That final scene is just absolute perfection. The silver of the flying suit in front of the silver airframe of the NF-104 beneath a washed out blue California sky. But most of all the echo of Yeager and Ridley’s voices in the hangar followed by that beautiful haunting soundtrack. I think Yeager is alone and remembering his old friend in this scene.
Totally love this. What sucks is that Jack Ridley was already dead by the time that Yeager was flying the F-104 Starfighter. I am glad that the movie embraced his contributions to aviation history. RIP Colonel Jackie Lynwood "Jack" Ridley.
The echo of their voices in the hanger in the later version of Yeager asking Ridley if he had any Beamans was haunting and conveyed the many years that had passed since the breaking of the sound barrier.
I saw "The Right Stuff" at a movie theatre in Sioux Falls,SD. It was quite memorable to see Chuck Yeager survive a plane crash and he in his blackened flight suit walk away.Sam Shepard was a great playwright and good actor.
Also Levon Helm (Jack Ridley)! My dad was a crew chief on RF-100s, RF-101s, and RF-4’s at Shaw AFB and Eglin AFB. He loved those planes and proved it during Tet Offensive at Tan Son Nhut AFB. He loved The Band as well. My dad passed before both of our heroes Chuck Yeager but I remember Dad calling me the moment he found out about Levon Helm’s passing. My dad had great taste in aviation and music!
When men were MEN. Courage, duty, honor. Its all there in this under-rated, truly great film. Gen. Yeager was a Giant, a paragon of the virtues we hold dear, and all wish to be. RIP sir.
Damn! I am an old codger and just figured out Col Ridley is Ľevon Helm! What a graceful man with a beautiful Southern accent! Both he and Shepard were great in this movie!
@@mytube001 I read about it somewhere where they were using this scene as an example of cinematography at its finest. They are talking to each other and yet you can feel some sublime disconnection between them, an invisible barrier, which is probably created by the hanger, the echoes and the wind. And then when they move towards the plane, even though Ridley rushed to catch up, he never got next to him but stayed behind, following him like a spirit
Levon told me the story of him and Sam Shepard sneaking off behind a trailer on the set of The Right Stuff to Smoke a Joint and General Chuck Yeagar came up behind them busted them and scared the beejezus outta both of them as only he could.! Now they're both gone.! It's a sad day in America.. RIP Sam Shepard God's Speed..
I remember in the mid-late 80s, somebody started re-releasing Beeman's Clove and Blackjack gum. My brother and I were kids far too young to remember these gums but when we saw Beemen's we were so excited! All because of this movie!
Absolutely love this movie - So epic - its grandeur is timeless. Their pre-flight ritual is something that I model in a TV Series and feature film that I'm developing under the same name called THE RECOVERY AGENT - a fictional narrative that deals with repo-pilots.
and it's because of this movie I like that gum lol and oldtimecandy seems to have this and Blackjack (same company I think) back around. I never tossed the old ones I have. Might have to order some Fair enough :)
