Jet Pilot (1957)

When a Russian aviatrix (Janet Leigh) lands her jet on an American Air Force base seeking political asylum, the authorities are dubious about her sincerity. They assign an Air Force Colonel (John Wayne) to keep an eye on her until they can investigate her. But when he falls in love with her, will his love be stronger than his loyalty to his country when he discovers she's a Soviet spy? Filming began under Josef von Sternberg's direction in 1949 and the film was more or less completed in 1950. But producer Howard Hughes kept tinkering with the film and it didn't see a release until 1957, seven years after completion of initial photography. As long as the film stays in the air, it's captivating. It has some of the best aerial cinematography that ranks with such aviation films as WINGS, STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND and BLUE MAX. In fact, some of the film's footage was reused for THE RIGHT STUFF. But the storyline is rather silly, infused with humor that seems to have been borrowed from a lesser Bob Hope comedy and the anti-Soviet propaganda is horribly dated. With Jay C. Flippen, Paul Fix, Ivan Triesault, Hans Conreid and Joyce Compton.