Directed by William Wellman
Written by John Monk Saunders, Hope Loring, and Louis D. Lighton
1927/US
Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation
IMDb page
First viewing/Amazon Instant
Mary Preston: Remember – I saw the war, too, Jack! And I can’t blame – anyone – for anything! What happens from now on is all that matters, isn’t it, dear?
Can’t believe it took me this long to get to the first Best Picture Oscar winner. And I was not disappointed.
The setting is WWI. David Armstrong (Richard Arlen) is a son of the richest family in the small town in which he lives. Everybody, including the principals, expects him to marry the rich and lovely Sylvia Lewis. All-American middle class boy Jack Powell (Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers) is in love with her too. Jack is oblivious to the fact that Mary Preston (Clara Bow) is crazy about him. Both men enlist as combat pilots and go off to France. They become flying aces and eventually best friends. Mary enlists as a motor pool driver and catches up with them in France.
Most of the film is devoted to spectacular aerial footage of combat. So we get action, adventure, comedy, tragedy, romance and male bonding. Gary Cooper’s two-minute scene in this film set him on the road to stardom.
Two and a half hours of war movie didn’t exactly sound like a load of fun but I loved this. It was charming when it needed to be, touching when it needed to be, and, wow, those flight scenes were unbelievable. Amazon had the restored print with colorized flames coming out of planes that are shot down.
I saw this about 1990 and I thought it was pretty good.
I saw it again about five years ago. Not only does it hold up but it’s looking pretty great!
It boggles my mind that Jobyna Ralston is in it. I love her in all those Harold Lloyd movies, especially Girl Shy. How did I never notice she was in Wings? Did they use CGI to insert her in the movie and I never noticed?
I saw Hell’s Angels about the time I saw Wings that second time and DAMN! That’s good too!
I was so pleasantly surprised! Next stop Hell’s Angels.
Fancy no mention of the most important reason to watch
” In the first mainstream movie “nude” scene…..”
The sensational flying, reenactments etc. are all overshadowed by that one criteria LOL.
Glad you enjoyed this one and found that sensational tracking shot so I didn’t have to proof you yet AGAIN, heh heh.
For other (new) readers…forget it’s a silent, just watch it.
Remember no parachutes, no CGI fakery.. “Flames” were feared by all sides as there was no escape.
I must have blinked and missed that nude scene! It is a fantastic movie. I’m now looking forward to a rewatch of Hell’s Angels.
It was truly a “blink and you miss it” moment! Only heard mention of it restively recently.
Woops should be “relatively recently”…hate to see the proofreader hoist on own petard!!
Humility becomes you. 😉
Just rewatched Hell’s Angels and even though Jean Harlow was not nude she might as well have been! What a career maker!!!
I remember that tracking shot! Years ago, I was lucky enough to see WINGS on the big screen.
I’ll bet that was really an experience!
The first thing I thought (rightly or wrongly) was “with an orchestra?” as in
https://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on/wings-with-live-score/
continued down the rabbit hole to
https://willmckinley.wordpress.com/2012/08/08/the-restoration-of-wings-1927-the-loudest-silent-movie-ive-ever-seen/
Quite a few years ago went to a screening of Ben Hur (1925) with a live orchestra.