming stunts at various air-shows, such as Wing Walking, sometimes with tragic results. There are two noted aviation deaths in this movie, one in particular at a county fair, that is very painful to watch.

The cinematography is stunning. Robert Redford as Waldo Pepper, preformed all of his own stunts for the movie. Actual aviation and stunt pilots assisted in the production of the film with real aircraft used. There are no models or computer generated sequences of any kind in this movie. The result is a very realistic experience.

The problem with TGWP seems to be an apathetic approach that many of the characters have when a tragic circumstance occurs in the film. Although Waldo shows great emotion in the tragic air-show accident where his friend burns to death in a haunting scene that you will remember for the rest of your life, there are many quick shifts in the movie where the attitude becomes "business as usual" where "What are we going to do about our careers?" becomes more important than a person's life. There's a certain degree of arrogance about Waldo's character. But this is not in regards to how Redford plays him. Maybe the attitude of barnstorming pilots at the time was to become apathetic to tragic death, because they just accepted the risks associated with stunt flying and barnstorming as a way of life.

The film sputters a bit in the second half with the Hollywood stunt sequences after Waldo is grounded by the aviation authorities following a girl's tragic wing-walking death. The ending is memorable. But there seems to be something missing from The Great Waldo Pepper to make it "great." However, it is still strong enough to be "good." One precaution is that very small children may have some problems with the death scenes.

Waldo Pepper

[slkanger · 7/10 · 13 June 2006]

Being a Big Robert Redford fan for years, I have seen this movie numerous times and just got the DVD of it. It makes you stop and think of the chances these young took back in the dirty 1930's to fly these machines. My dad use to tell us about how these small towns (he was from Nebraska too, just like the movie)had these air shows. One time he saw a dare devil, like the one in the movie, crash and burn to death in from of hundreds of people. They just don't make movies like the one Redford did, any more! I have a fear of heights and every time I saw that girl on the wings standing there, my heart will drop and my palms get sweaty!

The air and the ground

[manuel-pestalozzi · 9/10 · 8 May 2006]

First I must say that this beautiful movie handles the wide screen format extremely well, to watch it on TV comes near to an act of profanation. The lines, the colors , the surfaces, the sun that always seems to be low above the horizon ... The Great Waldo Pepper really is a work of cinematic art.

Secondly I would really like to know how the idea for this script developed. It looks like the aviation business is a metaphor for the movie industry. I would not be surprised had director and co-scriptwriter George Roy Hill put many personal feelings and experiences into it. Aviation stands for freedom. But even in the title scene the constant fear of being forcefully grounded becomes evident – the main character, aviator Waldo Pepper, talks an overawed boy into getting a canister of gas for him with the promise of a free tour above the landing strip. Cute, at first sight, but also curiously grim. It immediately started me wondering how the boy could manage to carry the full canister over the required long distance.

The wish to be free and be able to fly off sets ever more demanding conditions. People get bored with acrobatics, they want to see blood. The artists comply, because they are ambitious but also because they know that it is the only way that allows them to continue. Time moves on and it becomes evident that commercial air service will put an end to the adventurous phase of aviation. Hollywood seems to be the only way out. Acrobats are needed as stunt-men there. The grindhouse routine of the dream factory is not to their liking, but what else can they do? On a set Waldo Pepper meets a famous German flyer he idolizes. Much to his surprise this Erich von Stroheim character is deeply in debt. „In the air, I see heroism, chivalry and a spirit of comraderie", rasps the German, „but on the ground ..." He just limply shrugs. The final quixotic showdown between Pepper and the German is a natural and very good ending of this surprisingly „deep" and rather pessimistic movie that offers far more than nostalgia.

Not one of Redford's best...unless you're into flying films

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 6/10 · 14 November 2015]

I've long been impressed with the variety of films in which Robert Redford starred during his prime years. He took chances tackling roles that few others would accept, and there was always a sense of quality in his films.

That being said, it almost seems as if this film didn't quite know what it wanted to be. A sort of light-hearted look at stunt pilots? Well, that's in there. A serious look at the psyche of aerial daredevils? Well, that's in there, too. The first half of the film and the last half of the film seem almost like different stories. The most interesting part of the film is the relationship that develops between Waldo Pepper (Redford) and a German flying ace from World War I; but again, what exactly is the point. Oh, and yes, some of the flying is quite stunning. I couldn't help but think how differently this film would be made today with all the computerized special effects. However, from my perspective, it's quite a depressing film...including the ending.

