The Hunters (1958): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1958, The Hunters is an action, drama and war film directed by Dick Powell, running about 108 minutes. “Mightiest thrill-shocked adventure spectacle of the super-sonic age !” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. With its electrifying flight sequences and high-powered cast, The Hunters is a mesmerizing film based on the best-selling novel by veteran fighter pilot James Salter. Set during the height of the Korean War, the story centers on Major Cleve Saville (Robert Mitchum), a master of the newly operational F-86 Sabre fighter jets. But adept as he is at flying, Saville¹s personal life takes a nosedive when he falls in love with his wingman¹s (Lee Philips) beautiful wife (May Britt). To make matters worse, Saville must cope with a loud-mouthed rookie (Robert Wagner) in a daring rescue mission that threatens all their lives in this well-crafted war drama.

Who’s in it. The Hunters stars Robert Mitchum as Major Cleve Saville, Robert Wagner as Lt. Ed Pell, Richard Egan as Colonel Dutch Imil, CO 54th Fighter Group and May Britt as Kristina 'Kris' Abbott, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.6/10, The Hunters has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Hunters page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Hunters tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.