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The Lost Squadron

Play trailer Poster for The Lost Squadron Released Mar 12, 1932 1h 19m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
After World War I, Army flying ace "Gibby" Gibson (Richard Dix) follows his actress girlfriend (Mary Astor) to Hollywood, Calif., even though she's spurned him for the despotic Prussian film director Arthur von Furst (Erich von Stroheim). Gibby and his friends, Woody (Robert Armstrong) and Red (Joel McCrea), begin working as stunt pilots for von Furst, but the filmmaker's quest for realistic war footage leads them into life-or-death situations -- and soon, the jealous director goes too far.

Critics Reviews

View All (6) Critics Reviews
Variety Staff Variety It is not without authority, even though the dramatics are a bit strained. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Geoff Andrew Time Out With a cynically acidic script by Herman J Mankiewicz, among others, this early talkie is one of the most enjoyably scabrous examples of Hollywood on Hollywood. Nov 4, 2006 Full Review Mordaunt Hall New York Times It is an excellent melodrama, ably directed, with a background familiar to producers -- for it is chiefly concerned with stunt flying before the cameras in Hollywood and a film director is the evil genius. Nov 4, 2006 Full Review Don Q. Cine-Mundial The film had to come out entertaining. [Full review in Spanish] Apr 6, 2020 Full Review TV Guide Bizarre but absorbing. Rated: 3/4 Sep 29, 2014 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Penned in a delightfully nasty cynical way by Herman Mankiewicz. Rated: B Aug 4, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (4) audience reviews
Steve D Ok flight film with little for its actors to do. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/05/23 Full Review Russ G Eric von Stroheim was often cast in the role of an imperious film director, and here he is filling in for Howard Hawks on the set of a rip-off of Dawn Patrol. Much of the story arc is predictable from the broken airplanes to the broken hearts, but Depression-era audiences must have eaten this B-movie fare up. OK for modern audiences looking to see Mary Astor in something other than The Maltese Falcon. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/16/22 Full Review Audience Member another good pre-code airplane picture Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a decent early 30's flying drama with the backdrop of the film studios' employing out of work war pilots. It's only the flying scenes that really give it any edge as it's fairly dull tug-of-war relationship stories when their on the ground. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Lost Squadron

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Cast & Crew

Morning Glory 60% 45% Morning Glory Watchlist The Informer 89% 77% The Informer Watchlist Kitty Foyle 75% 73% Kitty Foyle Watchlist The Hunchback of Notre Dame 94% 87% The Hunchback of Notre Dame Watchlist The Magnificent Ambersons 89% 84% The Magnificent Ambersons Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis After World War I, Army flying ace "Gibby" Gibson (Richard Dix) follows his actress girlfriend (Mary Astor) to Hollywood, Calif., even though she's spurned him for the despotic Prussian film director Arthur von Furst (Erich von Stroheim). Gibby and his friends, Woody (Robert Armstrong) and Red (Joel McCrea), begin working as stunt pilots for von Furst, but the filmmaker's quest for realistic war footage leads them into life-or-death situations -- and soon, the jealous director goes too far.
Director
George Archainbaud
Producer
Louis Sarecky
Screenwriter
Dick Grace, Wallace Smith, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Robert Presnell Sr., Humphrey Pearson
Distributor
RKO Radio Pictures
Production Co
RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 12, 1932, Wide
Runtime
1h 19m