Two English brothers, a German friend—and a war that pits them against each other. Roy is dutiful, Monte a charmer who loves life and refuses to acknowledge the gravity of the situation for a long time. Their friendship is first put to the test by the outbreak of World War I, then by a woman who is anything but the innocent ideal that one of the brothers sees her as. While they are sent on breakneck missions as fighter pilots, their German college friend has to make decisions in a Zeppelin that will either make him a war hero or a traitor.

The film thrives on huge, real-life air battles in which the characters repeatedly reach the point where they must choose: loyalty, love, or their own survival. In the end, the question is not what courage really means in war…

Hell’s Angels is a World War I aviation film produced and ultimately directed by the young multimillionaire Howard Hughes in Hollywood in the late 1920s. Work began in 1927 as a silent film about British fighter pilots in World War I; filming and post-production took about four years. Hughes invested an extraordinary four million dollars in the project, which, adjusted for inflation, corresponds to a mid-range double-digit million dollar amount today; it was one of the most expensive films of its time. For the aerial shots, he used dozens of real aircraft, many former war pilots, and specialized camera crews; at least three pilots were killed in accidents. Because sound film was just making its breakthrough, Hughes had scenes that had already been shot reshot or added sound sequences, which further increased costs. Several directors abandoned the project because of Hughes’ perfectionism; in the end, he took over the directing himself.

The spectacular aerial battles, which were filmed directly in the air using camera angles that were new at the time, became particularly famous. Hughes flew some of the scenes himself; he was seriously injured in the face in a crash and required plastic surgery, but survived. The film uses both black-and-white and early color sequences (e.g., for scenes with Jean Harlow), which was considered sensational at the time of its premiere in 1930.

Jean Harlow became a star with her role as Helen and shaped the image of the platinum blonde Hollywood icon of the 1930s.

When it premiered in 1930, “Hell’s Angels” was a sensation, grossing a lot of money, but not quite covering the enormous production costs. The film is considered a milestone in aviation and war films and an example of Hughes’ blend of technical megalomania, perfectionism, and risk-taking.

The name Hell’s Angels was later adopted by the famous motorcycle club, which explicitly referred to the film title.

Team

Director: Howard Hughes, Edmund Goulding, James Whale

Production: Howard Hughes (producer)

Screenplay: Marshall Neilan, Joseph Moncure March, Howard Estabrook, Harry Behn (dialogue/additional collaboration)

Main cast

Ben Lyon – Monte Rutledge

James Hall – Roy Rutledge

Jean Harlow – Helen

Important supporting actors

John Darrow – Karl Arnstedt / Armstedt

Lucien Prival – Baron Von Kranz

Frank Clarke – Lt. von Bruen (also stunt pilot)

Roy Wilson – “Baldy” Maloney

Douglas Gilmore – Capt. Redfield

Jane Winton – Baroness Von Kranz

Evelyn Hall – Lady Randolph

Carl von Haartman – Zeppelin Commander

Ferdinand Schumann-Heink – First Officer of Zeppelin

Frank Clarke – Stunt pilot and actor (Lt. von Bruen)

Camera: Tony Gaudio

Camera (additional / aerial shots): Harry Perry

Editing: Douglass Biggs, Mabel Dietrich

Dozens of aircraft were used (including converted biplanes, Zeppelin models, and close-ups in the studio), and many maneuvers were flown for real.

Premiere: November 15, 1930 (USA)