Only Angels Have Wings
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Movie Reviews of Only Angels Have Wings
Movie Review: A flying drama.
Summary: 4 Stars
I mistakenly bought this movie under the impression that it was a romantic comedy. And to my surprise it turned out to be quite a dramatic film about the hard life of fliers in Barranca, South America. Cary Grant is a very cold-hearted manager of a primitive airline business that flies the mail out. He doesn't flinch when his fliers die and is as much of a bean counter as any disgraced Enron exec. Jean Arthur's role is more of a side note to the film. However, she does what she can with it. As she portrays a showgirl looking for work who lands in Barranca for a brief stay that turns out to be delayed for a week. She falls in love (goodness only knows why) with the hard-hearted Cary Grant and tries her best to both emulate his sternness and to try to break through his tough exterior. Since Cary Grant's character has the most male chauvinist views on love, she never really breaks through his exterior but for some reason or another is still madly in love with him. Now the really interesting parts of the film are seeing a glimpse of what life was like for the fliers in an era of practically zero flight regulation. And seeing a little bit of Latin America during that time. So the movie has worth, but just be prepared for a serious dramatic film. And not a romantic comedy! P.S. Rita Hayworth makes one of the grandest entrances onto the screen in this film. Wow! Can she make her presence known.Movie Review: Ripping macho yarn
Summary: 4 Stars
Amazon have provided an excellent review of this macho adventure so I will only add the following:
- those familiar with the director Howard Hawk's legacy will recognise the atmosphere, the relationships and even some of the dialogue from some of his later works, especially "To Have and Have Not".
- Cary Grant, in a role tailor made for Clark Gable, does very well in a more rugged persona than he had played to date. The heroics are at times a bit cheesy but given the age of the film, that's OK.
- this was the film which really launched Rita Hayworth. She had been in films for a few years at this stage but here, she is showcased and her star quality is obvious even if her acting is the weakest of the leads.
- The film also was the last decent role for silent star Richard Barthelmess. He is well cast as the dour coward who must prove himself but his stardom was clearly over alongside dynamic Grant.
- Jean Arthur glows as always. The best scene in a film littered with air crashes, action and buddy relationships is Arthur's scene in Grant's bungalow when they employ the witty banter and flirtatious manner for which they were renown.
- the print is very good and the DVD contains a worthwhile featurette about Hawks and Grant.
The film is best value purchased as part of one of the Cary Grant Signature Collections.
Movie Review: The Frontier Mentality
Summary: 4 Stars
I saw this movie last year and came away wondering what all of the praise was for. I enjoyed a lot of it but I kept asking myself "Whose paying the bill?". I tend to get a bit too pragmatic at times and that has ruined a number of movies for me over the years. I suppose that I should just accept that idea that whatever government these guys were working for was footing the bill. However, watching these guys risks their lives and planes daily to cross the mountains with somebody else's mail...I didn't get it. That aside, it is a pretty good movie. Cary Grant is the ultimate man with a mission. He runs the operation and seems devoid of emotion. He somehow manages to ignore Jean Arthur (why is she in this movie?) but deserves an Academy Award for ignoring Rita Hayworth. There's plenty of other types of action, though. These flyers live by a code and refuse to say "Can't be done". All this brings me back to the question of why. (Also the question of how did the guy get up to the mountain-top lookout post). I guess my need for a purpose left me missing the point about men who needed no purpose other than a barely acheivable challenge.Movie Review: Great atmosphere, dialogue -- If you liked To Have and Have Not...
Summary: 4 Stars
You may not know this nifty action adventure drama by Howard Hawks, but odds are good it will seem familiar to you. That's because many of its characters and story elements (and some of its dialogue!) got recycled in later pictures of his like To Have and Have Not and Rio Bravo. A witty drama about Hemingway-esque men flying mail in South America and their on-the-edge lifestyle, it features many excellent actors in rather uncharacteristic roles: Cary Grant as swaggering pilot, Sig Ruman (Schultz from Stalag 17) as a bartender, Rita Hayworth as Cary's old flame and Thomas Mitchell as his mentor.
I take away a star because, try as he might, Grant is just too miscast to play this part well. He doesn't exude the Hemingway-style hero like Bogart did and winds up overplaying it.
Movie Review: VERY ENTERTAINING & LIVELY GRANT FILM!
Summary: 4 Stars
One of the best Grant films I've seen so far. This film is included on a Cary Grant box set I purchased along with four other top Grant films. This one is my second favorite of the lot. I still have one more to go. The entire cast is very good in this lively romance adventure. It's a little melodramatic in spots, but weren't they all back then? The DVD transfer is very good on the box set and there are a few extras.