Flight Commander

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Audience Member This was the original "Dawn Patrol" which was renamed to differentiate it from the 1938 remake with Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone. The producers recycled all the aerial footage from this film, and the alcohol consumption was equally copious. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 05/25/24 Full Review Steve D A real downer but powerful stuff. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/24/23 Full Review David K The strength of this version of the film are the aerial stunts. They are timeless. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/02/23 Full Review Audience Member I think I'd seen this decades ago as it was Late Show fare on TV for ages. I saw the 1938 remake entitled "The Dawn Patrol" recently. My recollection was that the original was a better film, but upon reviewing it I see that the acting in the leads wasn't as good as Flynn, Rathbone, and Niven were. The performances here are laughably wooden, barely an improvement over the silent film era that had just ended. I caught one or two places where the dialog is interrupted in mid-sentence as if the actor had momentarily forgotten the line, but the director didn't shoot another take. This had originally been titled "The Dawn Patrol," too, but was retitled after the 1938 remake. I'd say the only thing done better here is that they didn't show the fliers swilling down quite as much straight liquor as in the remake. A side-by-side comparison between the two films shows the technical advances made in movie production over an eight year span. Most of the aerial footage and special effects footage of the original were taken intact for the remake, so that one is just as hokey as this one once our cast is airborne. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member The Troubles facing a WW 1 British flying squadron with a high casualty rate. It's a conventional war movie that's rough around the edges as an early talkie, but has strong character work especially from Fairbanks, Barthelmess, and Hamilton. The film could use a score to enhance the experience but there are two fantastic action sequences with stunning aerial photography and stunts, particularly the raid on the German camp. The handing over of power to a new commanding officer is an interesting device that I don't think I've seen explored in another film. A few bad performances and an over reliance on clunky exposition. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member Early talkie has a creaky plot but impressive aerial sequences. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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