Hell's Angels (1930)

Director:

Howard Hughes
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Writers:

Marshall Neilan (story) and
Joseph Moncure March (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 November 1930 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

Howard Hughes' Thrilling Multi-Million Dollar Air Spectacle

Plot:

Two brothers attending Oxford enlist with the RAF when World War I breaks out. Roy and Monte Rutledge have very different personalities...

Plot Keywords:

Oxford | German | Munitions | Royal Flying Corps | Bomb

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Ben Lyon	...	Monte Rutledge
James Hall	...	Roy Rutledge
Jean Harlow	...	Helen (as Jean Harlowe)
John Darrow	...	Karl Armstedt
Lucien Prival	...	Baron Von Kranz
Frank Clarke	...	Lt. von Bruen
Roy Wilson	...	Baldy Maloney
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 - waitress
Marian Marsh	...	Girl selling kisses (as Marilyn Morgan)
Carl von Haartman	...	Zeppelin commander
Ferdinand Schumann-Heink	...	First Officer of zeppelin (as F. Schumann-Heink)
Stephen Carr	...	Elliott
Thomas Carr	...	Pilot
J. Granville-Davis	...	Pilot
Hans Joby	...	Von Schlieben
Pat Somerset	...	Marryat
Wilhelm von Brincken	...	Von Richter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Berliner	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Bob Blair	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Eddie Brownell	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Hank Coffin	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Ross Cooke	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Lawford Davidson	...	British Officer Shot by Firing Squad (uncredited)
Jack Deery	...	Splashed Officer (uncredited)
Lucy Doraine	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Curt Furburg	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Frank Goddard	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Lisa Gora	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Douglas Gordon	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Owen Gorin	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Pat Harmon	...	Recruiting Sergeant (uncredited)
Al Johnson	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Werner Klingler	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Burton Lane	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Garland Lincoln	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Rene Marvelle	...	French Girl (uncredited)
Maurice Murphy	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Stewart Murphy	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Leo Nomis	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Ira Reed	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Georgette Rhodes	...	French Girl (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Anarchist (uncredited)
Ernie Smith	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Joan Standing	...	Roy's Dancing Partner (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
C.F. Sullivan	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Gertrude Sutton	...	Canteen Worker (uncredited)
Frank Tomick	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Roscoe Turner	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Al Wilson	...	Pilot (uncredited)

Directed by
Howard Hughes
Edmund Goulding		(uncredited)
James Whale		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Marshall Neilan		(story) and
Joseph Moncure March		(story)
Howard Estabrook		(adaptation) and
Harry Behn		(adaptation)
Howard Estabrook		(continuity) and
Harry Behn		(continuity)
Joseph Moncure March		(dialogue)

Produced by
Howard Hughes	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Hugo Riesenfeld		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Tony Gaudio		(as Antonio Gaudio)
Harry Perry

Film Editing by
Douglass Biggs
Frank Lawrence
Perry Hollingsworth		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Carroll Clark		(settings)
Julian Boone Fleming		(settings) (as Julian Boone-Fleming)

Production Management
Joseph W. Engel	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Fleck	....	assistant director (uncredited)
William J. Scully	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lodge Cunningham	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Phil Jones	....	smoke machine operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Glenn Odekirk	....	stunt pilot
Raymond Earl Pease Sr.	....	stunt pilot
Al Wilson	....	stunt pilot
Frank Clarke	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Hank Coffin	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Ross Cooke	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Garland Lincoln	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Paul Mantz	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Maurice Murphy	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Stewart Murphy	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Leo Nomis	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Clement K. Phillips	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Ira Reed	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Jerry Thrall	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Frank Tomick	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Roscoe Turner	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Roy Wilson	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Elmer Dyer	....	aerial photographer
E. Burton Steene	....	aerial photographer
Dewey Wrigley	....	aerial photographer
Harry Zech	....	aerial photographer
Osmond Borradaile	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Charles P. Boyle	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Jack Breamer	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Edward Colman	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Henry Cronjager Jr.	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Fred R. Eldridge	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Jockey Arthur Feindel	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Pliny Goodfriend	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Jack Greenhalgh	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Roy Greiner	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Paul Ivano	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Glenn Kershner	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Donald Biddle Keyes	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Roy H. Klaffki	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Edward A. Kull	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Sam Landers	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Ernest Laszlo	....	photographer: second unit (uncredited)
Jack MacKenzie	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Paul Perry	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Herman Schopp	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
John Silver	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Edward Snyder	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
William H. Tuers	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
L. Guy Wilky	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)
Alvin Wyckoff	....	aerial photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Hugo Riesenfeld	....	music arranger

Other crew
J.B. Alexander	....	chief of aeronautics
Roy Davidson	....	technical engineer (as E. Roy Davidson)
Howard Hughes	....	presenter
James Whale	....	dialogue stager
Howard Estabrook	....	continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• The Caddo Company

Distributors

• United Artists (1930) (USA) (theatrical)
• Les Artistes Associés (1931) (France) (theatrical)
• Suomi-Filmi (1931) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1937) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Atlantic Pictures Corporation (1938) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Astor Pictures Corporation (1939) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Astor Pictures Corporation (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

127 min | Belgium:94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:16 | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-16 | Argentina:13 | UK:A (original rating) (heavily cut) | UK:PG (video rating) (2005) (uncut) | USA:PG (re-release) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Center Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

The Caddo Company

Trivia:

Was the most expensive movie ever made at the time of its release.

Quotes:

Monte Rutledge:Listen, Roy, never love a woman. Just make love to her.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Suzy (1936)

Soundtrack:

Tales of the Vienna Woods, Op.325

Still exciting and entertaining

OK, so the story is corny, and some of the performances (dialogue coached by James Whale!) are early sound acting at its worst. This is nonetheless a very watchable movie, even its hoariest plot devices (all about friends and enemies and duty and how betrayal is sometimes the greatest expression of devotion, creeeeeeeeeak) excused by breathtaking aerial footage and a truly memorable sequence in the middle involving a German dirigible over London. Some German dialogue adds realism, although that sign in occupied France that reads "Munitions Depot" is not too authentic. The portrayal of women, including a very young Jean Harlow, makes the late 20th-century viewer squirm; it's also unfortunate that that German general looks so much like Pee Wee Herman. Watch it anyway for the flying and the extremely effective two-color and three-color sequences. "Top Gun" doesn't look nearly as good and will not age this beautifully.