Approved | 1h 50min | Biography, Drama, War | 1957 One of John Ford’s more sentimental films, “The Wings of Eagles” is a biopic about Ford’s friend and frequent filmmaking collaborator, Frank “Spig” Wead. Ford was inspired to make this 1957 film 10 years after Wead passed away, as a dedication to his friend. The film is based on a 1944 short story by Wead, published in an issue of The American Magazine. The story was adapted for the big screen by screenwriters Frank Fenton and William Wister Haines. The first act of the movie takes place right after World War I and details Wead’s younger years as a reckless U.S. Navy junior officer. His life mainly consists of rowdy times with his drinking buddy “Jughead” Carson (Dan Dailey). During an impromptu bout of naughtiness that culminates with Wead flying a plane (which he isn’t qualified to operate) into the …