Hell's Angels (1930)

Brothers Monte and Ray leave Oxford to join the Royal Flying Corps. Ray loves Helen; Helen enjoys an affair with Monte; before they leave on their mission over Germany they find her in still another man's arms.

Directors:

Howard Hughes, Edmund Goulding (uncredited)

Writers:

Marshall Neilan (story), Joseph Moncure March (story)

Stars:

Ben Lyon, James Hall, Jean Harlow

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Lyon	...	Monte Rutledge
James Hall	...	Roy Rutledge
Jean Harlow	...	Helen
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 (as Carl Von Haartman)

Storyline

Two brothers attending Oxford enlist with the RAF when World War I breaks out. Roy and Monte Rutledge have very different personalities. Monte is a freewheeling womanizer, even with his brother's girlfriend Helen. He also proves to have a yellow streak when it comes to his Night Patrol duties. Roy is made of strong moral fiber and attempts to keep his brother in line. Both volunteer for an extremely risky two man bombing mission for different reasons. Monte wants to lose his cowardly reputation and Roy seeks to protect his brother. Their assignment to knock out a strategic German munitions facility is a booming success, but with a squadron of fighters bearing down on them afterwards, escape seems unlikely.

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Plot Keywords:

femme fatale | profanity | profanity in title | female sexual predator | manipulative female | 

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Taglines:

The first multi-million dollars talking picture -- tremendous in size -- shocking in its relentless realism.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German French

Release Date:

15 November 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pekelní andelé

Filming Locations:

Glendale Grand Central Air Terminal - Grandview Avenue, Glendale, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,950,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Caddo Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min 96 min (re-release)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White (tinted) (some sequences) Color (2-strip Technicolor) (some sequences)

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

For the 1939 re-release by Astor Pictures, the film was cut to 90 minutes, mostly to eliminate pre-code sequences which were marginally acceptable in 1930, but no longer permitted after 1934; a six minute prologue about the history of aviation was then added to introduce the film.

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Quotes

Monte Rutledge: Still no news on Harry?
Roy Rutledge: No.
Monte Rutledge: Somebody always gets it on the night patrol.

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Connections

Referenced in American Guns: Hell's Angels Luger/D-Day M1 (2011)

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Soundtracks

Artist's Life, Op.316
(1867) (uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauss

User Reviews

Definitely PreCode

I saw this movie many years ago, and just tonight on DVD. Wow. This film has been remastered by the UCLA Archives, and the sound is very clear. Clear enough, that you can hear some rather explicit language coming from Monte during the dogfight sequence. And if you understand German, there is even more. Definitely before the Code. This is a Great film, and for those who would criticize the acting, editing, etc, compare it to other films made during the first years of the "talkie era." It stands up very well. Pay special attention to the wounded pilots as they are dying in their planes. Very gritty. The realism of the aerial battles has never been equaled. This film is a true classic. How many other classic films circa 1930 come to mind? Not many.