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 by), Joseph Moncure March (story by)

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

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:

military pilot | biplane | warplane | airplane | flight | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Assuming its copyright has not lapsed already, this film and all others produced in 1930 enter the U.S. public domain in 2026.

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Goofs

The 'German bomber' is actually a Sikorsky S-29-A, an American aircraft - the only one made, first flown in 1924 (and last flown in 1929 when it crashed and was destroyed in making this film). It evidently stands in for a Gotha heavy bomber - the G.III, G.IV or G.V.

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Quotes

Monte Rutledge: Listen, Roy, never love a woman. Just make love to her.

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Alternate Versions

Original British version was heavily edited (over 30 min.) to gain an A rating.

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Connections

Referenced in Scorsese on Scorsese (2004)

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Soundtracks

Eva Waltz
(uncredited)
Music by Franz Lehár

User Reviews

An early epic film,that enthralled the audiences of the day.

I saw this film (movie) in about 1933 and still remember every scene. Without the use of bad language it conveyed the fear,excitement,and gallantry of the time. The German evil was perhaps overplayed,but it was made just a very few years after the War. The flying scenes were dramatic and at least as effective as any made in recent years.

Is it possible to obtain a copy?if so where.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German French

Release Date:

15 November 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hell's Angels

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