Wings ***** (1927, Clara Bow, Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers, Richard Arlen, Jobyna Ralston, Gary Cooper) – Classic Movie Review 501

The glorious 1927 American silent classic film Wings is an epic saga of friendship, love and war, with vintage melodrama, spectacular aviation and warfare stunts, and impressive star turns from Clara Bow, Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers and Richard Arlen.

The first ever Best Picture Oscar winner (and only silent film to win) is still immensely stirring for its thrilling, atmospheric flying scenes, breathtaking dogfights and realistic sequences of trench warfare, filmed for real without any cinema trickery. It did however also win Roy Pomeroy the Best Engineering Effects Oscar at the 1929 awards.

Director William A Wellman’s glorious 1927 silent classic film Wings is an epic romantic action saga of friendship, love and war, with vintage melodrama, the most spectacular of stunts and three impressive pre-talkie star performances, including one of ‘It Girl’ Clara Bow’s greatest.

Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers and Richard Arlen are charming and compelling as American hometown boys Jack and David, best buddies both in love with and competing for a gorgeous dame, Sylvia Lewis (Jobyna Ralston). What Jack doesn’t realise is that the girl next door-type, enchanting Mary Preston (Clara Bow), has eyes for him as well.

With World War One upon them, both gung-ho, patriotic boys join up in the US Air Corps for World War One, and so they soon set off to France to join the fight against the Germans. Meanwhile, the caring Mary follows Jack into the French battle lines as an ambulance nurse. The lads become air aces, but the arrival of Mary on the scene threatens their friendship.

Blink and you will miss handsome young Gary Cooper, who has just one scene as airman Cadet White, before he gets killed off. But the role won him a film contract with Paramount studios and set off his star career.

This deservedly most famed of silent movies, which cost Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation a vast $2 million, was re-released in 1929 with sound effects. The sound version of the film was created late in 1928 with a synchronised musical score with sound effects, though no audible dialogue. The original soundtrack to the sound version is preserved at UCLA but it has not been restored to the film and released.

Seen today, Wings remains hugely impressive, an awesome achievement. Channel Four’s beautifully restored 1993 version, with a freshly tinted print and a soaring new score by Carl Davis was a breathtaking revelation.

It was a huge hit, raking in $3.8 million at the North American box office.

The screenplay is by Hope Loring, Louis D Lighton and Julian Johnson  (titles) from a story by John Monk Saunders. The story was rewritten by Loring and Lighton to accommodate Bow, Paramount’s biggest star.

The film was shot by cinematographer Harry Perry on location at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas, from 7 September 1926 to 7 April 1927. Hundreds of extras and 300 pilots were involved, including US Army Air Corps airmen and planes.

The original release runs 111 minutes and the restoration version runs 144 minutes.

Also in the cast are El Brendel, Arlette Marchal, Richard Tucker, Gunboat Smith, Henry B Walthall, Roscoe Karns, Julia Swayne Gordon, Nigel De Brulier, Thomas Carr, William Hickey, Hedda Hopper, George Irving and William A Wellman.

The film entered the public domain in the US in 2023.

Wellman got the job as he was the only director in Hollywood who had World War One combat pilot experience. He clashed frequently with the military officers brought in to supervise the movie. Wellman is also remembered for The Public Enemy (1931), Beau Geste (1939) (also with Cooper), and Track of the Cat (1954).

[Spoiler alert] In this manly movie, during Richard Arlen’s death scene, Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers is seen kissing him on the left cheek near the left corner of his mouth, possibly US cinema’s first male-to-male kiss.

It is one of the first widely released US films to show nudity, with naked men visible from behind undergoing physical exams in the enlistment office, through a door opening and closing.

Rogers was 22 and had never tasted liquor so the scene where he becomes drunk on champagne was genuine.

Sex, booze, planes and Clara Bow, Wings has it all.

The cast

The cast are Clara Bow as Mary Preston, Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers as Jack Powell, Richard Arlen as David Armstrong, Jobyna Ralston as Sylvia Lewis, El Brendel as Herman Schwimpf, Richard Tucker as Air Commander, Gary Cooper as Cadet White, Gunboat Smith as Sergeant, Henry B Walthall as Mr Armstrong, Roscoe Karns as Lieutenant Cameron, Julia Swayne Gordon as Mrs Armstrong, Arlette Marchal as Celeste, Nigel De Brulier, Thomas Carr, William Hickey, Hedda Hopper, George Irving and William A Wellman.

Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers became the third husband of silent film star Mary Pickford on 24 June 1937, though their romance began in 1927. They stayed married for 42 years until Pickford’s death in 1979. Rogers died of natural causes at his California home on 21 April 1999, aged 94. He had a good life and good career, but is best remembered for Wings.

Richard Arlen (born Sylvanus Richard Mattimore, September 1, 1899 – March 28, 1976) is also best known for Wings, which also stars his second wife, Jobyna Ralston, whom he married in 1927. Arlen was also memorable in Island of Lost Souls (1932) with Charles Laughton. 

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 501

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