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Howard Hughes' Thrilling Multi-Million Dollar Air Spectacle
When the Great War breaks out, brothers Roy and Monte Rutledge, each attending Oxford University, enlist with the Royal Flying Corps.
CinemaSerf
Feb 12, 2024 · via TMDB
"Roy" (James Hall) and his brother "Monte" (Ben Lyon) are pretty much joined at the hip with the former frequently having to bail his rather wayward brother out of the stew now and again. He even has to fight a duel for him! Anyway, they both join the Royal Flying Corps just ahead of the Great War and both volunteer for an highly dangerous mission over occupied territory. Meantime, "Roy" is dating the rather fickle but candid "Helen" (Jean Harlow) who is also not averse to a bit of a dalliance with "Monte". The rather rakish brother gradually realises that his brother deserves better, and so - quite possibly when she seeks comfort elsewhere, might he! Their mission looms and pretty soon the boys are being pursued by the ruthless squadron known as "Von Richthofen's Flying Circus" in a race to get back home. As the scale of this conflict grows, it becomes more personal. They find themselves on the opposing side to their student friend "Karl" (John Darrow) who has his own covert task in a zeppelin. Though the acting here isn't the best, what does hit home is the way these characters become faced with a sudden need to grow up, to mature, and to be prepared to make sacrifices. That story itself is not so very original. What does make this really stand out is the standard of aerial photography and the whole aesthetic of this film. The dogfights are astonishing to watch unfold. The camerawork really does immerse the audience in the skills of these young and largely inexperienced pilots flying - quite literally - heavily armoured but flimsy wooden crates with engines. If they were damaged then they had virtually no hope of survival. The film does imbue a sense of the precariousness of the existence of the young men and when it steers clear of the melodrama is, at times, really quite exciting to watch.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Apple TV Store
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Fandango At Home
Ben Lyon
Monte Rutledge
James Hall
Roy Rutledge
Jean Harlow
Helen
John Darrow
Karl Armstedt
Lucien Prival
Baron Von Kranz
Frank Clarke
Lt. von Bruen
Douglas Gilmore
Capt. Redfield
Jane Winton
Baroness Von Kranz
Evelyn Hall
Lady Randolph
William B. Davidson
Staff Major
Wyndham Standing
RFC Squadron Commander
Lena Malena
Gretchen the Waitress
Marian Marsh
Girl Selling Kisses
Carl von Haartman
Zeppelin Commander
Ferdinand Schumann-Heink
First Officer of Zeppelin
Thomas Carr
Pilot
Nora Cecil
Helen's Maid (uncredited)
Lawford Davidson
British Officer Shot by Firing Squad (uncredited)
Lucy Doraine
Bit Role (uncredited)
Douglas Gordon
Bit Role (uncredited)
Pat Harmon
Recruiting Sergeant (uncredited)
Werner Klingler
Bit Role (uncredited)
Burton Lane
Bit Role (uncredited)
Maurice Murphy
Pilot (uncredited)
Harry Semels
Anarchist (uncredited)
Pat Somerset
Marryat (uncredited)
Joan Standing
Roy's Dancing Partner (uncredited)
Harry Strang
Bit Role (uncredited)
Gertrude Sutton
Canteen Worker (uncredited)
Roscoe Turner
Pilot (uncredited)
Wilhelm von Brincken
Von Richter (uncredited)
Al Wilson
Pilot (uncredited)
Alvin Wyckoff
Aerial Camera
Tony Gaudio
Director of Photography
Ernest Laszlo
Second Unit Director of Photography
Al Wilson
Pilot
Frank Clarke
Pilot
Maurice Murphy
Pilot
Roscoe Turner
Pilot
Howard Hughes
Presenter
Edmund Goulding
Co-Director
James Whale
Co-Director
Howard Hughes
Director
Howard Hughes
Producer
Hugo Riesenfeld
Music Arranger
Hugo Riesenfeld
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May 27, 1930
Los Angeles, California
Nov 15, 1930
Nov 18, 2025
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The Stranglers - Live '78, SF
1978
Saddle Leather Law
1944
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
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Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
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