There's certainly nothing wrong with the acting here. Robert Redford is flyer Waldo Pepper, and is very believable in the role. Bo Svenson, no favorite of mine, is quite good here as another stunt flyer. Bo Brundin is interesting as the clearly moody German air ace. I never cared much for Susan Sarandon, but she does well here as the slightly ditzy girlfriend of one or both of the American stunt pilots. Geoffrey Lewis, a reliable character actor, does well here, as he pretty much always did. Edward Herrmann has a somewhat small role, and is almost unidentifiable; this seems before he was typecast in later roles.

I have quite a few favorite Robert Redford films, but this is not one I want to watch again. Once in 1975 and once in 2015 is plenty for me. Of course, if you are into aeronautics, you might warm up to this film more than I did.

One of the all-time greatest scenes in movies

[anonreviewer · 10/10 · 23 November 2002]

This is a great movie, from a very special era in movies, and contains an all-time great scene that speaks to the darker nature of humanity. SPOILER AHEAD!! I speak of the scene where Ezra Stiles, Waldo Pepper's best friend has crashed, and he is trapped in his plane, which has caught on fire. Waldo is trying to free him from the burning plane. A crowd of onlookers, who came to watch the aerial show, has gathered around the burning plane, staring while Waldo tries to free his best friend. THey do nothing but stare while Waldo screams at them, begging for their help.

The faces of the onlookers provides an insight into human nature: the blank, staring faces of the Midwestern peasantry, rapt at the sight of the trapped Stiles burning to death. Waldo frantically tries to enlist their help in dragging Stiles, to no avail.

Waldo finally has to brain his trapped friend so that he will not burn alive while still conscious.

Fun movie to watch!

[macpherr · 7/10 · 15 July 1999]

A very interesting story about a combination of a pilot/peddler! As usual Robert Redford was great as Waldo Pepper ! A couple of biplane pilots who fought during the WWI came back from the battle field and started working on taking people on rides and trying to see who was the greatest among them. The interesting thing was that in those days they did not have license. Shocker! When they all got into trouble for excessive stunts and the death of a young woman, they went to Hollywood, to be stunt men. My favorite scenes: Pilot destroying the platform; the plane going through the barn; Waldo Pepper walking on the wing of a flying plane, the pilot taking the plane down a city street.

I am afraid of heights and the palms of my hands were sweating throughout the entire movie.

Nice Airplanes but the Rest of the Film is Absolutely Stupid!

[jlthornb51 · 2/10 · 18 July 2017]

Despite the period detail and the wonderful detail regarding aircraft, this is one awful film. The acting is wooden, the plot ridiculous, and overall, the whole thing is a disaster. Enjoy the vintage airplanes, the stunts, and the period detail and try to ignore the rest. I saw this in the theater when it was first released and I remember at the time wondering, "What the hell was the point?" So ludicrous it was hard to stay in the theater at the time, the characters so shallow and silly that no one could accept them as anything but cardboard cutouts, the script one of this writer's worst, and this director's nadir, there is absolutely no reason to sit through this turkey. Except for the aircraft and the fact Frank Tallman did the flying. Try your best to pay no attention to the rest of the movie.

One of the Great movies of the seventies

[krazykat29 · 1 April 2007]

This movie is made by some of the same players that made Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Writer, Director and Actor). Unfortunately, it doesn't have nearly the acclaim. Perhaps because the ultimate tone of the movie is darker, the movie still captures that fun that permeates Butch Cassidy.

In terms of the aerial stunts and flying sequences, not only does the hold up to the modern movies like 'Flyboys', it is in fact, much better. Visually just as complete, you also know these are the real deal.

The script is brilliant. At the end of this film, one is forced to wonder why this level of movie so rarely is ever seen today.

You can read the other reviews for plot points, and details. Suffice to say that if you are a fan of movies with planes, actions, love, tragedy cool war history lover, or Hollywood of the early thirties, you'll eat this movie up.

Now lets get a DVD of this that is worthy!

Sweet, heroic pilot portrait, with a few mindboggling, terrifying stunts. Seventies family entertainment picture, which never rises above average though. Still a nice watch...

[imseeg · 6/10 · 8 October 2019]

This movie starts out rather laid back and sweet in nature, but it suddenly turns rather bleak and depressing halfway through for a short moment, which is somewhat odd and not fitting to the general laid back mood of the rest of this family picture.

The story: Robert Redford plays the part of an ex-World War 1 pilot, who has become a pilot stuntman after the war. Desperately looking for work, he decides to pull of the scariest plane stunts possible in order to attract crowds in the hope of becoming rich and famous. Will he be successful or will he die trying?

