This is an amusing precode comedy from several folks who specialized in farces. Director Edward Sutherland who had been a Keystone Cop for Mack Sennett during the silent film days brings a zany sensibility to an already funny script co-authored by humorist Robert Benchley. There are plenty of screwball elements involving two would-be flyers (Spencer Tracy and George Cooper) who end up behind enemy lines and ultimately save the day, similar to how Buster Keaton operated in DOUGHBOYS (1930).
Of course, the main reason for making the film was so that producer Howard Hughes could use leftover aerial footage from his epic war flick HELL'S ANGELS (1930). There are plenty of flying sequences with some nail-biting stunts, here played for laughs. In addition to the moments in the air, we have a few romantic interludes down on the ground that involve Tracy, an antagonistic sergeant (William 'Stage' Boyd) and a showgirl (Ann Dvorak, who'd also appear in Hughes' gangster picture SCARFACE the same year).
Helped by a talented supporting cast, Tracy and Dvorak come off the best. Despite a continuously raucous turn of events, the pair bring an earnest quality to the scenes in which they meet and start to spend time together. Tracy's character is always on the edge of deserting the army, or at least being accused of it. And at one point, Dvorak is considered to be a possible spy for the Germans. But all those outlandish plot points aside, the real focus is their growing relationship. It's interesting to see these skilled actors early in their careers, not quite the stars they'd inevitably become a short time later.
While this isn't exactly a memorable motion picture, it is still a pleasant enough time passer. A lot of the dialogue has characters uttering sarcastic lines and most of these quips elicit a chuckle. Tracy, in particular, is most adept at comedy and seems to be having an enjoyable time participating in the nonsense. There's a hilarious bit early in the film where he and Cooper end up in the back of a dump truck with hay and manure, which they were not able to do with a straight face.
Other reviewers may comment about the anachronistic fashions on screen. Yes, Ann Dvorak's character seems to wear clothing and sport a hairstyle that belongs to the early 1930s, not the late 1910s. However, I think we can overlook some of these historical goofs, when the end result is so much fun to watch.
Of course, the main reason for making the film was so that producer Howard Hughes could use leftover aerial footage from his epic war flick HELL'S ANGELS (1930). There are plenty of flying sequences with some nail-biting stunts, here played for laughs. In addition to the moments in the air, we have a few romantic interludes down on the ground that involve Tracy, an antagonistic sergeant (William 'Stage' Boyd) and a showgirl (Ann Dvorak, who'd also appear in Hughes' gangster picture SCARFACE the same year).
Helped by a talented supporting cast, Tracy and Dvorak come off the best. Despite a continuously raucous turn of events, the pair bring an earnest quality to the scenes in which they meet and start to spend time together. Tracy's character is always on the edge of deserting the army, or at least being accused of it. And at one point, Dvorak is considered to be a possible spy for the Germans. But all those outlandish plot points aside, the real focus is their growing relationship. It's interesting to see these skilled actors early in their careers, not quite the stars they'd inevitably become a short time later.
While this isn't exactly a memorable motion picture, it is still a pleasant enough time passer. A lot of the dialogue has characters uttering sarcastic lines and most of these quips elicit a chuckle. Tracy, in particular, is most adept at comedy and seems to be having an enjoyable time participating in the nonsense. There's a hilarious bit early in the film where he and Cooper end up in the back of a dump truck with hay and manure, which they were not able to do with a straight face.
Other reviewers may comment about the anachronistic fashions on screen. Yes, Ann Dvorak's character seems to wear clothing and sport a hairstyle that belongs to the early 1930s, not the late 1910s. However, I think we can overlook some of these historical goofs, when the end result is so much fun to watch.