Ace of Aces

Ace Of Aces casts Richard Dix as a sculptor who is determined just not to get involved in the war even after the USA enters. But those were jingoistic years and when his own girlfriend Elizabeth Allan shames him into it he joins the Army and gets into the new Army Air Corps.

Once he's involved Dix discovers he has a taste for war and gets real good at combat flying. Others who aren't as good get dead and soon. But he's taken up by the media and is soon like Eddie Rickenbacker, the Ace Of Aces. And Elizabeth Allan does not like what she sees when she visits the front doing war work.

Dix gives a fine performance, one of the best I've seen in his talkie period. Very good use is made of the combat footage. It might very well have been outtakes from Howard Hughes's Hell's Angels or Paramount's Wings instead of the real deal or a combination. Still it's effectively added in.

Kudos also go to Ralph Bellamy as Dix's immediate superior who doesn't like him and has him figured out very well. One big flaw is the film has an obviously tacked on ending.

Ace Of Aces still holds up well after eight decades and ranks up high with aviation themed films.

Considering the era it was made this film was very well made. Of all the fluff that came out of Hollywood I'm sure this was a pleasant change of pace for moviegoers of the day and is still worth watching some 70 + years later.

War and especially combat change a man and usually not for the better for a long time if not for life. This movie went into the dark corners of these human transformations. Great acting, writing, and directing was put into this effort.

Richard Dix was well chosen for the lead of this film as the role called for a tough character in this lead role of fighter pilot ace. Although Mr. Dix is not as well known in film history as Gable or Bogart he was very popular back in the 30's and 40's and a leading man. His untimely death at age 56 shortened a great career. If you get the chance to see this movie, please seize the opportunity to view some real Hollywood history.

Rocky and Nancy, couple in love, when War is declared (WWI, in spite of their early 30s clothing). Rocky (played by Richard Dix) compares soldiers to lemmings "trying to reach a goal that doesn't exist" - Nancy (Elizabeth Allan) thinks her man is "yellow" as she pushes him into going to battle. Next thing you know, Rocky has joined an Aero Squadron and is encamped in a barracks full of nicknamed comrades and a menagerie of "mascots" not limited to a goat, pig, chimp, parrot, and Rocky's personal mascot, a cute little lion cub (actually, he looked sort of like a leopard to me). Rocky starts out fighting his morals against shooting another man - but not for long, it seems, as Rocky gets pretty darn aggressive amazingly quickly - the war has completely gone to his head as Rocky turns into the fighting ace of all aces!

This film is a bit hit or miss - parts of it are good, other parts are quite slow-moving and boring. Richard Dix gives a somewhat hammy performance and there are some pretty fake looking kisses between the two leads, a real lack of chemistry there, I would say. BUT - there is some interesting photography in the air battle scenes, and a few other interesting scenes here and there, especially notable is a scene where Dix is confronted by one of the German soldiers he shot down, now on his death bed. Okay film.

This movie, along with the similar EAGLE AND THE HAWK and ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, is an excellent anti-war film made during the 1930s. It's completely original and unusual enough to merit you watching it. So what's so unusual about it? Well, Richard Dix plays a pacifist who only reluctantly agrees to go to war. However, once he becomes a fighter pilot and gets a taste for blood, his personality changes dramatically. Gone is the decent soul who had once longed to become a famous sculptor and in its place was a man who lived to kill--enjoying every minute of it! While this certainly isn't true of everyone who goes to war, the notion that personalities can dramatically change thanks to the carnage is an excellent point to make indeed.

Idealistic young sculptor Richard Dix (as Rex "Rocky" Thorne) decides not to enlist when President Woodrow Wilson calls for US soldiers to enter the Great War (aka World War I). A pacifist, Mr. Dix explains, "I just don't like the idea of killing my fellow man." His pretty Boston fiancée Elizabeth Allan (as Nancy Adams) calls Dix a coward and joins the war effort as a nurse. Suddenly ashamed, Dix enlists as a fighter pilot. On his first day with the squadron, in France, Dix is sent out on a mission. At first he is unable to kill his fellow man. But, when shot at, Dix turns into the Germans' worst nightmare, killing them at breakneck speed. Soon, Dix holds the record for the most kills...

During the heat of battle, Dix and Ms. Allan find their views on war have evolved...

This is a fine 1930s (anti-) war film, with exciting airborne battle scenes. The photography, by Henry Cronjager and Vernon Walker, is a highlight. In the leading role, Dix seems miscast, however. Many older men enlisted in both World Wars, but he appears too old for the role. The script might have been altered to include some mention of him getting a late start in marriage and claiming to be "too old for war." Even then, the part probably should have been played by a more delicate actor. Best supporting player is Theodore Newton (as Foster 'Frogy' Kelley). His first scene, introducing Dix to the squadron, is so good you can almost hear director J Walter Ruben yell, "Cut, print!" Yes, he nailed it.

****** Ace of Aces (1933-10-20) J. Walter Ruben ~ Richard Dix, Elizabeth Allan, Theodore Newton, Ralph Bellamy