Greetings again from the darkness. This film holds the prestigious position of forever being the answer to a favorite Academy Awards trivia question: Name the first Best Picture winner. Of course, there should be an asterisk attached as the film officially won Most Outstanding Production. There was no Best Picture award that first year. It was also the first and last Silent Film to win the award until The Artist won this year (2012).
Rarely have a film and director been so perfectly matched. William Wellman was known as “Wild Bill” thanks to his actual WWI flying experience and his penchant for fighting and partying in Hollywood. Wellman handled some of the stunt flights in the film and is also seen as the dying soldier near the end who shouts the “buzzards” line. Much of the film was shot at Kelly Field in San Antonio, and its popularity was certainly assisted by the patriotism of the time and the recent aviation excitement created by Charles Lindbergh‘s transatlantic flight.
The story is based on the WWI Army Air Corps and features some stunning aerial photography and combat flying missions, with an incredible-for-the-times 3500 soldiers, 65 pilots and 165 aircraft. The lead actors are Richard Arlen (David) and Charles “Buddy” Rogers (Jack). They are local rivals battling over the heart of the same woman played by Jobyna Ralston (Sylvia). It’s a pretty interesting love story as Jack thinks Sylvia loves him, Sylvia loves David and David knows it, and Mary loves Jack, and Jack has absolutely no clue.
Mary is played by the always outstanding Clara Bow (pictured left with Rogers). She truly lights up the film and screen in her scenes. Not only does she have the expressive eyes necessary for silent films, her physical presence is wonderful for such a tiny lady. Other interesting cast members include El Brendel as Herman Schwimpft. His German sounding name and somewhat effeminate manner are constant sources of comic relief. Hedda Hopper plays Jack’s mother. You might recognize her name as the founder of Hollywood gossip columns … she started out doing some acting.
Beyond the “Wild Bill” fun, there was also some romantic shenanigans on set. Richard Arlen and Jobyna Ralston ended up getting married after meeting during filming. Also, Clara Bow started an affair with a new actor named Gary Cooper. Yes, THAT Gary Cooper (pictured below, standing). It is startling to see such a young Cooper when he makes his first appearance. It’s a small, but vital role in the film. There has been an ongoing debate in the film world about the homosexual undertones between Jack and David. In the famous death scene, we get the first on screen man-on-man kiss on lips. Quite shocking for the times. From a technical aspect, the Handschiegl Color Process was used for the flames and explosions – dramatic splashes of color in the aerial combat scenes. This was also Costume Designer Edith Head‘s first film. She went on to become the most famous Hollywood costume designer and worked on hundreds of films.
The theatrical re-release of the film coincides with its 85th anniversary and celebrates 100 years of Paramount Pictures. The opening credits provide a time lapse view of the numerous Paramount logos through the years. There are many reasons to see this film: its ground-breaking action scenes, the history it addresses, its place in Hollywood lore, and of course, if you want to see the inspiration for Betty Boop (Clara Bow). What I won’t do is mention that the love story was copied by Michael Bay in the less-than-stellar Pearl Harbor film. Forget I even mentioned it.
*note: a bit more trivia … the film was released the same year Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs. That’s the record Roger Maris would break 34 years later. Also, this film is one of only three to ever win Best Picture without also receiving a Best Director nomination. The other two films are Grand Hotel (Edmund Goulding, 1932) and Driving Miss Daisy (Bruce Beresford, 1989)
watch a one minute trailer:
Movie Reviews from the Dark 