Wings (1927)

Director:

William A. Wellman
(more)

Writers:

John Monk Saunders (story)
Hope Loring (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

5 January 1929 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War | Action

Tagline:

An Epic of the Air

Plot:

Two young men, one rich, one middle class, who are in love with the same woman, become fighter pilots in World War I.

Plot Keywords:

France | Pilot | WWI | Friendship | Boxing

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins

Cast

Clara Bow	...	Mary Preston
Charles 'Buddy' Rogers	...	Jack Powell (as Charles Rogers)
Richard Arlen	...	David Armstrong
Jobyna Ralston	...	Sylvia Lewis
El Brendel	...	Herman Schwimpf
Richard Tucker	...	Air Commander
Gary Cooper	...	Cadet White
Gunboat Smith	...	The Sergeant
Henry B. Walthall	...	David's Father
Roscoe Karns	...	Lieutenant Cameron
Julia Swayne Gordon	...	David's Mother
Arlette Marchal	...	Celeste
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Barton	...	Soldier Flirting with Mary (uncredited)
Thomas Carrigan	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Thomas Carr	...	Aviator (uncredited)
Margery Chapin	...	Peasant Woman (uncredited)
Andy Clark	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Nigel De Brulier	...	Peasant (uncredited)
Hal George	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Dick Grace	...	Aviator (uncredited)
William Hickey	...	Charlton Blanchard (uncredited)
Hedda Hopper	...	Mrs. Powell (uncredited)
George Irving	...	Mr. Powell (uncredited)
Robert Livingston	...	Recruit in Examination Office (uncredited)
James Pierce	...	Army MP (uncredited)
Rod Rogers	...	Aviator (uncredited)
Frank Tomick	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Carl von Haartman	...	German Officer (uncredited)
Gloria Wellman	...	Peasant Child (uncredited)
William A. Wellman	...	Doughboy (uncredited)
Zalla Zarana	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Directed by
William A. Wellman
Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast		(uncredited)

Writing credits
John Monk Saunders		(story)
Hope Loring		(screenplay) and
Louis D. Lighton		(screenplay)
Julian Johnson		(titles)
Byron Morgan		story ideas (uncredited)

Produced by
Lucien Hubbard	....	producer
B.P. Schulberg	....	associate producer

Original Music by
J.S. Zamecnik		(musical score) (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Harry Perry		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
E. Lloyd Sheldon		(editor-in-chief)
Lucien Hubbard		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Hans Dreier		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Travis Banton		(uncredited)
Edith Head		(uncredited)

Production Management
Frank M. Blount	....	production manager (uncredited)
Lucien Hubbard	....	production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Barton	....	assistant director (uncredited)
James Ewens	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Richard Johnston	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Norman Z. McLeod	....	assistant director (uncredited)
E.K. Merritt	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Charles Barton	....	property master (uncredited)
Paul B. Malone	....	construction: Camp Stanley (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Roy Pomeroy	....	engineering effects (uncredited)
Barney Wolff	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Frank Andrews	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Pierce L. Butler	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Frank Clarke	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Hal George	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Dick Grace	....	aerial stunts (uncredited)
Clarence Irvine	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Denis Kavanagh	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Earle E. Partridge	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
E.H. Robinson	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Rod Rogers	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Sterling R. Stribling	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Bill Taylor	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Frank Tomick	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Hoyt Vandenberg	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
L.B. Abbott	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
E.F. Adams	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Bert Baldridge	....	camera operator: Akeley camera (uncredited)
Guy Bennett	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Cliff Blackstone	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
William H. Clothier	....	camera operator: Akeley camera (uncredited)
Frank Cotner	....	camera operator: Akeley camera (uncredited)
Faxon M. Dean	....	camera operator: Akeley camera (uncredited)
Otto Dyar	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Russell Harland	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Art Lane	....	camera operator: Akeley camera (uncredited)
Ernest Laszlo	....	camera operator: Akeley camera (uncredited)
Harry Mason	....	camera operator: Akeley camera (uncredited)
Herbert Morris	....	camera operator: Akeley camera (uncredited)
Albert Myers	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Gene O'Donnell	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Ray Olsen	....	camera operator: Akeley camera (uncredited)
Paul Perry	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
William Rand	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Eugene Richee	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Charles W. Riley	....	camera operator: Akeley camera (uncredited)
Harry Schapp	....	camera operator: Akeley camera (uncredited)
Herman Schopp	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
E. Burton Steene	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
George Stevens	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Sergeant Ward	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
L. Guy Wilky	....	camera operator: Akeley camera (uncredited)
Al Williams	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Al Williams	....	aerial camera operator (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Carl Pierson	....	cutter (uncredited)
Mildred Richter	....	cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Gaylord Carter	....	performer: 1987 music score (1987 restoration)

