Plot #1 is the love triangle between two guys and one girl as they grow into adults and affiliate themselves in the new aircraft industry. Plot #2 is aircraft evolution from the days of Wilbur and Orville Wright to just prior to WWII. 'Men with Wings' enabled director William A. Wellman to combine his twin enthusiasms for both aviation and Technicolor, but ultimately fails to live up to its soaring title. It starts well in 1903 with its lead trio (including the young Donald O'Connor) as kids experimenting with a kite in the fields of rural America, picturesquely staged in rich early Technicolor by Oscar-winning cameraman W.Howard Greene.<br/><br/>The film's high spot is the magnificent flying sequence depicting a dog fight between WWI biplanes against a Technicolor blue sky and enormous fluffy white clouds. The film continues to look ravishing throughout, as does the lovely Louise Campbell, but after the war ends and she ends up with the wrong guy, soap opera begins to take over the plot, and models take over the flying scenes. <br/><br/>It's interesting to see the various familiar faces in supporting roles in colour, and although MacMurray is top billed, the real hero (apart from the aircraft) is plainly Milland. This movie ruined my life! I, too, first saw this movie when I was 9 years old and have never forgotten it. It only hooked me on flying and led to a 30 year career in aviation. I would be love to find a copy of if there is one extant. As I remember it, it was in vivid color and had an outstanding cast. I understand that it has not been copied to video. Too bad, at age 74 I still remember the line by Walter Abel as the fatally burned Nick Ranson (and father of Virginia Weidler's Peggy Ranson) … "Tell them, when they crash, to turn off the switches!" In 52 years of flying, I have never crashed, but I always turned off the ignition. :-)
Yuleinn replied
372 weeks ago