In 1927 'Wings' received the first ever academy award as best picture, and in the years thereafter the public evidently wanted more of what director William A. Wellman had given them. With 'The Dawn Patrol', Howard Hawks reacted to this demand. Whether he satisfied it is a different matter. Both films are radically different not only because 'Wings' had much higher production values (more aerial combat scenes etc.), but also because unlike the earlier film, 'The Dawn Patrol' is definitely no romantic coming of age story. Rather, its focus is on the emotional stress of the pilots during and between combats and of their commander, who has to send inexperienced flyers to their almost certain death (in this respect, Hawks' film reminded me strongly of Henry King's 'Twelve O'Clock High' of 1949). Romance is entirely absent; there is not a single female character in 'The Dawn Patrol'. The acting is excellent, and towards the end the plot has a highly interesting and unexpected twist. Picture and sound quality are ok, though there is quite a lot of background noise that a restoration could filter out. In fact, the film ought to be carefully restored: it is worth it.
Review of The Dawn Patrol
