Only Angels Have Wings

Only Angels Have Wings (1939).
Directed by Howard Hawks. Starring Cary Grant and Jean Arthur.

This film is about male camaraderie & teamwork, aviation & adventure, and trust & respect. It takes place in South America, where Geoff (Cary Grant) is responsible for a team of men who fly the mail to a nearby city, over a dangerous mountain pass. Bonnie (Jean Arthur), recently arrived via boat, is captivated by Geoff and his strange, callous ways. As he says again and again throughout the film, "He'll never ask a woman for anything"... or will he? Thrown into the mix is Judy (Rita Hayworth in one of her first film roles), Geoff's ex; and a number of other pilots and friends.

We watched this film on the first day of my Film History II Course as an example of Classical Hollywood Cinema, which dominated American filmmaking from roughly the 1920s-60s. This style basically includes films that focus on character psychology (often one main protagonist, although this film has a bit of an ensemble) and on narrative (over technique or style), and thus have invisible editing. Howard Hawks, the director of this film, is basically a master of this style. Over winter break, I also watched Hawks' films Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Bringing Up Baby, and His Girl Friday. Without really meaning to, I seem to be making my way through a great deal of Hawks' work. I also/still want to see To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep.


I liked this film, though I wasn't totally blown away by it. I didn't find it as captivating as, say, Casablanca, or as funny as My Man Godfrey, two other films from this era. However, I do find this film interesting for two reasons. The first is the special effects. It goes without saying that they are primitive by today's standards, but they are remarkable for 1939. The scenes of the planes flying -- the mix of models and rear-screen projection -- made for a really cool effect. Second, I find the character of Bonnie really interesting for this era. Since I more or less got my start in film school with a class of Women and Film, I find female characters particularly interesting. Bonnie is great interesting of a Hawksian woman - feisty, independent, and (*gasp*) accepted by the men.

One final note... I must admit, I have somewhat of a crush on Cary Grant at the moment. I know I'm several decades late on this, but there's something about his voice/accent, his dimples, perfectly set hair, and of course, that chin... Let's just say I can see why he was such a star in his day and age. Along these lines, I was surprised at some of his personal history, as we learned in class -- that he was married five times and possibly bisexual/gay.

That's it from me about this film. In summary, I would recommend it for film buffs or fans of Howard Hawks or Cary Grant, but it's certainly not an absolute "must-see" from this era.