Wings of the Morning (1937)

Director:

Harold D. Schuster
(more)

Writers:

Brian Oswald Donn-Byrne (story) and
Thomas J. Geraghty (narration written by)
(more)

Release Date:

11 March 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

RECKLESS YOUNG ROMANCE...A NEW STAR ALLURINGLY DIFFERENT...PULSE-TINGLING DERBY DAY THRILLS...SPECTACULAR ENTERTAINMENT GLORIFIED BY PERFECTED, NATURAL TECHNICOLOR! (original ad - all caps)

Plot:

First Technicolor movie shot in the British Isles, features Gypsies, horse racing, singing and romance.

Plot Keywords:

Gypsy | Horse | Horse Racing | Spanish Civil War | Ireland

Cast

Annabella	...	Young Marie (Prologue) / Maria, Duchess of Leyva
Henry Fonda	...	Kerry Gilfallen
Leslie Banks	...	Lord Clontarf
Stewart Rome	...	Sir Valentine
Irene Vanbrugh	...	Old Marie
Harry Tate	...	Paddy
Helen Haye	...	Aunt Jenepher
Edward Underdown	...	Don Diego (as Teddy Underdown)
Mark Daly	...	James Patrick Aloysius 'Jimmy' Brannigan
Sam Livesey	...	Angelo
E.V.H. Emmett	...	Racing Commentator
R.C. Lyle	...	Racing Commentator (as Captain R.C. Lyle)
John McCormack	...	Himself - the Tenor
Steve Donoghue	...	Himself
D.J. Williams	...	Marik (Prologue)
Philip Frost	...	Valentine, as a youth (Prologue) (as Philip Sydney Frost)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Evelyn Ankers	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Frank Crawshaw	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Hermione Darnborough	...	Gypsy Dancer (uncredited)
Dorothy Dewhurst	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Emmanuelo	...	Don Frasco (uncredited)
Sidney Frost	...	Valentine Philip (uncredited)
John Hepworth	...	Boy (uncredited)
Prince Monolulu	...	Himself (uncredited)
Nicholas Nadejin	...	Benito (uncredited)
Pat Noonan	...	Police Sergeant (uncredited)

Directed by
Harold D. Schuster
Glenn Tryon		(original director) (uncredited)

Writing credits
Brian Oswald Donn-Byrne		(story) (as Donn Byrne)
Thomas J. Geraghty		narration written by
Thomas J. Geraghty		screenplay
John Meehan		screenplay (uncredited)
Gilbert Wakefield		scenario (uncredited)

Produced by
Robert Kane	....	producer

Original Music by
Arthur Benjamin

Cinematography by
Ray Rennahan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
James B. Clark

Production Design by
Ralph W. Brinton

Art Direction by
Ralph W. Brinton

Costume Design by
René Hubert

Makeup Department
Stuart Freeborn	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Imlay Watts	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Colin Lesslie	....	assistant director
Edward Dryhurst	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles Poulton	....	sound recordist
John W. Mitchell	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Cardiff	....	camera operator
Henry Imus	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	musical director
Roy Douglas	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Natalie Kalmus	....	color director

Production Companies

• New World Pictures Ltd.

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (1937) (UK) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• Héraut Film (1937) (France) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film (1937) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Devonshire Film Company (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Kino Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox (1937) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Kino Video (video)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

89 min | USA:87 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Canada:G (Ontario) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Buckingham Palace, Westminster, London, England, UK

Company:

New World Pictures Ltd.

Trivia:

The first Three-strip Technicolor movie shot in Europe.

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Henry Fonda (1978) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Wiener Blut

High and Low Notes

Shot partially on location in Killarney, Ireland in Glorious Three-Strip Tecnicolor, "Wings of the Morning" can claim to be the first film shot in that process on the British Isles. Iconic cinematographer Jack Cardiff gets his first Technicolor credit as the film's camera operator and would go on to one of the most illustrious careers in film history. However, although it was financially successful during its initial release, fans of John McCormack and Henry Fonda will be disappointed with it today.

John McCormack, the pride of Athlone, County Westmeath and arguably the greatest Irish tenor of all time, failed in several attempts to break into the movies. That's not surprising when one views his stiff acting and singing in this film. Although he sings three songs here, he evidently didn't even bother to memorize the lyrics and sings while looking at a notebook he carries with him. It's no wonder that the film editor decided to cut away from him to inserts of the idyllic Irish countryside during his performance rather than keep the overweight and unphotogenic singer on screen.

Fonda supposedly played a Canadian in this British movie shot partially in Ireland but clearly didn't have a competent dialogue coach because he plays his early scenes with a decidedly Southern drawl. He later lapses into his singularly un-Canadian Midwestern twang.

At this point in his career Fonda was a free-lancer and didn't have to do this film, which was designed as a showcase for French beauty Annabella in her English-speaking debut. After he did sign a long-term contract at Fox in 1940 as a condition of getting the role of Tom Joad in "The Grapes of Wrath," the respected actor chafed when required to play support for films designed to showcase other Fox stars. His unhappy experience on the Alice Faye vehicle "Lillian Russell" is a prime example. Why did Fonda agree to do the film? A good guess would be that the trip to Englasnd and Ireland, rather than the script, was enough motivation.