Other crew
Jesse L. Lasky	....	presenter
Adolph Zukor	....	presenter
F.M. Andrews	....	commander: military pilots (uncredited)
Hap Arnold	....	technical consultant (uncredited)
S.C. Campbell	....	supervisor: flying sequences (uncredited)
Sterling Campbell	....	technical director: flight sequences (uncredited)
Walter Ellis	....	communications supervisor (uncredited)
James A. Healy	....	supervisor: flying sequences (uncredited)
A.M. Jones	....	supervisor: ground troop maneuvers (uncredited)
E.P. Ketchum	....	supervisor: trench system reproduction (uncredited)
Arthur Kocks	....	business manager (uncredited)
Norman Kohn	....	business manager (uncredited)
F.P. Lahm	....	commander: military pilots (uncredited)
Rodger Manning	....	business manager (uncredited)
Robert Mortimer	....	ordnance supervisor (uncredited)
Edward Norris	....	double: Buddy Rogers, Parisian hotel scene (uncredited)
Ted Parson	....	supervisor: flying sequences (uncredited)
Harry Reynolds	....	airplane preparation (uncredited)
Captain Bill Taylor	....	airplane preparation (uncredited)
Carl von Haartman	....	supervisor: flying sequences (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1927) (USA) (theatrical)
• CIC-Taft Home Video
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Film Technology Company  music produced by (1987 restoration)

Runtime:

139 min | USA:141 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System) (musical score and sound effects) | Silent

Certification:

UK:A | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Bexar County, Texas, USA

Company:

Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation

Trivia:

One of only three films to win the Oscar for best picture without also being nominated for best director. The other two are Grand Hotel (1932) and Driving Miss Daisy (1989).

Quotes:

Mary Preston: D'you know what you can do when you see a shooting star?
John "Jack" Powell: No, what?
Mary Preston: You can kiss the girl you love.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1988)

Soundtrack:

Wings

Good Entertainment, Despite Some Flaws

This entertaining and occasionally impressive movie is still well worth seeing in spite of its flaws. The combat scenes alone make the rest of it worth watching, and Clara Bow gives a very good performance. She has plenty of energy as always, and here she makes her character especially sympathetic. But it has its weaknesses, too. The story is contrived and full of obvious holes, and except for Bow most of the acting is rather routine (Buddy Rogers is as likable as ever, but no more).

The highlights of "Wings" come in the battle scenes, and they are awfully impressive. Done without computers or other such advantages, they are exciting and are usually completely realistic. The aerial dogfight scenes are especially dazzling. This part of the movie is not shallow stuff, either, since it has a good balance between the thrilling and the horrifying. If the main story-line had been better, this could have worked very well as a classic film about the realities of war and its effects on the young persons who must carry the heaviest load in a war.

But unfortunately, it has the story that it has, which could easily have been better. It is far too heavy-handed, and is also riddled with unlikely coincidences, implausible developments, strange decisions by the characters, and many other such holes. If you can somehow look past all these problems, then it produces some moving and emotional moments, but such moments are too often undone by the contrived ways that they are set up. It's just the kind of mess that has often impressed the individuals who vote for well-known awards, but a movie with such strengths deserved to have a much better plot.

Nevertheless, it is still well worth watching for its strengths, and not just because it is the answer to some trivia questions. Just in case there are any modern movie fans who have accidentally wandered into the silents section of the database, please don't think that this is the best of what silent cinema has to offer, just because it won an arbitrary award. There are many silent film masterpieces that are vastly better than this. But it's good entertainment, and has some portions that were made with great skill.