Devil Dogs of the Air (1935)

The Age of Commercialism

Really Surprised!

Admirable film.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Devil Dogs of the Air is a typical Warner Brothers film with a typical Warner Brothers cast, not that that's a bad thing at all. The movie stars Jimmy Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Margaret Lindsay, and Frank McHugh.Cagney plays a cocky flier, Tommy, whose friend Brannigan (O'Brien) encourages him to enlist in Marine flying school.The first thing he does is fall for Brannigan's girlfriend Betty (Lindsay) who can't stand him. We all know what that means. It turns out that Tommy is a remarkable flier and, though the friendship between the two men seems to suffer, everybody has to admit that Tommy knows what he's doing. And he keeps going after Betty.Predictable, but the good cast brings it up a level as do the flying sequences. The planes look like what the Wright Brothers invented, and they do some amazing things.If you're an airplane fan, you will enjoy this, though you might mix it up with some of Warners other flying films. But it has the US Navy dirigible, the early planes as I mentioned, and some fabulous stunts. I have to one day count up how many films Cagney, O'Brien and McHugh made together. I know McHugh and Cagney made 11, and that all three were friends. They worked together very well.

I usually like Pat O'Brian and James Cagney movies. In this one, Cagney is his usual brash self – actually he is arrogant, self-centered and insufferable. In every respect O'Brian is the better man (and as good a pilot as Cagney to boot). Cagney sums up his character when at a dance he says to Margaret Lindsay: "That's me, I promise a lot and give a little." So, of course, Lindsay chooses Cagney and not O'Brien. Implausibly, O'Brien is a good sport about losing out to Cagney (but at least he does transfer out of the unit so he won't have to be around the schmuck anymore). McHugh was wasted in this film and as many reviewers have said the character he plays is extremely annoying (and indeed ghoulish given how much he hopes one of the pilots will get hurt).. The aerial stunts and flying scenes were very good and exciting and the war maneuvers were as well but, for me, went on way too long. That said, this film would be a real treat for aviation enthusiasts.

The real founders of the buddy film James Cagney and Pat O'Brien after making their debut in Here Comes the Navy essentially reprise their roles in Devil Dogs of the Air for the Marines.O'Brien is the no-nonsense flight instructor for the Marines who's written to an old Brooklyn pal James Cagney urging him to join the Corps. Cagney is a circus flier who pretty much knows the flying game inside out.But he's Cagney and of course he KNOWS he knows it. That does not make for good discipline. But it does make for good raffish, knockabout comedy that Cagney/O'Brien films are known for. Of course there's a girl involved, in this case Margaret Lindsay. Need I say who she winds up with.The only jarring note in this film is Frank McHugh. During the hey day of the studios, I think Warner Brothers was incapable of making a film without either Frank McHugh or Alan Hale. I usually enjoy Frank McHugh, but in this film he's downright annoying. He's in the medical corps and frustrated because he feels his training is being wasted because no one is ever injured in a crash or otherwise. McHugh is positively ghoulish in awaiting some accident to befall SOMEONE in the film.However James Cagney is his usual cocksure and charming best and that carried a lot of Warner Brothers films to profit. We the audience profit also by that bouncy Cagney charm.

Predictable and formula story that has been re-used by virtually the same cast. I personally ignored the story (partially due to the over-acting by Jimmy Cagney) and concentrated on the historic shots of early Marine Corps aviation and the Fleet Marine Force preparing for amphibious operations before there were Higgins Boats. Some really great flying shots. Who cares who got the girl! A must for aviation enthusiasts.