Customer Reviews

Devil Dogs of the Air [VHS]

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With a light-hearted look at interim period Marine Corps aviation training, this action-filled romance-comedy features a hyper-kinetic Tommy O'Toole (James Cagney) taking on a temperate but firm Lt. Bill Brannigan (Pat O'Brien). It's wit against wit, both in the air and in the local, family-owned cafe where sultry Betty Roberts (Margaret Lindsay) is a waitress who must decide whether to continue her warmish courtship with Brannigan or yield to the arrogant antics of O'Toole who, newly arrived, sets his romantic sights on her - immediately after crashing his ingeniously-shot stunt plane.

The air shots are marvelous and spectacular. The war games provide an informative view of early Navy-Marine Corps joint exercise doctrine. And for aviation enthusiasts, the star aircraft - the Boeing F4B Marine Corps bi-plane, especially in flight formations - is unparalleled as a player on the "stage".

James Cagney plays yet another cocky tough guy needing to get knocked down a peg or two (or three). He joins the Marine Air Corps on the encouragement of his Marine buddy Pat O'Brien. Cagney is a terrific flyer who thinks he knows it all, and needless to say, he isn't prepared to take orders and be just a regular Marine. He also takes a liking to Margaret Lindsay, O'Brien's girlfriend. So things get complicated. Or at least things should get complicated, but the story is so basic, the dialogue so boring, and the actions of the characters so obvious, the film becomes very predictable, never leaving the runway, so to speak. The acting is passable, the direction efficient, if uninspired, and by the end, I didn't really care what happened to anyone in the story. I usually like Cagney, but other than a few good aerial shots, this film was a misfire from the start.

This is a fine old movie when taken in the timeframe and context it was released in. It deserves to be released on DVD. Do it!!!!!!!!