Hell Divers

Clark Gable's on-screen persona was becoming more popular in his second year in Hollywood with each movie he appeared. He reached new heights by sharing top billing with MGM's highest paid actor, Wallace Beery, in January 1932's "Hell Divers." In this United States Naval aviation action film, Beery and Gable play rivals as aerial gunners in the Navy's Squadron One Battle Force. The flying squadron, stationed on one of the newer aircraft carriers at the time, the USS Saratoga, was made up of Curtiss F8C-4 bombers, nicknamed "Helldivers." The Navy fully cooperated with MGM, giving cinematographer Charles Marshall as much access he needed to film the aviators flying the Helldivers throughout the San Diego North Island Naval Air Station vacinity.

"Hell Divers" was the second film between Beery and Gable, who later admitted he hated working with the seasoned actor. The film's similar storyline to "What Price Glory?" shows the pair's characters first at odds with one another, then bonding in the concluding scenes. Gable experienced two enduring qualities that he came to appreciate from the film: the larger part further elevated his visibility with the public, and his drinking habits changed by introducing him to gin with a wedge of lemon, a favorite beverage for the Navy men whom he associated with while making the film. After seeing the fliers sucking a slice of lemon between gulps, he adopted this method for the remainder of his life.

"Hell Divers" was George Hill's second to last film he directed before an auto accident in 1934 cut his life short. He had a string of hits throughout his career, becoming more successful when talkies arrived, including 1930's "The Big House" and 1931's "Min and Bill." His marriage to screenwriter Frances Marion in 1930 ended in divorce three years later. Hill directed one more film after "Hell Divers" in 1933 before he was assigned to Pearl Buck's book adaptation in "The Good Earth." Severe injuries he sustained from a 1934 car crash made him so despondent that he was found with self-inflicted gunshot wounds inside his Venice, California, beach house in August 1934. He was 39 years old.

For years and years Hell Divers was not available and the only bit we saw from this film occurs in Wings Of Eagles where a clip from this is shown as some of the characters there remarked about that new young actor with the big ears who was proving to be a sensation. Ironic as all get out since Clark Gable had been let go three years earlier from MGM after being the franchise star that studio was built around. I certainly did want to see all of Hell Divers and I have to say I was not disappointed.

Wings Of Eagles was about Frank Wead who wrote the original story for Hell Divers and MGM spared no expense on the budget in bringing this one to the big screen. Some nice navy footage is integrated well into Wead's story about two navy CPOS who are constantly at war with each other on and off duty. This was Clark Gable's best role to date and he had to keep on his toes lest Wallace Beery steal the film. Which Beery certainly tries.

It's really bad between the two of them as Beery hires Marie Prevost to come on to Gable in front of Dorothy Jordan who Gable wants to marry. Gable doesn't take that lying down, but he doesn't really have to do too much because Beery fouls up all on his own quite nicely. He even loses a grade in rank. In the end though Gable, Beery, and pilot Conrad Nagel are all in a tight spot and the navy comradeship comes through in the end.

Look also for a very nice and understated performance by Marjorie Rambeau who is Beery's long suffering gal pal. She tries to smooth out some of the rough edges in Beery without success.

Naval aviation buffs will get a real treat looking at Uncle Sam's Navy in 1930 and the Saratoga one of our earliest aircraft carriers. Lots to recommend with Hell Divers.

Okay, I know that most Wallace Beery films are pretty formulaic and superficial. However, this doesn't mean they were bad. Very few of his films were bad, though many fall in the average category. However, occasionally, his films rose above the mundane, such as DINNER AT EIGHT, GRAND HOTEL, MIN AND BILL and this film. While I will admit this movie isn't up to the standards of the three films I listed, it does approach them in quality and is a decent effort for him and new-comer Clark Gable. In particular, if you are a Gable or airplane buff, like me, you will love this film. It features a lot of great flying sequences you just won't see in many films of the era. Our aircraft carriers and dirigibles just weren't seen as being very important and weren't shown in many films during the Depression era. So, from a purely historic point of view, this is an important film. When you add good acting and dialog and an exciting script, you have an excellent film well worth your time.

This typically polished MGM effort features one of its established actors – Beery – opposite new kid on the block Gable (before he was old enough to grow a moustache). It's one of few films the pair made together, reportedly because they never really hit it off (Beery is said to have even turned down a role in MGM's Mutiny on the Bounty because he didn't want to work with Gable). Then again, Beery, a lovable old lug on the screen, was a fairly unpleasant character in real life, with rumours of manslaughter, meanness and abuse of women and children surrounding him to this day.

The film's plot could take place anywhere and at anytime really. That was the beauty of the studio product in the 30s: they could just keep churning out the same story with a different cast set in a different period and the masses would happily pay the money to watch them all. This one features some terrific aerial shots of old biplanes and some truly bizarre heroics (Gable hanging upside down from a plane with one hand holding a bomb to prevent it from exploding when the plane lands for instance). There are a few funny moments too, the best of which is the incidents that lead to Beery and Gable duking it out just minutes after having finally made friends.

It's a squadron of Navy Hell Divers in training. Steve Nelson (Clark Gable) is the hot shot new arrival. Squad leader Windy Riker is concerned with the new challenger. Steve has girlfriend Ann Mitchell.

I love the planes and I really love the early aircraft carrier and I really really love the planes landing on the aircraft carrier. As for the actors, this has Clark Gable and I'm sure the others are well known at the time. The story needs the girl in a love triangle with the two guys. I'm not in love with either guy or the relationship or the plot in general. It's all about the aerial visuals. I have to assume that the planes would be interesting for the audience of its day but the aircraft carrier would be truly eye-opening. Landing on one was probably something not seen by the general public. There are some great flying footage and real shooting from battleships. That stuff is all amazing. They do use miniatures and projection background but that's to be expected. Just watch for the real thing because it's great. The other stuff is rather boring.