Some of these stunts are truly nerve wrecking to watch!Terrific! And these few exhilarating stunts were performed in a period in which there were no CGI special effects. So what you see is what you get:true to life stunt work. Quite impressive. The stunts though only take up a very tiny small part of the movie though and the dramatic arch of this movie feels somewhat disjointed and never rises above average. Lacking punch. Still a reasonably nice watch though...

fly high

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 27 November 2019]

Having directed Robert Redford in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting", George Roy Hill cast him yet again in "The Great Waldo Pepper". Redford puts his all into the role of a pilot seeking glory after World War I. But the scene that really sticks in my mind is Susan Sarandon's stunt on the wing; that must've been one harrowing experience!

It's not a masterpiece but one that you gotta see.

Fun to Watch

[Tweetienator · 7/10 · 16 October 2021]

The Great Waldo Pepper is for sure not one of Redford's best or most memorable movies - but it is a lot of fun, if you like the blend of comedy and adventure and if you like the nostalgic theme of old-school flying with all those old machines. The story: the time of the Great Depression, flying aces of the WWI travel thru the US and perform for a little money their tricks to entertain poor country folks, everyone tries to perform the best show and grab some money. Rivalry and chivalry among the aces lead sometimes to triumph and sometimes tragedy.

seems dated now

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 18 September 2023]

Is there anything redford can't do?? Here, he's pepper, who wants to do great big, impressive stunts with his airplane. He missed out on the real flying action during world war one, so he already has a chip on his shoulder. He meets up with axel, who is also an avid barn-stormer stunt, and they put a show together. Which gets more and more dangerous. This can't end well. I'm not sure just what accent mary beth is supposed to have; in victor victoria, sarandon's accent worked because it was a silly, cheap accent on a silly, cheap girl. It's entertaining enough. A bit dated now, since theres only so many stunts one can do with the older equipment planes. It's pretty good. Some pretty gruesome scenes when things don't go well. It all comes down to the battle scene as they recreate kessler's famous air duel. Written and directed by george hill.

Great direction

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 30 October 2022]

Robert Redford's entrance in The Great Waldo Pepper is so cute. He's flying a little yellow airplane, and after a couple of impressive tricks, he lands in the middle of a field in a small midwestern town. People's jaws are already dropped, but seeing his gorgeous smile gives them even more entertainment as he says, "Hello, good people!" It just doesn't get any better than that.

Which means the rest of the movie isn't just one giant entrance with a Robert Redford smile. If you like acrobatic flying, or movies like The Gypsy Moths, you'll be really entertained by the rest of the running time. As for me, I was just kept entertained by how cute Robert Redford always is when he makes a period piece and gets to wear 1920s-1930s costumes. If you care about the plot, it's about a WWI veteran who takes chances in his daredevil flying because he just missed out on flying action in the war. He has a friendly rivalry with a German pilot, Bo Svenson, and they meet up from time to time as they tour the country giving shows in small towns.

George Roy Hill won a Rag award for his incredible direction, which not only took audiences up into the air with him and his actors, but also used very little stunt men and safety harnesses. In fact, when you see Bob and Bo standing on the wings of their planes, it's really them! Not the smartest decision on anyone's part, but it's pretty amazing to watch.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. As this movie deals with airplane flights, some of the shots will swerve or tilt and make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

Classic "Biggles Opera" - Redford at his most handsome!

[info-3622 · 8/10 · 23 April 2006]

This is a well shot film (the light in the Prarie scenes are beautiful) about why people love flying and how it gets into their bones to the point where they will take great risks with their lives as well as other people's!

Redford looks heroic and every bit the Ladies Man especially in uniform.

The aerial sequences are terrific with some really risky stunts and shots. Made in 1975, there are no CGI effects - everything is real and raw.

I felt the film to be a little slow at times but it's a film for grown ups so we can take that speed, can't we?

Scott A. Frisina's review on the main page is as good a synopsis as anyone can give - that's how it is - read it then see this excellent film.

