Review of Hell's Angels (1930) by Glen O — 11 Oct 2013

In spite of its somewhat mundane plot and an unconvincing ending this is a spectacular film in terms of its technical achievement. The dogfight and Zeppelin sequences are very well done. Only Howard Hughes would have had the money and the extravagance to film so many planes in the air at the one time (in one scene I counted 36).

Being pre-code there's plenty of risqué scenes with Jean Harlow and some fairly realistic violence for the period. If you've seen Scorsese's The Aviator in which the circumstances behind the making of this film are dramatized, you'll find this interesting viewing.

But even if you haven't there's much here to enjoy.