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.

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Plot Keywords:

sculptor | pig | pacifist | idealism | monkey | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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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.

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Quotes

Lt. Foster 'Froggy' Kelley: Here today, hero tomorrow.

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Connections

Edited from Hell's Angels (1930)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

this movie dares to be different and makes an excellent point

This movie, along with the similar EAGLE AND THE HAWK and ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, is an excellent anti-war film made during the 1930s. It's completely original and unusual enough to merit you watching it. So what's so unusual about it? Well, Richard Dix plays a pacifist who only reluctantly agrees to go to war. However, once he becomes a fighter pilot and gets a taste for blood, his personality changes dramatically. Gone is the decent soul who had once longed to become a famous sculptor and in its place was a man who lived to kill--enjoying every minute of it! While this certainly isn't true of everyone who goes to war, the notion that personalities can dramatically change thanks to the carnage is an excellent point to make indeed.