I cavalieri del cielo

I was either 12 or 13 when I saw this movie and it probably had much to do with my becoming a United States Air Force pilot. Shortly after I saw the movie my father and I attended the grand opening of Ellington Field in Houston and I saw a P-38 and fell in love with aviation.

I have seen the movie again in recent years and after twenty-nine years in the Air Force tend to pick the movie apart for the "Hollywood" production which is frequently quite different from the real world. However, it was an outstanding movie for its time and I probably have many fellow aviators that this movie influenced when they were young and impressionable.

When Constance Bennet's character is sitting on the tail of the bomber taking pictures, she's using a range finder camera. When she jumps down, she's now holding a TLR (twin lens reflex).

I Wanted Wings has a lot of heavyweights in the cast; William Holden, Veronica Lake, Ray Milland, and Brian Donlevy. The production values are first-rate and it is right up there with Air Force, one of the best Air Pilot movies of all time. Even Wayne Morris was good, and he wasn't even playing a detective.

There was only one part of the film that I found unbelievable. How anyone would dump Veronica Lake for Constance Bennett is well beyond my comprehension. Veronica Lake was SMOKIN HOT!. I would landed one of those planes in Yankee Stadium to get a date with her. Other than that, the training of what would shortly become WW 2 pilots was very incisive. The script was believable, and the cinematography first-rate. It reminded me a bit of An Officer and a Gentleman. Recommended

The story begins at a court martial. Jeff (Ray Milland) is in serious trouble and Al (William Holden) appears to speak up for him. Al's story is told in a flashback that lasts the duration of the film. There were three cadets in flight school who are friends. Jeff is a rich but nice guy, Al is a poor gas station attendant and Tom is a happy goofball. The film follows them through flight school, showing their ups and downs. In addition, there is a side story about Al and his short relationship with a real screw-ball, Sally (Veronica Lake). She is, to put it bluntly, unhinged and when he drops her, she vows to destroy him! And, during the rest of the picture she appears periodically to cause chaos (probably what psychotherapists would label a 'Borderline personality').

Aside from making all three cadets too impulsive and stupid at times, this is a rather enjoyable film. I particularly enjoy airplane flicks. Like many of Hollywood's films from 1940-41, it seems as if the movie folks knew US involvement in WWII would begin soon and so they began making movies glorifying the military and, in particular, making military training look wonderful (such as in "Caught in the Draft", "High Flyers" and "Buck Privates").

I Wanted Wings has its place in Hollywood history because of winning the Best Special Effects Oscar for 1941. It's story about three men who wanted to become pilots in the Army Air Corps and the women who loved them is a bit dated.

Ray Milland, William Holden, and Wayne Morris are three very different types looking to be pilots. Milland is a well known playboy from the Long Island horsey set, Morris a good natured football jock, and Holden a poor garage mechanic who wants to better himself. It all comes real easy for Milland while the other two have to sweat out under the tutelage of Flight Instructor Brian Donlevy who they keep running into no matter where they go in the Army Air Corps.

The women in their lives are Constance Moore photo journalist doing a cover story for a magazine like Life or Look and sultry nightclub singer Veronica Lake. Holden and she have a past, but she's got her eyes set on Milland's millions.

I Wanted Wings is of course at its best in the air. Director Mitchell Leisen is invading territory that normally belonged to William Wellman, still Leisen does a nice job with material he normally wouldn't be assigned to. I'm guessing Paramount wanted Wellman for director, but he was probably tied up someplace else.

These guys are all a wee bit too noble though, especially Holden who was getting type cast in what he called his 'Smiling Jim' roles. As for Milland, I'm not sure why everyone keeps going out of their way to pull his chestnuts out of the fire.

Veronica Lake got her first real big break it's with here that Leisen's talents shine. This was where the famous peekaboo hairdo with the accompanying come hither glance was invented.

I agree with other reviewers that the film was too long by about 25 minutes. Still I Wanted Wings should please the aviation fans out there.