Production Company: Paramount
Leads: Clara Bow, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, Richard Arlen
“D’you know what you can do when you see a shooting star?
You can kiss the girl you love.” - Mary Preston
Setting
An unnamed small town; 1917
The Plot
Jack [Rogers] and David [Arlen] both
love Sylvia, the most popular girl in town. Jack is seemingly oblivious to the
attentions of Mary [Bow], and more oblivious that Sylvia actually loves
David. Ah, love triangles of the 1920s.
The Review
With no audio (talking-wise) the visuals had to be strong and engaging to make up for this and the film did not disappoint!
With not a hair out of place, Jack and David head off to World War I to train as fighter pilots and dislike each other intensely until they bond while beating the crap out of each other during basic training and become best of friends. The much-hailed world’s first on-screen male-male kiss (much later on) was one of bromance not romance, the world was not quite ready for Brokeback Mountain back then.
With not a hair out of place, Jack and David head off to World War I to train as fighter pilots and dislike each other intensely until they bond while beating the crap out of each other during basic training and become best of friends. The much-hailed world’s first on-screen male-male kiss (much later on) was one of bromance not romance, the world was not quite ready for Brokeback Mountain back then.
Mary, missing Jack and not one to give up easily, stalks Jack by way of the Women’s Motor Corps. There she gets bombed by Germans and finds Jack on leave in a Parisian Burlesque house, drunk and hallucinating on Champagne and she must dress as a burlesque dancer to get him out of there…the things we do for love.
The aerial dog fight scenes were tremendously well done; if they didn't film
real flight aerobatics they certainly made it convincing. The intensity was
only appeased by the knowledge that Jack and David were too high in the credits
to die just yet. Jack’s drunken Champagne bubble hallucinations were hysterical
as well!
Casting Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers as Jack and “It Girl” of the day Clara Bow as the beautiful Mary was bound to create chemistry. Both had winning smiles, and Clara Bow particularly has excellent screen presence and expression.
The film showed both the camaraderie and horrors of
war...though was light-hearted more often than not, which was perhaps
unrealistic but not every war film needs to be depressing.
It really was a wonderful film. It covers action,humour, friendship, romance…and you can watch it on mute at 3am without annoying your neighbours and housemates!
It really was a wonderful film. It covers action,humour, friendship, romance…and you can watch it on mute at 3am without annoying your neighbours and housemates!
The Slap
Jack could have done with one, for being dense and not
seeing true love when it was sitting right in front of him. You’ll just have to
watch and see whether or not he eventually did!
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