Hellflier
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Hellflier |
| Original title | Hells Angels |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1930 |
| length | 127 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Howard Hughes |
| script | Harry Behn , Howard Estabrook |
| production | Howard Hughes |
| music | Hugo Riesenfeld |
| camera | Tony Gaudio , Harry Perry |
| cut | Douglass Bliss , Frank Lawrence , Perry Hollingsworth |
| occupation | |
| |
Hell's Angels is the title of a film by Howard Hughes on aviation pioneers of the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War ; A US Air Force bomber squadron was named after this during World War II . The film premiered in Los Angeles on May 27, 1930.
action
The two very different English brothers Roy and Monte Rutledge studied together at Oxford University when the First World War broke out . Meek Roy is in love with the moody, romantically transfigured Helen, played by Jean Harlow . His brother Monte, on the other hand, is a light-hearted philanderer who cannot ignore any female avance. Both brothers' best friend is a German student named Karl. When war broke out, Karl was drafted into the German Air Force, while the two brothers volunteered for the Royal Flying Corps - Roy with great enthusiasm and out of a sense of duty, Monte just for a kiss from a girl at the recruitment agency. After completing her training, Roy finally introduces his brother to Helen, who promptly seduces him.
Meanwhile, Karl is on duty aboard a zeppelin that attacks London from a great height out of the clouds. As a bombardier, Karl is lowered under the cloud cover in a gondola, but because of his sympathy for England, he steers the zeppelin over a pond, into which he then drops the bombs. Before his superiors find out, RFC fighter pilots rise to the defense - Roy and Monte among them. When the airship commander learns of this, he decides to sacrifice Karl to gain speed and altitude, and cuts the cable from which the gondola is suspended. Nevertheless, the British fighter pilots intercept the zeppelin. Even the suicide of numerous jumping crew members "for the emperor and fatherland" is not enough to provide the airship with sufficient height. The airships manage to shoot down some machines - including those of Monte, who was deeply disturbed by the experience - but eventually one of the defenders causes a collision and the attackers go up in flames.
Word soon got around that Monte was turning into a coward, and Roy insisted that his brother restore his reputation. Both volunteer for one under the enormous pressure of his brother in a fit of rage suicide mission .
The night before this assignment, Roy caught Helen in the arms of another officer in a pub. When he confronts her, she makes a scene and breaks up with him. Roy is devastated.
After the destruction of a German ammunition dump, an aerial battle breaks out, in which the brothers are shot down and taken prisoner. Before the choice between firing squad and treason, Montes cowardice wins again. He intends to give the enemy all the information he wants in return for the promise to save his life. To save thousands of British soldiers from falling victim to betrayal, Roy feels compelled to kill his own brother. He then refuses to divulge the requested information and is shot dead.
The film ends with shots of British soldiers successfully attacking the German lines.
Emergence
Originally, James Hall and Ben Lyon were to be the brothers Roy and Monte Rutledge and the Norwegian silent film star Greta Nissen to be Helen, and would be directed by Marshall Neilan . Even before filming began, he gave up in view of the enormous technical effort required by Hughes. Hughes therefore directed it himself , assisted by Luther Reed .
During the shooting, the film The Jazz Singer came out as a sound film. Hughes wanted to adopt this technique immediately, which is why Greta Nissen was replaced by Jean Harlow because of her accent .
Former fighter pilots were hired for the flight scenes, but after three deaths they refused to shoot the final scene planned by Hughes. So he took on this task himself and had an accident as predicted. Hughes suffered only minor injuries. Among the pilots was the first American female stunt pilot , Pancho Barnes .
Reviews
“The third film produced and directed by the industrialist Hughes is a disappointingly poor mix of patriotic phrases and empty anti-war slogans, in which war is portrayed as an adventure. Everything leads to a clichéd and confused war melodrama, where the perfect aerial photos are impressive. "
Awards
The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography .
Web links
- Hell's Angels in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Lauren Kessler: The Happy Bottom Riding Club: the life and times of Pancho Barnes, Random House, 2000
- ↑ Hellflier. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed January 7, 2017 .