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Clara Bow, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, Richard Arlen, Jobyna Ralston, Gary Cooper ... see more see more... , El Brendel , Arlette Marchal , Richard Tucker , "Gunboat" Smith , Julia Swayne Gordon , George Irving , Hedda Hopper , Thomas Carrigan , Nigel De Brulier , Dick Grace , Carl von Hartmann , Roscoe Karns , James Pierce , Rod Rogers , Henry B. Walthall , Gloria Wellman , Margery Chapin Wellman , Charles Barton , William Wellman , Frank Tomick , Dorothy Coonan Wellman

Wings, the first feature film to win an Academy Award, tends to disappoint a little when seen today. Too much time is afforded the wheezy old plotline about two World War I aviators (Buddy Rogers, Ric... read more read more...hard Arlen) in love with the same woman (Jobyna Ralston), while the comedy relief of El Brendel is decidedly not to everyone's taste. But during the aerial "dogfight" sequences, the film is something else again: a grand-scale spectacular, the likes of which has never been duplicated, not even by more expensive efforts like Hell's Angels (1930) and The Blue Max (1965). Twenty-eight-year-old director William Wellman, himself a wartime aviator, was fortunate enough to have the full cooperation of the US War department at his disposal (even though his legendary temper nearly lost him that cooperation on more than one occasion!) Brilliantly handled though the aerial scenes may be, they are matched by the Earthbound combat sequences, including the now-famous shot of a long trench caving in on hundreds of unfortunate doughboys. The storyline is as follows: Jack Powell (Rogers) and David Armstrong (${Powell}) hate each other during basic training, grow to like each other, and fall out again while competing for the affections of Sylvia Lewis (Ralston). Mary Preston (Clara Bow) sacrifices her own nursing career to save a drunken Powell from disgrace, Powell goes on a rampage when he believes his pal Armstrong has been killed, inadvertently shoots down Armstrong while decimating the German air corps, and is finally reunited with the nurse. Wrapped up in nurse's garb throughout most of the film, the ebullient Clara Bow is permitted a sequence in which, disguised as a Parisian floozie while trying to rescue a revelling Rogers, she displays a great deal of epidermis. One of the film's chief claims to fame is its "introduction" of Gary Cooper (who'd actually been in films since the early 1920s), in a brief but crucial role as veteran flyer with a cheerily fatalistic attitude. When originally released, Wings included a sequence lensed in the wide-screen "Magnascope" process; even when seen "flat", however, the film contains some of the best flying sequences ever captured on celluloid. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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74% liked it

2,838 ratings

Critics

97% liked it

31 critics

PG-13, 2 hr. 19 min.

Directed by: William A. Wellman

Release Date: August 12, 1927

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DVD Release Date: January 24, 2012

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Stats: 196 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (196)

  • cosmo313
    April 23, 2012
    cosmo313
    Part of what makes this film so important is that it was the first film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Since I haven't seen the other films it was up against, I can't really say if it deserved it or not, but it is still a decent film.

    Part of its impact is lost on mo... read moredern audiences, namely because this is from 1927, it's silent, and in sepia tones, as opposed to being modern, cgi-heavy, in color, and loaded up with balls to the wall sound effects. It's got a nicely hauntng and appropriate pipe organ score, but that's it as far as sound goes.

    The story is really basic, and something of a Top Gun for the 20s. it follows two WWI aviators and the girl they're leaving behind as they go off to fight the war. The plot isn't what makes this film special. That honor belongs to the awesome (even now) aerial combat scenes. They are staged well, look cool, and really make you appreciate the ahrd work and effort that goes into practical effects, as well as the touch of movie magic that is all but absent in this day and age. This is sappy and overlong, but still very entertaining and overwhelmingly charming.

    Clara Bow, the "It" girl of that era gets top billing, but that's misleading sicne she's not really the focus. She does good with what she's given though. The film belongs to Richard Arlen and Charles "Buddy" Rogers, and they're decent. THere's also a nice and important cameo from Gary Cooper, so that's cool.

    All in all, a good film, but maybe not the epic masterpiece some have hailed it as being. Well, maybe not a masterpiece in this day and age, but still pretty good.
  • jamers2011
    June 26, 2011
    jamers2011
    For my first silent film ever, Wings more than met my standards, it blew me away. Winner of the very first Best Picture Academy Award, this film is one that every movie buff should see. It really is one of the gems of the silent-film era. I went into this this having never experi... read moreenced a silent movie before and I absolutely loved it.

    For a simple story, this film still packs a powerful punch of emotion. The fact that the film has no dialogue makes the viewer have to try to connect to the story and characters. This makes the audience not only experience the emotion of the characters, but it also allows them to experience it in a way that modern film can't that often. The performances also added to this....Clara Bow, Charles Rogers, Richard Allen....they deliver good performances. The small appearance by Gary Cooper was also very nice.

    A thing that surprised me were the special effects. There was never a time in the film where I felt the battle scenes looked fake. They were in no way as real as in today's films, but for 1927, they were very nice.

    The music is very nice, too.

