Though Walker's contract allowed him credit, in fact Mitchell Leisen directed it. WW1 at Paramount. Frederic March is an ace pilot who manages to survive whilst his 'observers' (aerial photographers) keep dying. Enter blunt nemesis Cary Grant, who proves himself a bad guy by machine gunning a helpless parachutist. On leave, March meets 'Beautiful Lady' Carole Lombard (out on loan as usual) and they have a five minute fling. (This is not a long film.) Back in the action, March's barely legal (and barely male) new observer falls out of the plane (I laughed, but it wasn't funny really), which burns March to the point where he kills himself. To protect his reputation, and the morale of the pilots, Grant takes him up in the air and pretends they've been hit to give March a hero's ending.
John Monk Saunders has therefore written some sober stuff.
Jack Oakie provides the comedy relief and Sir Guy Standing (Now and Forever) is the serious commander of the squad.
Nicely photographed by Harry Fischbeck, edited by James Smith.
No comments:
Post a Comment