Customer Reviews:
 Early USAF Vietnam Propaganda Starring The Incomparable F-105 January 1, 2008
Robert I. Hedges
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This DVD contains the 27 minute USAF and Republic co-production (SFP 1758) titled "The Twenty Five Hour Day." The films dates to the mid-1960's, and its age shows. Still, for the faults of the film, it contains priceless and excellent footage of F-105 operations in Vietnam.
The F-105 was truly the workhorse of Vietnam, and F-105 combat losses were extremely high. This film touches on that, but is more from the melodramatic World War Two school of propagandistic pictures in many ways. The manufacturer, Republic, teamed up with the USAF to tell the story, and a worthwhile story it is. The narration at some points sounds quite preachy today, but was the party line at the time. I could have done entirely without the F-105 song ("It's my belief that my Thunderchief strikes a telling blow for G I Joe...till 100 missions I, myself have flown..."), which is the single element most likely to make viewers accuse the film of being propaganda.
The Random House dictionary defines propaganda as "information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc." In that strict sense this is a propaganda film. Having said that, I still think it's a very worthwhile film for two reasons: first, the underlying messages conveyed were true at the time (although presented in a somewhat stilted manner); and secondly, because film of actual tactical operations in Vietnam are scarce and precious: this footage of F-105 operations is some of the best of the entire war.
This is not a slick Hollywood production, but if you are interested in the Vietnam war, or the premier tactical aircraft of the era, the Republic F-105, this DVD is a must have.
"Beauty, The Beast, & Revisionist History, All-In-One!" March 23, 2007
Daniel Judkins (Whitefish Bay, WI)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
For lovers of the "Century Series" of 1960's jets, this is a great, nostalgic look at the F-105 "Thunderchief," with cameos by the F-4 "Phantom," it's stablemate. HOWEVER, the F-105 was the last product of THE REPUBLIC AVIATION CORPORATION, of Farmingdale, Long Island, N.Y., before it became part of the Fairchild-Hiller organization. End-credits of the film state that it was released by Fairchild-Hiller, which is somewhat misleading. This does NOT change the fact that the F-105 was designed and produced by REPUBLIC, before Fairchild-Hiller entered the picture. To label the F-105 a product of Fairchild Aviation, as the packaging does, is a lie of "Revisionist History." Whoever designed the box-art clearly knew NOTHING about the subject matter, an embarrassment to a business calling itself 'Quality Information Publishers.' Daniel Judkins
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