Gigantes do Céu

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.

1930's US Navy film with, oh boy, 2 great actors Wallace Berry and Clark Gable! I loved it from the shore leave aspects and the super vintage era aircraft (Derigibles too!) and ships that you'll hardly ever see because it was'nt during a "major" war. Highly recommended, I loved it ( but I am a big fan of the mentioned stars and a sailor so I'm definetly biased, LOL)!

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.

Just saw this for the first time on TV- lots of Navy history mixed in with a pretty decent plot. Seems unbelievable that Clark Gable was ever that young, but this is from 1931! The carrier that this was filmed aboard was the Navy's second real aircraft carrier, the Saratoga, and seeing her in original, unaltered condition is fascinating. Slight correction to one of the previous reviewers- the planes are Curtiss F8C-4 Helldivers, the first Navy plane to bear that name. One of the pilots that flew in the film from NAS North Island, was the very young John Thach, later to be the air tactician that figured out how to defend against the Mitsubishi Zero in World War II. All in all, an important historical record that should be on DVD!