Wartime commanders have the nasty job of sending men to do battle, often resulting in their death. In this film, flight commander Basil Rathbone gets telephone orders from the high command for the morning flights, and relays these to squadron commander Errol Flynn, who has the unenviable job of picking the men for the job. Complaining about the men's inexperience or the rickety planes does no good, since it is their duty to do as they are told, and everyone obeys. On this particular day, Flynn has to pick two replacement pilots who have little experience, which often means their death. It was odd to hear one pilot who was not picked remark "Lucky devils" as the two who were picked entered their planes, when I thought "Poor devils." This show of bravado seems to be just a mask for their fear. We hear the men often singing a song with a last line ending "Hoorah for the next man who dies."
I never fully understood the relationship enemy pilots had with one another in films set during WWI. They often did not behave as hated enemies, but rather as part of an elite club. There is a telling and very dramatic scene where a downed and captured German pilot, Carl Esmond, is brought into the quarters where the pilots gather to drink and sing. He was the one who shot down David Niven, thought to be dead, and was, in turn, shot down by Flynn. Flynn's face turns grim as he walks toward the man who he thought just killed his best friend. It looked like Flynn was going to take a poke at him, but he smiles, takes his hand and drinks a toast with him. Only Peter Willes, whose two friends were recently killed in combat, lets his true feelings surface as he lunges at Esmond and has to be forcibly restrained. He then blasts at Flynn: "You laugh with him - joke with him - a man that just murdered your best friend. He's dead! You know that, don't you! Don't you! And so is Blaine and Madchen, my best friends. They're dead! They aren't coming home anymore! I believe you've forgotten Scotty already." These were my sentiments exactly (and probably the writer's). When Niven walks in very much alive and meets the man who nearly killed him, they hug and drink a toast together!
As fate would have it, the realities of possible death shake up both Flynn and Niven. Flynn is made flight commander and is ordered to put every available man in the air to stave off a big push by the Germans. And one of the new replacements is Niven's kid brother, Morton Lowry, with only nine hours of training experience. Nivens pleads with Flynn not to send him up, but there can be no exceptions and orders must be followed. To make matters worse, the feared German flying ace, Von Richter (Norman Willis), has joined the German flying force. Lowry didn't have a chance, and his death causes a deep rift in Niven's and Flynn's friendship. It is mended weeks later when Niven volunteers for a near suicide mission to fly alone and bomb a German armament dump 60 kilometers inside the German lines. Flynn gets Niven drunk and goes in his place, but three German planes, including one piloted by Von Richter, goes after him.
I never fully understood the relationship enemy pilots had with one another in films set during WWI. They often did not behave as hated enemies, but rather as part of an elite club. There is a telling and very dramatic scene where a downed and captured German pilot, Carl Esmond, is brought into the quarters where the pilots gather to drink and sing. He was the one who shot down David Niven, thought to be dead, and was, in turn, shot down by Flynn. Flynn's face turns grim as he walks toward the man who he thought just killed his best friend. It looked like Flynn was going to take a poke at him, but he smiles, takes his hand and drinks a toast with him. Only Peter Willes, whose two friends were recently killed in combat, lets his true feelings surface as he lunges at Esmond and has to be forcibly restrained. He then blasts at Flynn: "You laugh with him - joke with him - a man that just murdered your best friend. He's dead! You know that, don't you! Don't you! And so is Blaine and Madchen, my best friends. They're dead! They aren't coming home anymore! I believe you've forgotten Scotty already." These were my sentiments exactly (and probably the writer's). When Niven walks in very much alive and meets the man who nearly killed him, they hug and drink a toast together!
As fate would have it, the realities of possible death shake up both Flynn and Niven. Flynn is made flight commander and is ordered to put every available man in the air to stave off a big push by the Germans. And one of the new replacements is Niven's kid brother, Morton Lowry, with only nine hours of training experience. Nivens pleads with Flynn not to send him up, but there can be no exceptions and orders must be followed. To make matters worse, the feared German flying ace, Von Richter (Norman Willis), has joined the German flying force. Lowry didn't have a chance, and his death causes a deep rift in Niven's and Flynn's friendship. It is mended weeks later when Niven volunteers for a near suicide mission to fly alone and bomb a German armament dump 60 kilometers inside the German lines. Flynn gets Niven drunk and goes in his place, but three German planes, including one piloted by Von Richter, goes after him.