Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- romantic
- nostalgic
- witty
- aviation movie night
- classic adventure night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film appealing and romantically vivid, especially praising its breathtaking aerial sequences while finding its human drama tonally uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The flying sequences use actual period aircraft and are the film's defining critical and visual attraction.
Waldo and his fellow pilots tour rural America with a flying circus, offering rides and increasingly daring maneuvers.
Waldo missed the chance to establish himself as a World War I flying ace and seeks recognition through barnstorming and cinema.
The emergence of organized air regulation threatens the freewheeling barnstorming life Waldo depends on.
Films like The Great Waldo Pepper, and why
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
period aviation adventure with daredevil stunt flying, romantic nostalgia, and charismatic performers
The Aviator
romanticized historical adventure centered on aviation spectacle, rivalry, and a changing technological era
The Sting
George Roy Hill period adventure combining showmanship, humor, friendship, and wistful nostalgia
The Blue Max
aviation drama built around aerial competition, personal glory, and spectacular practical flight sequences
Movie Details
- Director
- George Roy Hill
- Release Date
- 1975-03-13
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (103)
Cast
- Robert Redford
- Bo Svenson
- Bo Brundin
- Susan Sarandon
- Geoffrey Lewis
- Edward Herrmann
- Philip Bruns
- Roderick Cook
- Kelly Jean Peters
- Margot Kidder
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Great Waldo Pepper about?
- A restless former wartime pilot chases the legend he never earned through dangerous barnstorming and spectacular movie dogfights.
- What is The Great Waldo Pepper like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Great Waldo Pepper as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Great Waldo Pepper violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Great Waldo Pepper as mild.
- What did critics think of The Great Waldo Pepper?
- Critics broadly found the film appealing and romantically vivid, especially praising its breathtaking aerial sequences while finding its human drama tonally uneven.
- Which films are like The Great Waldo Pepper?
- Films with a similar feel include Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, The Aviator, The Sting, and The Blue Max.
- How long is The Great Waldo Pepper?
- The Great Waldo Pepper runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Great Waldo Pepper?
- In United States, The Great Waldo Pepper streams on YouTube TV.
