#806: HAWKS, Howard: Only Angels Have Wings (1939)

HAWKS, Howard (United States)

Only Angels Have Wings [1939]

Spine #806
Blu-ray

Electrified by crackling dialogue and the visual craftsmanship of the great Howard Hawks, Only Angels Have Wings stars Jean Arthur as a traveling entertainer who gets more than she bargained for during a stopover in a South American port town. There she meets a handsome and aloof daredevil pilot, played by Cary Grant, who runs an airmail company, staring down death while servicing towns in treacherous mountain terrain. Both attracted to and repelled by his romantic sense of danger, she decides to stay on, despite his protestations. This masterful and mysterious adventure, featuring Oscar-nominated special effects, high-wire aerial photography, and Rita Hayworth in a small but breakout role, explores Hawk's recurring themes of masculine codes and the strong-willed women who question them.

121 minutes
Black & White

Monaural

1:37:1 aspect ratio

Criterion Release 2016

Director/Writers

Screenplay by Jules Furthman.

Howard Hawks was 43 when he directed Only Angels Have Wings.

Other Hawks films in the Collection:

#849: His Girl Friday (1940)
#709: Red River (1948)

The Film

A

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Twelve-page wraparound featuring an essay by critic Michael Sragow.

Commentary

None.

Audio excerpts

From a 1972 conversation between filmmakers Hawks and Peter Bogdanovich.

Interview

With film critic David Thomson.

Howard Hawks and His Aviation Movies

A program featuring film scholars Craig Barron and Ben Burtt.

Lux Radio Theatre

Adaptation of the film from 1939, starring Grant, Arthur, Hayworth, Barthelmess, and Mitchell, and hosted by filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille.

Trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

99

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