Devil Dogs of the Air

James Cagney is a reckless stunt flier who applies to the Navy flying school in San Diego. It's up to officer Pat O'Brien to teach Cagney military discipline. Good luck,Pat--you're gonna need it!!

Margaret Lindsay was a frequent early leading lady for Cagney---although the sparks between t hem were hotter in the same year's G-MEN. How she suddenly swerves Cagney's way after spending 65 minutes calling him every name in the book.... Certainly not one of Cagney's big triumphs,although ANY back-and-forth between himself and O'Brien is always worth watching. Cagney has a cackling laugh that makes him sound like The Joker going after Batman. And the male characters are apparently in a song plugging contest,as they keep singing excerpts from Warner Brothers' musical hits.

Cagney makes his entrance by stunt flying over(and through) a stuffy military dress parade,You don't know if he's nuts or just a delightful nonconformist.

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.

So far, I have to agree with what each of the four previous reviewers said, meaning some good, some bad.

THE BAD - Not much of a story.....supporting actor Frank McHugh in an annoying role (annoying with his singing the same stupid song after every sentence)......James Cagney with a laugh that gets annoying after awhile.....a weak romantic angle....showing "training exercises" as part of the climactic scene was somewhat interesting but provided no drama if these fliers were facing an enemy at war......Pat O'Brien an unrealistically too good a sport at the end. (He proposes to Lindsay who turns him down and then incredulously asks, "I didn't hurt your feelings did I?" duh... And he answers something like, "No, it''s okay." Yeah, right!

THE GOOD - The same cocky Cagney character who is always entertaining, always elevating a film...Some wonderful aerial shots and stunt flying in some terrific-looking bi-planes......... Margaret Lindsay's wisecracks and pretty face....Two dramatic scenes with Cagney trying to land a damaged plane.

Summary; So-so entertainment, more if you are an airplane enthusiast or a Cagney fan (which I am) but certainly on the lower of echelon of his films.

Standard service triangle film centered around the United States Marine Corp (U.S.M.C.) and its Aviator training program, circa 1935. Warner Brothers (WB) standby director Lloyd Bacon provides his usual workmen like effort in another air oriented screenplay by John Monk Saunders. If it is in the 'air' either Saunders or Frank 'Spig' Wead was going to have a hand in it. Their plots are so similar as to be interchangeable.

The Nuts; Lieut. Bill Brannigan (Pat O'Brien) invites friend and hotshot pilot Tommy O'Toole (James Cagney) to join the U.S.M.C. Reserve Aviator training program. O'Toole arrives and promptly starts to move in on Brannigans main squeeze, Betty Roberts (Margaret Lindsay) and get under everybody else's skin. Usual competition in the air and for the attentions of Betty with a predictable conclusion.

The film featured the usual complement of the WBs contract players all who do a competent job. Except, Frank McHugh, who normally provides light comedy relief. In this film though he was way over the top and irritating, so bad that you wanted him to walk into a propeller (rotating). O'Brien also seemed too earnest, shouting most of his lines while Cagney was a little to coy. Margaret Lindsay a attractive and competent actress made the most her role. Ms. Lindsay by her own admission only took her career as seriously as it needed to be without the drive of Crawford, Davis, De Havilland or Stanwyck.

The best part of the film had little to do with the principals, but actual maneuvers (wargames) by the United States Navy (U.S.N.) and the U.S.M.C. In the film the U.S.N. represented the BLUE Force (true) while the enemy was BROWN Force (misnomer). Those familiar with WAR PLAN ORANGE know that the BROWN Force was actual ORANGE, Imperial Japan. The ORANGE (and other) war plans were a series of studies initiated by Theodore Roosevelt when he was Under Secretary of the Navy. They were continuously gamed and updated to reflect changing requirements and technology, up to their absorption by RAINBOW FIVE, war on a global scale. Watching the filmed maneuvers you can easily pick up on what the U.S.N. was doing and how it applies even today. For more detailed knowledge consult WAR PLAN ORANGE: The U.S. Strategy to Defeat Japan 1897-1945 by Edward S. Miller.

Devil Dogs of the Air (1935)

*** (out of 4)

James Cagney and Pat o'Brien stars in this Warner drama about two Marine pilots who start out as friends but soon turn to enemies when they fall for the same woman (Margaret Lindsay). I had recorded this thing back in March but just now got around to watching it because I thought it would be your typical pilot movie and it pretty much is but there's still a lot going for the film. The star of the film is without a doubt all the flying shots, some of which are just downright terrific including a great scene where Cagney and O'Brien are on a plane, which catches fire. Cagney is his usual great self, although the I think the screenplay makes him too much of a wise guy because you really dislike this guy even though that wasn't the films intent.