WINGS OF THE NAVY

US, 1939, 89 minutes, Black and white.
George Brent, Olivia de Havilland, John Payne, Frank Mc Hugh, John Litel, Victor Jory, Henry O' Neill.
Directed by Lloyd Bacon.

At the end of the 1930s, on the eve of war in Europe, and in 1940, 1941, on the eve of Pearl Harbor, the American studios made a number of films about military developments, the Navy and, especially, the air force – Dive Bomber, Captains of the Clouds…

This film is earlier but is in this vein, a look at developments in the structuring capacity of planes, pilots testing the planes, and the enthusiasm of those joining the air force. To that extent, it is a propaganda piece.

The material is familiar and the film not so interesting to watch except as an example of filmmaking at the time, the issue of planes and warfare, and the cast and their careers.

George Brent, even more stolid than usual, is the older brother of John Payne. At the opening, a memorial to their inventor father is unveiled, with very patriotic sentiments. He was an air force man and George Brent plays an inventor and pilot. John Payne is in submarines but wants to join the air force – always competitive with his brother.

The film spends a lot of time in showing the recruits going to Pensacola, Florida, to train, some eliminated because of heart murmurs, others, like Frank Mc Hugh, commercial cropduster who signs up. He provides a lot of the comedy, clashing with authorities, putting his foot in it, but eventually succeeding.

George Brent, very serious minded, continues his plane designs but is involved in an accident. John Payne, brash at times, continues his training in the air force and, of course, despite hesitations, volunteers to go up in the testing of the plane, suffering from height blackouts but ultimately succeeding.

The other complication is Olivia the Havilland. George Brent is in love with her and she with him. However, as he has to be absent from Florida, he entrusts her to his brother, even though he realises that his brother is in love with her. She has to face the dilemma of love and the realities of loyalty. This is a rather upright film and she stays with George Brent.

Direction is by Lloyd Bacon, a regular of so many genre films of Warner Brothers at this time.