Two films in one, don't fit

[paulccarroll-65937 · 6/10 · 21 August 2023]

This film is entertaining but the first half seems somewhat at odds with the second half. The first is a thrilling adventure where stunt pilot Waldo and His girlfriends brother are trying to develop a new type of airplane after WWI. The second half is more of a character study of war pilots suffering from PTSD malaise, to the point of suicide. They don't really go together well. Two unexpected deaths in the middle of the film are a jarring slap in the face. Some reviewers have mentioned how the actors did plane stunt work themselves, but I think it was mostly very careful editing. Almost every time that the actors were shot at close range, so you could clearly see their face, it was shot from below them, where you couldn't tell how high they were off the ground, or if they were off the ground at all. When they were shown from farther away, where their faces weren't clearly visible, I think those were stunt performers, who were obviously high above the ground. Very well done with exciting dogfight scenes, but a disappointing story overall.

Best Aviator Flick Ever Made

[nuntukamen · 10/10 · 28 July 2007]

How can this film barely have more than a single page of comments? Redford in his youthful heyday, following the success of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Susan Sarandon as the female lead, and yet, apparently, so few have ever seen this that less than two pages covers comments. Major urging: see this film.

Extremely well written and directed, even better acting, all stunts by human beings and not computers, and beautifully photographed. The only weakness is that due to audience availability, this film is hard to find on DVD, even at Blockbuster. Similar to The Hill, absolutely the best acting performance by Sean Connery, but try and see it. Major hint to those who have missed Waldo Pepper: never, ever, under any circumstances whatsoever, attempt the double loop, especially in a plane. Today, July 28, 2007, we had two crashes at the Wisconsin and Ohio Air Shows. Death isn't just in the movies when doing stunts in a plane.

The Great Waldo Pepper

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 26 May 2023]

Directed, produced and co-written - with William Goldman - by George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Slaughterhouse-Five, Slap Shot, The World According to Garp, Funny Farm - what a career!), The Great Waldo Pepper stars Robert Redford as Waldo Pepper, a pilot who spent World War I teaching other pilots instead of being in combat. He feels a sense of loss as he settles back into American life, a malaise that he takes out on his rival Axel Olsson (Bo Svenson) before they become friends. A stunt goes wrong, sending Waldo back home to his girlfriend Maude (Margot Kidder), who hates when he returns, because it's always when he's hurt. Her brother Ezra (Edward Herrmann), however, is excited because he thinks that his monoplane plans can make Waldo famous.

Until then, Waldo and Axel start working in Doc Dillhoefer's (Phillip Bruns) air circus, which has an act where Mary Beth (Susan Sarandon) will wear a barely there dress, climb out on the wing and have the wind tear her clothes off. Well, that's the idea. She ends up falling to her death, grounding everyone and bringing an investigation from Newt Potts (Geoffrey Lewis).

Ezra joins the circus and brings his monoplane, hoping to be the first person to an outside loop - an aerobatic maneuver where a vertical circle is entered from a straight and erect level flight with the canopy pointing out of the loop - before he crashes on his third attempt. As he lies in the wreckage, a member of the audience flicks a cigarette into the gasoline-soaked crash scene, burning Ezra alive. As he screams in abject pain, with no one helping him, Waldo kills him to stop his agony. He jumps in a plane, despite being grounded, and buzzes the crowd before crashing himself.

Waldo and Axel go to Hollywood, where they get a job shooting recreations of the air battles of the War to End All Wars alongside German air ace Ernst Kessler (Bo Brundin). During shooting, the two men - both bitter at the world - find something of their past in the sky and begin a dogfight without weapons, instead crashing into one another. Waldo wins their fight and the two men salute one another as Waldo learns that his plane has no landing gear, which means one more crash.

This was made without models. Those are real planes.

Hill flew as a U. S. Marine Corps cargo pilot in World War II and was a lifelong pilot, so this was a passion project for him. He had Svenson and Redford do each sequence with no parachutes or safety harnesses so they would experience the real feeling of flight. It's amazing that this happened, that no one was hurt and that they agreed to it. In no way would that ever happen today. Well, unless we're discussing Tom Cruise.

Thoroughly enjoyable, Redford in his prime

[rocdoc2004 · 10/10 · 1 April 2010]

Watching all these wonderful actors in their prime, the great storyline and the great cinematography for the first time has had me enthralled. This is a really enjoyable film with considerable depth. In my mind it is an exploration of the competitive nature of the flyers themselves - whether friends or rivals, one soon becomes acutely aware of their constant need to push their limits, not only amongst themselves but also within themselves.

For some reason this film is only averaging a rating of 6.4, and it deserves much more than that, so my vote will hopefully help to reflect a more appropriate rating for what is a really enjoyable movie.

Even if you are not into aviator flicks, you will enjoy this movie - it is an excellent example of the filmmakers and scriptwriters art. I give it my heartiest recommendation.