The Wings of Eagles (1957)

SYNOPSIS

John Ford turns the remarkable life of naval aviator and screenwriter Frank “Spig” Wead into one of his most personal meditations on heroism, masculinity, and the painful limits of the life of action. John Wayne stars as Wead, a pioneering military pilot whose reckless exuberance and devotion to aviation repeatedly pull him away from his wife Min (Maureen O’Hara) and family. When a devastating accident leaves him paralyzed, the identity he has built around physical courage and movement suddenly becomes impossible to sustain, forcing him toward an arduous rehabilitation and an unexpected second career as a Hollywood screenwriter. Ford charts this transformation through a striking modulation of tone and rhythm, gradually exchanging the boisterous camaraderie and slapstick energy of Wead’s early adventures for something quieter, sadder, and more reflective. The autobiographical resonances become unmistakable when Ward Bond appears as hard-drinking filmmaker “John Dodge,” Ford’s affectionate caricature of himself. Alternately rowdy and melancholy, The Wings of Eagles finds beneath its military pageantry a deeply ambivalent portrait of the sacrifices demanded by vocation—and of a man learning that courage can take forms other than action.

Organist Glenn Hough will perform on the Wurlitzer for an hour preceding the screening.

ABOUT THE ORGANIST

Starting to play at the age of four, Glenn has always had a passion for the piano. He has turned his passion into a fulfilling career. He started out by making his name known in the Quarryville, PA area, where he and his wife raised four children. He has played events ranging from weddings to holiday parties. Entertaining age groups from kindergarten to senior citizens, his specialty is classic standards, music from the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s.

Along with keyboards and piano, he greatly enjoys playing Theatre Pipe Organs. For a span of eleven years he played for silent movies at the Marietta Theater. He has current memberships with the Susquehanna Valley Theatre Organ Society, Dickinson Theatre Organ Society, and Theatre Organ Society of the Delaware Valley. Along with solo work, he has performed with a couple of country bands including: Fiddlesticks and Big River.

With over forty years experience in the field of music, Glenn has given his all to playing joyful music that brings smiles to his faithful listeners.