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sabotai · 12-15-2011, 06:11 PM

Hell's Angels (1930)

Directed By: Howard Hughes, James Whale, Edmund Goulding
Starring: Ben Lyon, James Hall, Jean Harlow
Length: 127 minutes
Genre: War

1929-1930 Nominated for Best Cinematography

An almost opposite film from All Quiet..., Hell's Angels is a fun aviation movie set during WWI.

It's the story of two brothers who join the Royal Air Force and share a common interest, a woman named Helen (Jean Harlow). They are studying at Oxford, along with a German student and friend, when World War I breaks out and they join their respective nation's air force.

Roy (James Hall) is in love with Helen, but after he introduces her to his brother Monte (Ben Lyon), she targets Monte. Insert standard love triangle plot. And while Monte is brave with the women, he is a coward in combat and tries to get out of action when possible. Roy nearly wavers in his duty when he finds out Helen had been playing him, but in the end he joins in on an important mission and literally drags his brother along.

The climax of the movie is an epic air battle between British and German fighters after the British bomb a German supply yard. The battle lasts for quite some time and is very impressive for 1930.

The film took over 2 years to make. Part of the reason was Hughes' involvement causing the first directer to quite, but the major contributor was the arrival of sound. Hughes wanted to incorporate sound into his film, which required him to recast the female lead. He had a Norwegian actress, Greta Nissen, in the role of Helen, but she spoke with a Norwegian accent, so she got the boot.

The movie made twice as much as it cost and was a huge success for Hughes. It had its serious moments, including the ending, but for the most part, this was a fun movie with a hectic, adrenaline filled fighter combat climax that is a completely different movie from the seriousness of All Quiet on the Western Front. But they were both great movies.

My Rating: 8/10
IMDB User Rating: 7.7 / 10 (2,339 votes)
Netflix Rating: 3.3 / 4 (35,976 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% critic, 56% Audience

12-15-2011, 06:11 PM	#210
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	Hell's Angels (1930) Directed By: Howard Hughes, James Whale, Edmund Goulding Starring: Ben Lyon, James Hall, Jean Harlow Length: 127 minutes Genre: War 1929-1930 Nominated for Best Cinematography An almost opposite film from All Quiet..., Hell's Angels is a fun aviation movie set during WWI. It's the story of two brothers who join the Royal Air Force and share a common interest, a woman named Helen (Jean Harlow). They are studying at Oxford, along with a German student and friend, when World War I breaks out and they join their respective nation's air force. Roy (James Hall) is in love with Helen, but after he introduces her to his brother Monte (Ben Lyon), she targets Monte. Insert standard love triangle plot. And while Monte is brave with the women, he is a coward in combat and tries to get out of action when possible. Roy nearly wavers in his duty when he finds out Helen had been playing him, but in the end he joins in on an important mission and literally drags his brother along. The climax of the movie is an epic air battle between British and German fighters after the British bomb a German supply yard. The battle lasts for quite some time and is very impressive for 1930. The film took over 2 years to make. Part of the reason was Hughes' involvement causing the first directer to quite, but the major contributor was the arrival of sound. Hughes wanted to incorporate sound into his film, which required him to recast the female lead. He had a Norwegian actress, Greta Nissen, in the role of Helen, but she spoke with a Norwegian accent, so she got the boot. The movie made twice as much as it cost and was a huge success for Hughes. It had its serious moments, including the ending, but for the most part, this was a fun movie with a hectic, adrenaline filled fighter combat climax that is a completely different movie from the seriousness of All Quiet on the Western Front. But they were both great movies. My Rating: 8/10 IMDB User Rating: 7.7 / 10 (2,339 votes) Netflix Rating: 3.3 / 4 (35,976 votes) Rotten Tomatoes: 90% critic, 56% Audience Last edited by sabotai : 05-22-2018 at 04:44 PM.