Ace of Aces (1933)

A sculptor who doesn't want to have any part of World War I is shamed by his girlfriend into joining the army. He becomes a fighter pilot, and undergoes a complete personality change.

Director:

J. Walter Ruben

Writers:

John Monk Saunders (screen play), H.W. Hanemann (screen play),

Stars:

Richard Dix, Elizabeth Allan, Ralph Bellamy

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Dix	...	2nd Lt. Rex 'Rocky' Thorne
Elizabeth Allan	...	Nancy Adams
Ralph Bellamy	...	Capt. / Maj. Blake
Theodore Newton	...	Lt. Foster 'Froggy' Kelley
Nella Walker	...	Mrs. Adams
Anderson Lawler	...	2nd Lt. Tim Terry (as Anderson Lawlor)
Frank Conroy	...	Maj. / Lt. Col. Wentworth
Joe Sawyer	...	Capt. Daly (as Joe Sauers)
Arthur Jarrett	...	2nd Lt. James 'Jenny' Lind
Claude Gillingwater Jr.	...	1st Lt. Tommy Gray
Clarence Stroud	...	2nd Lt. Billy Winstead
Claude Stroud	...	2nd Lt. Carroll Winstead
Frank Clarke	...	German Cadet (as Frank Clark)
Helmut Gorin	...	German Cadet

Storyline

A sculptor who doesn't want to have any part of World War I is shamed by his girlfriend into joining the army. He becomes a fighter pilot, and undergoes a complete personality change.

---

Plot Keywords:

sculptor | pig | pacifist | idealism | monkey | 

---

Genres:

Drama | War

---

Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 October 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bird of Prey

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Even though the film takes place in 1917-1918, all of Elizabeth Allan's clothing and hairstyles are strictly early 1930s, the year the film was produced.

---

Quotes

Nancy Adams: You've changed. You're so different. Is this what the war has done to you?
2nd Lt. Rex 'Rocky' Thorne: Wasn't this what you wanted?
Nancy Adams: I didn't know. I spoke of the glory of war. I know now. The mud, the filth, the suffering, the agony, the poor, helpless, dying boys.
2nd Lt. Rex 'Rocky' Thorne: It isn't muddy up where I am. When death comes, it comes swiftly and cleanly. Ah, it's a grand war. I only hope the next one is half as good. I used to think I could take clay and mold it into the semblance of a living thing. The closer it came to being alive, ...
[...]

---

Connections

Edited from Hell's Angels (1930)

---

Soundtracks

" (I Wish I Was in) Dixie's Land"
(1860) (uncredited)
Written by Daniel Decatur Emmett
Played by the marching army band

User Reviews

Ace Gone Wild

Rocky and Nancy, couple in love, when War is declared (WWI, in spite of their early 30s clothing). Rocky (played by Richard Dix) compares soldiers to lemmings "trying to reach a goal that doesn't exist" - Nancy (Elizabeth Allan) thinks her man is "yellow" as she pushes him into going to battle. Next thing you know, Rocky has joined an Aero Squadron and is encamped in a barracks full of nicknamed comrades and a menagerie of "mascots" not limited to a goat, pig, chimp, parrot, and Rocky's personal mascot, a cute little lion cub (actually, he looked sort of like a leopard to me). Rocky starts out fighting his morals against shooting another man - but not for long, it seems, as Rocky gets pretty darn aggressive amazingly quickly - the war has completely gone to his head as Rocky turns into the fighting ace of all aces!

This film is a bit hit or miss - parts of it are good, other parts are quite slow-moving and boring. Richard Dix gives a somewhat hammy performance and there are some pretty fake looking kisses between the two leads, a real lack of chemistry there, I would say. BUT - there is some interesting photography in the air battle scenes, and a few other interesting scenes here and there, especially notable is a scene where Dix is confronted by one of the German soldiers he shot down, now on his death bed. Okay film.