The Dawn Patrol (1938)

Director:

Edmund Goulding

Writers:

Seton I. Miller (screenplay) and
Dan Totheroh (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 December 1938 (USA)

Genre:

War | Drama

Tagline:

They roared through the dawn . . . with death on their wings !

Plot:

British flying aces in World War I contend with the harsh realities of war.

Plot Keywords:

Bomb | Drunkenness | Fighter Pilot | Outnumbered | German

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	Courtney
Basil Rathbone	...	Major Brand
David Niven	...	Scott
Donald Crisp	...	Phipps
Melville Cooper	...	Watkins
Barry Fitzgerald	...	Bott
Carl Esmond	...	Von Mueller
Peter Willes	...	Hollister
Morton Lowry	...	Donnie
Michael Brooke	...	Squires
James Burke	...	Flaherty
Stuart Hall	...	Bentham
Herbert Evans	...	Mechanic
Sidney Bracey	...	Major Brand's Orderly (as Sidney Bracy)
Leo Nomis	...	Aeronautic Supervisor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hal Brazeale	...	Gregory (uncredited)
Tyrone Brereton	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Richard Deane	...	'B' Flight Replacement (uncredited)
Burnett Fergrison	...	Henry Burt (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Running Man on Airfield (uncredited)
Ivo Henderson	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Tim Henning	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Shep Houghton	...	Young Recruit (uncredited)
George Kirby	...	Orderly Kirby (uncredited)
Anthony Marsh	...	Rutherford (uncredited)
John Meredith	...	'B' Flight Replacement (uncredited)
Wally Rairden	...	Cleaver (uncredited)
John J. Richardson	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
John Rodion	...	Lieutenant Russell (uncredited)
Speirs Ruskell	...	'B' Flight Replacement (uncredited)
Tom Seidel	...	Jones (uncredited)
John Sutton	...	Adjutant (uncredited)
F. Philip Sylvestre	...	'B' Flight Replacement (uncredited)
Gordon Thorpe	...	Smythe (uncredited)
Charles Waldron Jr.	...	Lieutenant Billings (uncredited)
Gordon Wallace	...	'B' Flight Replacement (uncredited)
Norman Willis	...	Von Richter (uncredited)
Gilbert Wilson	...	Moorehead (uncredited)

Directed by
Edmund Goulding

Writing credits
Seton I. Miller		(screenplay) and
Dan Totheroh		(screenplay)
John Monk Saunders		(story)
Howard Hawks		story (uncredited)

Produced by
Robert Lord	....	associate producer (uncredited)
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Tony Gaudio		(photography)

Film Editing by
Ralph Dawson

Art Direction by
John Hughes

Makeup Department
Bill Phillips	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Robert Ross	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Oren Haglund	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Frank Heath	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
William Kissell	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
C.A. Riggs	....	sound

Special Effects by
Edwin B. DuPar	....	special effects (as Edwin A. DuPar)

Camera and Electrical Department
Carl E. Guthrie	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
Glen Harris	....	grip (uncredited)
Vic Johnson	....	gaffer (uncredited)
William Reinhold	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Bert Six	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Claude Swanner	....	best boy (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rene Wilson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Victor Kline Jr.	....	assistant cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Capt.L.G.S. Scott	....	technical advisor
Jean McNaughton	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Jacques Swaab	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros.

Distributors

• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Warner Bros.
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #4585) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros.

Trivia:

Most of the aerial footage comes from Warner Bros.' previous 1930 version (The Dawn Patrol (1930)).

Goofs:

Continuity: The amount of engine oil on Flynn's face.

Quotes:

Capt. Courtney:[Asking Phipps to translate to the German POW] Ask him if he'll drink a toast to the dead.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fiona on Fire (1978)

Soundtrack:

Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile!

Exciting & Anguishing Film About "the next man who dies"

I first saw this movie when I was 16, and didn't understand a lot of its subtleties; I just thought it was an exciting & dramatic war film with a lot of great flying sequences. I caught it again when I was 34 and was surprised at its depth.

I like to watch this movie whenever my own job gets crazy and hectic, with unrealistic deadlines and insufficient support, because it reminds me that I really don't have it so bad after all. The men in this movie were sent up daily in obsolete equipment in a bad state of disrepair; as the film progressed the squadron had about a 70% turnover as the combat veterans were shot down and replaced by green kids whose limited training could not possibly have prepared them for what they would face.

The characters are all dissected, even lesser, supporting roles receive excellent character studies, and the stars of course are downright fascinating. It's a thrill to learn that Errol Flynn (Captain Courtney) really could act, as well as just jump around and wave a sword; David Niven is wonderfully innocent and almost childlike as "Scotty," and Basil Rathbone, a truly great actor who seldom got the chance to strut his stuff since he was usually typecast as a "bad guy" or as Sherlock Holmes, gives a nerve-wrenching performance as Major Brand, who's floundering under the strain. He proves a profound point -- it is often easier to go to your own death than to order others to do so, a lesson Captain Courtney and Lt. Scott must reluctantly learn as well.

I'm now 44, and have seen this movie a couple dozen times, but it never ages. The flying sequences are still exciting; the chivalry and wild antics of the fliers never becomes tiresome or old, and the anguish of war is still as heartbreaking. Truly a movie that will last.