Wings in the Dark

Fans of Grant are in for a treat in this lovely movie about finding love among the skies. Grant is joined by Myrna Loy as a flier who finds love with him, although they first have to overcome a series of terrible events that threaten the two. There are some beautiful scenes between the two leads and a sense of genuine emotion on the screen before you. This is only one of three times that Grant and Loy acted together but is one of their best onscreen efforts. It took me a long time to hunt out this movie but it was well worth it and I'd heartily recommend it to anyone.

Wings in the Dark is a pretty remarkable movie for its day. Yes, when you watch it now, it's almost laughable and the ending is so far-fetched it makes you anxious to leave when the credits roll. But back in 1935, it was rare for a story to be produced about a blind man. City Lights featured a damsel in distress who literally sold flowers on the street, but in this movie, the young and virile Cary Grant is blinded. His former profession was an acrobatic pilot, so you can imagine how depressed he gets when he can no longer see.

Myrna Loy loves Cary and believes in him, no matter what his condition or handicaps. When Cary tries to get a new lease on life by becoming a writer, Myrna shows her great love: she tells him he's a success and provides the royalties herself. She was also a stunt pilot before his accident, and to make money, she performs terrifying stunts that endanger her life. What a gal! I would recommend watching this old flick if the story interests you. Just keep in mind that they did have to sugar coat some aspects of being blind; it was 1935 and audiences didn't want Cary Grant to be too forlorn. I found it very interesting to watch Cary's seeing eye dog teach him how to survive.

It's always a treat to find an early Cary Grant movie. In this case it was a double treat since Myrna Loy played his love interest. Wings in the Dark (1935) showcases the talents of its two stars, despite the rather unbelievable plot of a recently blinded pilot (Cary Grant) who flies a plane configured with special navigating equipment he has created. While the movie ends on a typical melodramatic, if not predicable note, the movie is still one to catch. Cary Grant pulls together an admirable performance of an independent man who is suddenly blinded and goes through a myriad of emotions that come with the convalescence. This movie shows that Grant had depth as a serious actor. Catch him with two other movies with Myrna Loy, The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer, and Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.

WINGS IN THE DARK (Paramount, 1935), directed by James Flood, is an agreeable little 75-minute story that centers upon a pilot named Ken Gordon (Cary Grant), attempting to perfect instruments for safe flying through darkness and fog. While working with some chemicals, a gas explosion occurs, blinding him before he can ever prove his experiments successful.

Top billing goes to MGM star Myrna Loy, in her first film for Paramount since LOVE ME TONIGHT (1932) where she played the secondary role opposite Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald in the now regarded classic musical. Seeing Loy in this Paramount programmer comes as a surprise, especially since the studio had a roaster of contract players ranging from major names as Sylvia Sidney or Carole Lombard, to less important but familiar actresses as Frances Drake or Mary Brian (all who have worked opposite Grant at one time or another), but for the standpoint of the story as to whom would possibly be more satisfactory and believable in assuming the role as an aviatrix, or whose name on the marque would be important enough to draw attention, Loy, reaching the height of her career, became the chosen one. She is well cast as Sheila Mason, a woman flier who, feeling responsible for his accidental blindness, acquires a seeing eye dog (played by Lightning) for Ken. Not wanting to be pitied, he rejects the animal. Taking up residence in the country with his faithful mechanic/ friend, Mac (Hobart Cavanaugh), Ken attempts on becoming a writer in his spare time while adjusting to his life in darkness. As for Sheila, she secretly attempts in earning back Ken's finances by flying her airplane from Moscow to New York, only to risk her life going through intense fog and darkness.

Others in the cast include Roscoe Karns (Nick Williams, Sheila's manager); Dean Jagger (Tops Harmon); Bert Hanlon (Yip Morgan); Russell Hopton (Jake) and radio broadcaster Graham McNamee appearing as himself. Hobart Cavanaugh, a familiar face of countless movies throughout most of the 1930s and '40s, usually appearing without credit from minor to bits parts, ranging from drunks to mousy husbands, is given a sizeable part to good advantage as he did in, I COVER THE WATERFRONT (United Artists, 1933) opposite Ben Lyon and Claudette Colbert.

Not an important film by any means in spite of a its two leading actors, WINGS IN THE DARK could have been an important project with such a fine premise that might have worked into a powerful and dramatic theme. A fine mix of its central character coping with blindness and a well-scripted aviation story explores Grant's skill as a fine dramatic actor, especially how he handles himself as a blind man. Also recommended in similar themes are Grant's aviation adventure story of ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (Columbia, 1939) and PRIDE OF THE MARINES (Warners, 1945), starring John Garfield in a fact-based story of a soldier adjusting to life after losing his sight in battle during World War II.

With WINGS IN THE DARK being the initial pairing of Grant and Loy, they are best remembered today for THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY SOXER (1947) and MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE (1948) for RKO Radio Pictures. While these films have become notable comedy classics, thanks to frequent television revivals and availability on video cassette and later DVD, WINGS IN THE DARK, having played sporadically on commercial television in the 1960s and 70s, remains in the dark as being the least known of their three collaborations.

Close to being largely forgotten today, this little item has become available for viewing on DVD format. It is made watchable due to the fine combination of Myrna Loy and Cary Grant before they became superstars. (***)

Wings in the Dark (1935)

*** (out of 4)

Ken Gordon (Cary Grant) is a pilot who is trying to use technology so that other pilots will be able to fly blind. He meets stunt pilot Sheila Mason (Myrna Loy) but soon afterwards Ken is blinded in an accident. He soon hits depression but he believes now that he's really blind he can prove his technology.

WINGS IN THE DARK isn't a masterpiece or even a classic Hollywood picture but it's certainly an entertaining if rather routine drama that features two great stars and enough entertainment to make it worth watching. The film isn't one that was made to be an "A" picture but as far as a "B" film goes there's no doubt that it's very much worth watching.

There are a lot of cliché things in the picture even for 1935 standards. For starters, the entire story is rather predictable and especially in the way that it plays out. I'm not going to ruin the ending but you'll see it coming from a mile away and what happens at the very end was silly enough to where you'd have to right to boo it. Yes, the closing moments are really that bad! I'd also argue that the romance in the film really doesn't work either.

With that said, there are some terrific moments with the stunt sequences. The aerial flying sequences are extremely good and if you enjoy Hollywood films with real stunts then you'll certainly enjoy what's on display here. I'd also argue that both Grant and Loy were very good in their roles. Loy got the top-billing since Grant wasn't yet a star but it's his performance that steals the picture. I wouldn't say he gave one of the greatest performances by an actor playing someone who is blind but I thought the actor did a really good job in the scenes where his character acts out his frustration.

WINGS IN THE DARK will certainly appeal to fans of the two stars and they're both good enough to make it worth watching.