Hell's Angels (1930)


Starring:       James Hall, Lucien Prival, Roy Wilson

Directed by:    James Whale


This James Whale/Howard Hughes WWI drama is renowned for its stunning air combat scenes, which required 
137 pilots to shoot, and for being the most expensive film of its time, costing a staggering $3.8 million. 
Oxford students and brothers Roy and Monte Rutledge (Ben Lyon, James Hall) sign up to fight with the 
Royal Flying Corps. Trouble arises when Roy's girlfriend, Helen (Jean Harlow), takes a liking to Monte. 
Monte, cracking under the pressure of fighting, considers another kind of betrayal. The brothers must 
wrestle to overcome these troubles--or a key flying mission could be jeopardized. 

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Two brothers attending Oxford enlist with the RAF when World War I breaks out. Roy and Monte Rutledge 
have very different personalities. Monte is a freewheeling womanizer, even with his brother's girlfriend 
Helen. He also proves to have a yellow streak when it comes to his Night Patrol duties. Roy is made of 
strong moral fiber and attempts to keep his brother in line. Both volunteer for an extremely risky two 
man bombing mission for different reasons. Monte wants to lose his cowardly reputation and Roy seeks to 
protect his brother. Their assignment to knock out a strategic German munitions facility is a booming 
success, but with a squadron of fighters bearing down on them afterwards, escape seems unlikely.

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Brothers Monte and Ray leave Oxford to join the Royal Flying Corps. Ray loves Helen; Helen enjoys an 
affair with Monte; before they leave on their mission over Germany they find her in still another man's 
arms.

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Just before WWI, brothers Monte and Roy Rutledge visit Germany with Karl, their German pal at Oxford . 
When war breaks out Karl is called back to Germany and ends up on a Zepplin bombing London. He directs 
the bombs so that they fall harmlessly in water. Monte and Roy join the RAF. They're not too happy about 
the war either, but they volunteer for a dangerous mission bombing a German munitions dump.