"The Fighting Lady" is a documentary about an Essex class aircraft carrier during its tour in 1943-1944. The film is narrated by Robert Taylor--who was a lieutenant in the Naval Air Corps. Interestingly, there was a French version and it was narrated by Charles Boyer. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary. The ship was apparently the USS Yorktown--but not the original one (it was lost as a result of damage sustained at the Battle of Midway in 1942).As you watch the film, you will no doubt notice that the print is in terrible condition, as the print is a bit blurry and the color is very faded. Perhaps it's made worse because originally it was shot on 16mm film stock.The film is particularly interesting for historians, navy and aircraft buffs and perhaps for folks who lived through the war. Otherwise, I doubt if the average person would enjoy the film very much or rent it or buy it in the first place. It isn't that it's poorly made--it's that it's just very dated and the narration a bit dry. But, if you can look past this, it is a very good film from start to finish.By the way, there were only two films nominated in this category for 1945--this one and "Resisting Enemy Interrogation"! Both are quite interesting and well made--and interesting peeks into the Americans in WWII.

This was directed by William Wyler and narrated by Robert Taylor (LT, USNR). It's an effective color film of some of the battles in which the carrier Enterprise was involved up to and including much of 1944.For those familiar with the historical setting, some of it may be rudimentary. Reserve officers are known as "ninety-day wonder" and gossip is called "scuttlebutt." And some of the gun camera footage will be familiar, but much of it is new, at least to me. The newer footage isn't as good as the rest, which, I suppose, is why it's less often borrowed for use in other documentaries and in feature films like "Flying Leathernecks." Some footage of crashes on the flight deck have been borrowed and used repeatedly in other films. It's an hour long and it covers three main battles of increasing intensity: a raid on Makin Island, the pre-invasion preparation of Kwajalein, and the battle of the Phillipine Sea. The last is generally referred to as "the Marianas turkey shoot," in that we lost some twenty-two airplanes compared to the Japanese three hundred and some. No mention of the airplanes lost while returning in darkness, or of Mitscher exposing his fleet by having the ships turn on their searchlights to guide the lost aircraft home. And the Japanese flyers are described as believing that aerobatics can save them whereas our aviators believe in smooth flying and straight shooting. The fact is that by this time most of the seasoned Japanese pilots had been lost and their airplanes were now flown by novices with far less flight time and training than our own. Not to mention that the Zero had about half the horsepower of the American fighters and were forced to rely mainly on the maneuverability of their aircraft.The narration is reasonably accurate. When Lt. Taylor tells us that a destroyer is being strafed, we don't see some lowly trawler getting the business. He explains what a gun camera is and introduces us to the various duties of the crew as well as the aviators.Between and before engagements there are the usual formulaic scenes of men receiving mail, baking bread, playing acey ducey, being bored, attending religious services, chowing down, and so forth.World War II was not a war of choice. We were at peace when we were attacked at Pearl Harbor. Three days later, Hitler declared war on the United States. And this is a flag waver designed to boost morale at home and in the Armed Forces. And yet, at a remove of some seventy years, there's still something disturbing about the way Robert Taylor's voice conveys his contempt for the enemy. It's not just that he, or rather the writer, calls them "monkeys" but it's in the other, more subtle ways, in which the "Japs" are dehumanized. "That's one Jap ship that won't be taking more rice and saki to the soldiers". And "when our planes left, Kwajalein was burning verrry satisfactorily." And, "There's something grand about boring down on the base the Japanese have so jealously guarded." "That Mavis is a tough old bird," as ten men die a flaming death.No blame attaches to Taylor, the writer or director, and certainly not to the men, some of whom we get to know before they are lost in action. The movie did its job in its time and is still a fascinating picture of a ship at war. The sad thing is not the movie or the ship but war itself, so heroic and so foolish.

The Fighting Lady is an American made `docudrama' typical of much Hollywood's war years production. It is narrated by Hollywood star Robert Taylor who had enlisted in the US Navy during WWII. There is no central character, rather it is primarily the story of life aboard a typical American aircraft carrier during the middle war years in the pacific. It includes some spectacular color gun camera footage of strafing and bombing missions at the battles of Marcus, Truk, and Kwajalern and the Marians. It acknowledges US losses, but does not tell of their extent: our carrier aircraft losses at Truk, for example, were particularly severe. The movie seems to be preparing the US public for a possibly long and costly conclusion to the pacific war. It describes the campaign necessary to conclude the pacific war in some detail. It is a campaign that thankfully was cut short. It should be seen as essentially a propaganda film, and is worthwhile viewing especially from that perspective.

First saw this when I was 9 years old. All I remember is the color film in the gun cameras and all the action. Sad to see that the movie isn't even listed in most data bases (thanks IMDb)!Does anyone know how to locate a copy of this film?