Rival fighter-pilots train in the art of dive bombing while teasing each other about their bravery and manliness. They wind up stranded and must work together for a common goal.Rival fighter-pilots train in the art of dive bombing while teasing each other about their bravery and manliness. They wind up stranded and must work together for a common goal.Rival fighter-pilots train in the art of dive bombing while teasing each other about their bravery and manliness. They wind up stranded and must work together for a common goal.
- Awards
- 3 wins total
Virginia Bruce
- Girl
- (scenes deleted)
John Kelly
- Sailor
- (scenes deleted)
Eric Alden
- Sailor
- (uncredited)
John George
- Barfly
- (uncredited)
Sherry Hall
- Naval Officer
- (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley
- Commander of the 'Los Angeles'
- (uncredited)
Featured reviews
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.
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.
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)!
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.
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!
This is an excellent vehicle for Wallace Beery and Clark Gable(in what would become standard roles for both of them). Lots of nice real life footage of the Saratoga V (sunk in Bikini Atoll by two atomic blasts in Bikini Atoll in 1946). If you want to see bi-planes taking off and landing on an aircraft carrier this movie is for you!!!. also, i believe they used footage of the 27 Jan 1928 mooring of the rigid air ship Los Angeles to the aircraft carrier. If you don't like those glossy-cheesy MGM movies this is the exception. Way above average early talkie movie and a piece of history too.
Did you know
- TriviaFlight operations were filmed aboard the USS Saratoga. Scenes of planes landing on the carrier deck were edited post-production to obscure the actual operation of the aircraft arresting gear.
- GoofsThe under-wing bombs appear and disappear in many shots. Often a plane will be shown taxiing with bombs under the wing, then taking off and flying with no bombs. When the bombing runs begin, the bombs are again visible.
- Quotes
CPO Steve Nelson: And if you want to know what this is, it's a bomb! And there's enough T.N.T. in it to blow us to Smithereens.
Ann Mitchell: I've always wanted to go to Smithereens.
- ConnectionsEdited into L'aigle vole au soleil (1957)
- SoundtracksAnchors Aweigh
(1906) (uncredited)
Written by Charles A. Zimmerman
Lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles and R. Lovell
Played during the opening credits
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Les Plongeurs de l'Enfer
- Filming locations
- USS Saratoga CV-3(Flight deck operations)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 1h 49m(109 min)
- Color
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