First, some background information. The Academy Awards began in 1929, to honor movies made in 1927-1928. The first Academy Awards ceremony was held on May 16, 1929, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood, CA. An interesting side note : tickets cost $5 and 15 statuettes were awarded that evening.
The 1st ever Oscar for Best Picture went to the film "Wings" directed by William A. Wellman. It was also the only silent film to ever win an Academy Award.
IMDB offers the brief description that "Wings" is a film about "Two young men, one rich, one middle class, who are in love with the same woman, become fighter pilots in World War I. "
That's basically it. My husband, Andrew, said it sounded like the premise of "Pearl Harbor" to him. I reminded him that neither the movie nor the Japanese military strike had occurred at that point in time. He acquiesced.
I found "Wings" to be much more enjoyable than I had anticipated. I equate silent films with cheesy music and comical over-acting.
I'll admit that there were a few scenes that made Andrew and I chuckle. Overall , Wings is a very well-acted movie. I found out through online research that the actors were actually flying their airplanes. They had to fly, turn on the camera, act, do stunts, and land safely (usually all in one take!). I was also impressed by the aerial stunts and effects in this movie. I was amazed by the camera work. The airplane crashes are REAL. Unbelievably, there were only 2 injuries during the making of this film. Sadly, one was fatal. There is a scene when one of the main characters , Jack (Charles 'Buddy' Rogers) drinks a little too much champagne, and he sees bubbles floating around Mary(leading lady Clara Bow). I wasn't aware that those types of effects were possible in 1927. Gary Cooper has a small part as Cadet White. I really enjoy watching old movies, and this one didn't disappoint.
"Wings" gives the viewer a love triangle, tons of action, surprisingly realistic war scenes, tears, and a happy ending. My only criticisms would be that at times it is hard to tell the enemy soldiers from the good guys. Some of the battle scenes are choppy, and the grainy black and white film doesn't help things. Secondly, the love interest of the 2 main men Sylvia (Jobyna Ralston) is a very under-developed character. Other than being a lovely looking woman, you really have no idea why the two men are so drawn to her.
Andrew and I watched the movie the day after Christmas. I had to work earlier in the day, and was so ready to relax. In my opinion it was the perfect type of movie to watch in bed, snuggled beneath the covers. I fell asleep about 3/4 of the way through and finished the movie today. We might get adventurous and start the 2nd movie tonight.