    Wings is a gem that everyone should see! See this film because it's the very first Oscar winner, but also because it represents one of the most influencial eras in film history. Do not let the 1927 release date keep you away, it's fantastic! I recommend this film to everyone.
  • ajv2688
    June 13, 2011
    ajv2688
    I can't believe I forgot to rate this movie! I saw it a long time ago on TV, and I just loved it. I want to see it again, though, since I don't remember much of it.
  • fb1619601747
    August 23, 2011
    fb1619601747
    So this was the original Best Picture winner...not a bad start. Some of the special effects in this film were very well made, and the story isn't bad either, as far as war epics go.
  • hypathio7
    June 5, 2009
    hypathio7
    When I first started my goal of seeing Oscar winning movies I started at the beginning. If this had not been so good, I probably would not have made it too far. I did not expect a film this old to be so action packed, but with bombs exploding and aerial dogfight maneuvers from ... read moreWWI this is an exciting pic. Yes, there's a melodramatic love triangle too. This is the only film I've seen with Clara Bow, but let me say, she really stands out.
  • MightySparks
    January 11, 2011
    MightySparks
    I really liked it, surprisingly. A few bits dragged on and the bubbles scene was really lame though. I liked the chemistry between the two guys; I 'felt' their friendship.
  • snakegeek1
    July 1, 2009
    snakegeek1
    I plan to review all of the films that won Best Picture. it's best to start at the beginning so here it is. I really have never been able to not be bored during silent films. the only exception is the 1925 version of the Phantom of the Opera. this movie really did bore me. that i... read mores simply because I'm used to the movies of later eras. this is not to say that I could not appreciate this film and the achievement that it was. there were some decent special effects (for 1927). it was all in all a decent film that I could appreciate but it still bored me. Final Verdict: I dunno I can't think of anything to replace this with. I'll say yes then.
  • lizzardb72688
    June 3, 2008
    lizzardb72688
    Very long, very old, lots of bubbles
  • cajiggle
    March 4, 2012
    cajiggle
    The first ever Best Picture Winner in 1927, this is one of only two silent films (2012's "The Artist" being the other) to ever win the big prize. The plot has been redone numerous times since and it sets the standard for all Best Picture winners and war movies to come. I was fort... read moreunate enough to see the newly remastered version with a new digitally enhanced picture and an updated musical score. The movie has never looked and sounded better. The movie falters in the Paris section, which takes about 15 minutes, boarding on silliness. But the final half hour is some of the most impressive ariel shots ever put on film. Remember, it was 1927 and CGI wouldn't be created until 50 years later. Despite the romantic story, it is really about two men who cope with being in war. The ending is quite emotional and the entire production is very ambitious, even by today's standards. It may not be the greatest Best Picture Winner, but it is the first one, and at least it starts things off on the right foot.

    Grade: A-
  • placeinthesun455
    February 1, 2012
    placeinthesun455
    a pretty tried-and-true love-and-war story with all the sentimental schmaltz the silent film era had to offer. in almost two and a half hours, both story and character development are surprisingly thin. some of the effects and cinematography are pretty impressive given the era,... read more but the movie as a whole is rather non-compelling as a drama. Buddy Rogers' "hero" character is actually rather detestable....though he often goes through changes of circumstance, he's the same oblivious schmuck through all of it. when all is said and done, this movie ends up being a varying combination of boring and cheesy--it just hasn't stood the test of time very well.

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Critic Reviews

February 17, 2009
TIME Magazine

The audience gulped down the plot as conventional but reliable stuff, watched with waning interest while spinning, swerving, dodging planes grew into confused monotony against a background of unpictur... Full Review

Sid Silverman
February 19, 2008
Sid Silverman, Variety

There not being so much of Clara Bow in the picture, or a straining for her to turn on that 'it' personality, she gives an all around corking performance. Full Review

Dave Kehr
December 12, 2006
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

It won the first Academy Award for best picture back in 1927, establishing a tradition of silliness that hasn't been broken to this day, but there is some thrilling flying footage and impressively exp... Full Review

Mordaunt Hall
May 12, 2001
Mordaunt Hall, New York Times

This feature gives one an unforgettable idea of the existence of these daring fighters. Full Review

James Berardinelli
August 12, 1927
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Admittedly, this movie has not aged as well as many of its contemporaries, but it's not hard to understand why it was accorded the Oscar (a term that, by the way, had not yet been coined). Full Review

Tim Brayton
March 4, 2012
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

Not a very unique, nor an especially artistic production, for sure, but it is one heck of an outstanding picture. Full Review

Sean Axmaker
February 19, 2012
Sean Axmaker, Parallax View

...the last of the grand studio epics of the silent film era. Full Review

Dan Lybarger
February 3, 2012
Dan Lybarger, KC Active

The main reason to see 'Wings' is some of the most jaw dropping areal footage ever shot. Keep in mind, these folks didn't have CGIs. Full Review

Josh Bell
January 23, 2012
Josh Bell, Filmcritic.com

It's exactly the kind of movie the Academy still loves today. Full Review

James Kendrick
January 23, 2012
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

its unadorned sense of realism sets Wings apart from so many special-effects-laden action movies today that exchange pixels for stuntmen and computer logarithms for physical reality Full Review

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