Movie Reviewed: Wings (1927), starring Clara Bow

Movie Reviewed: Wings (1927), starring Clara Bow

Paramount Studio’s epic movie of 1927 starring Clara Bow

This is a romantic drama set during WWI starring Clara Bow. John Monk Saunders, the writer and an ex-airman of WWI took the idea of this story too Jessy Lasky who went to Paramount to make this war epic to match MGM's 1925 hit, The Big Parade. Paramount also received the cooperation of Air Force in a big way since they had to use thousands of soldiers, hundreds of planes, and airmen. The air force schools in San Antonio, TX were also available for filming the flying scenes. Paramount took some risk in assigning this expensive project into the hands an inexperienced director, John Wellman. His only qualification was that he had the necessary aviation expertize; he was a much medaled flyer in WWI, and later as a stunt pilot. He had a burning enthusiasm to do this film. Casting was done with shrewd eye on fan appeal. Top roles were given to up-and-comers Charles "Buddy" Rogers and Richard Arlen as airmen pals who are in love with the beautiful Clara Bow. The climatic scene is that Rogers mistakenly shoots and kills Arlen and the real story is Bow is actually in love with Arlen.

The highlight of the movie is war in action with stunning photography of flying sequences. It is brilliant display of stunts for a movie made in 1927. All were actual scenes without any faking or process shots that ran Paramount to a total of $2 million in expenses, but turned out to be a very profitable investment for the studio. Wings won the Academy Award for the best picture in the very first Academy Award Ceremony. Gary Cooper has a minor role in the movie which also bought him a contract with Paramount Studios. This is a real treat for war movie fans. Clara Bow's appearance in the movie is limited, but she is fascinating to watch.