Wings (1 Viewer)

[Harrytheheid]

Hi Guys,
While waiting for the superglue gel and 2-part epoxy to cure on the formers for the two new dios I'm working on today, I watched - now no laughing at the back - a SILENT MOVIE called Wings. Must have been made in the late 20's very early 30's cos the opening credits quote a speech Charles Lindbergh made on 12th June 1927.
if you can ignore, (and its pretty difficult, but possible), the risible acting, its actually an extremely good movie about two American Flyers in 1917 to 1918. Its got everything you could want, the female lead is Clara Bow, there's a dogfight with a Gotha Bomber, an escape and evade sequence with a shot down flyer stealing a Hun aircraft then strafing the airfield, marvellous storyboards (not sure what the correct name for them was) that pop up every now and again with some dialogue,
e.g. Grizzled American Infantry Sergeant, "Say, that's the Flying Fool they call the Shooting Star" D).
Love interest - Clara and the male lead end up in a hotel in Paris together - pretty risqué for the times I would have thought.
There's a medal ceremony with some French guy handing out the awards and slobbering over everyone. An RFC pilot receives a medal and you can see the disgust on his face as the old French dude plants a kiss on each cheek D).
There's a balloon bursting sequence, aerial bombing, ground attacks, etc.
If this movie was remade today with modern acting, script and special effects it would be a blockbuster - no shadow of a doubt.
Anyone else seen it?

Cheers
H

 

[Rob]

Can't say i've seen that H,sounds good though.However i remember a tv series in the 70's called 'Wings',which was about a British squadron in the first world war.I think it may have had Harry Andrews in it.

Rob

 

[Harrytheheid]

Can't say i've seen that H,sounds good though.However i remember a tv series in the 70's called 'Wings',which was about a British squadron in the first world war.I think it may have had Harry Andrews in it.

Rob

Yeah, I remember that one. I seem to remember it began very well but had deteriorated by the 2nd series.
The film I'm talking about has quite atrocious acting, but it was just the norm for the times I suppose. There's some brilliant flying sequences in it given that it was made almost 80 years ago. Maybe some of our American members who are also film buffs will know of this movie.

Cheers
H

 

[UKReb]

Hey H! You clocked a good-un there. I saw it years ago at the National Film Theatre when I was at uni trying to qualify as an engineer.

Wings won Best Picture Oscar in 1928 and those two pilots- actors Richard Arlen and Charles "Buddy" Rogers (who later married Mary Pickford) actually flew those string-bags and operated the cameras inside the cock-pits. No CGI rubbish in those days what you see on screen is for real.

If you look very closely you will spot a very young Gary Cooper as a cadet pilot in his very first Hollywood movie. If the story line had been stronger we would have had a Silent classic but that Clara Bow was some dish eh!

 

[sceic2]

Yes, I too have seen the old silent movie Wings and I remember it being a great movie with lots of spectacular flying stunts.

In the US during the 90's we too had a television program called Wings, it was a sit-com about two brothers operating a flying service on Nantucket Island. I liked it and watched the program often.

 

[Harrytheheid]

Hey H! You clocked a good-un there. I saw it years ago at the National Film Theatre when I was at uni trying to qualify as an engineer.

Wings won Best Picture Oscar in 1928 and those two pilots- actors Richard Arlen and Charles "Buddy" Rogers (who later married Mary Pickford) actually flew those string-bags and operated the cameras inside the cock-pits. No CGI rubbish in those days what you see on screen is for real.

If you look very closely you will spot a very young Gary Cooper as a cadet pilot in his very first Hollywood movie. If the story line had been stronger we would have had a Silent classic but that Clara Bow was some dish eh!

Its a brilliant film Reb. Can't say I've spotted Gary Cooper yet, but I'll look again.

cheers
H