VON RICHTHOFEN AND BROWN (aka: THE RED BARON)

(director/writer: Roger Corman; screenwriters: John William Corrington/Joyce Corrington; cinematographer: Michael Reed; editor: Alan Collins; music: Hugo Friedhofer; cast: John Phillip Law (Baron Manfred von Richthofen/The Red Baron), Don Stroud (Roy Brown), Barry Primus (Hermann Goering), Karen Huston (Ilse), Peter Masterson (Major Oswald Boelke), Corin Redgrave (Lanoe Hawker), Tom Adams(Owen), Hurd Hatfield (Fokker); Runtime: 97; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Gene Corman; United Artists; 1971)

“Toothless dogfight flying film set during World War I.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Indie filmmaker Roger Corman(“The Undead”/”Machine Gun Kelly”/”The Wild Angels”) directs this toothless dogfight flying film set during World War I. It’s poorly written by John William and Joyce Corrington. It succeeds only with great aerial photography of dogfights between the Brits and Germans. The legendary aristocratic Red Baron (John Phillip Law) plays the gentleman German ace flier, while the country boy pacifist Canadian ace, Tom Brown (Don Stroud), is viewed as the one who shot down the Baron Manfred von Richthofen.

Aside from the excellent aerial shots, everything else seems artificial, superficial, flat and strident. Neither of the main characters comes to life with any depth, vigor or honesty. This is just a crappy film.

REVIEWED ON 11/12/2014 GRADE: C