That was an excellent one.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Odd WWI drama directed by Howard Hawks, based on a story by William Faulkner (who co-wrote the screenplay). First the casting. Joan Crawford, Robert Young, and Franchot Tone all play Brits. None tries an accent (thankfully) but one has to wonder what MGM was thinking by this casting. Couldn't they find any British actors? The story is about American Gary Cooper buying the estate of Joan's family. Her father just died in the war. Joan is allowed to stay on at the guest house. Joan's friends Tone and Young go off to war and leave Joan with Cooper, who she of course falls in love with. But then he also goes off to war and is falsely reported as killed in action. So a sad Joan agrees to go through with marrying Young, who has always been in love with her. When Coop shows back up, she's conflicted as to who to be with. Joan seemed to be torn between men in nearly all of her MGM films from the '30s. These plots must have been successful at the box office back then but they sure are difficult to care about today. Maybe I just don't care for romantic triangle stories that much. Anyway, there are some out of place (but nicely done) action sequences inserted into things. Whether this was because Hawks was bored with the soap opera elements or what, I don't know. It's an interesting film to rate. I didn't hate it but I didn't like it all that much either. I doubt I would watch it again. Despite the star power behind the camera and in front, it just doesn't click for me. I will recommend it solely because any movie with these stars, as well as Hawks and Faulkner attached, is worth checking out for curiosity's sake alone.

This film could have been great with some adequate dialogue and character development. For some reason the makers of this film seemed to believe that because three of the main characters were supposed to be British that it was necessary that they speak in incomplete sentences, usually missing nouns, and that they speak as though tranquilized. They all still sound American, they're just having half of every conversation.Bogard (Gary Cooper) is an American who takes over a British estate during World War I before the Americans enter the fray because the current residents can no longer afford it since the father is in the military at the time. The daughter, Diana (Joan Crawford) moves into one of the servant's quarters and her brother Ronnie (Franchot Tone) and their lifetime friend Claude (Robert Young) join up with the British forces and ship out to France. The development of the romance between Bogard and Diana consists (onscreen) of exactly one bike ride in which Bogard declares his love and Diana's one word sentences make her seem disinterested. However, at the end of the ride she says rather emotionlessly that she loves Bogard. The two might as well be using semaphores to communicate, the conversation is that wooden.Diana goes to France to help the war effort, with her brother and childhood sweetheart seeing action nearby. In France she gets news that Bogard is dead, although that news is incorrect. Based on that information she then makes a rash decision that she later regrets when Bogard shows up at her door.On the other hand, the action sequences, both in the air and on the sea, are extremely well done and photographed. It's just a shame when such a fine cast as this film had all have their performances put in a straight jacket. The one thing that even the director couldn't do was put a complete damper on the chemistry between Franchot Tone and Joan Crawford. This is the film where they fell in love, and their scenes together show it, even though they are playing brother and sister here.

This is a movie that is entertaining to watch, but if you think about what's occurring too much, your brain might just explode!! That's because the script is amazingly bad in spots and the casting is among the worst of the 1930s. While it's obvious MGM spent a lot of money assembling such talent as Joan Crawford, Franchot Tone, Robert Young and Gary Cooper, what lamebrain thought that the first three stars would be great playing Brits?! The stars attempt no accent whatsoever, but come off as being as British as Carmen Miranda!! The film begins with WWI. Three lifelong friends are torn apart, as the two men (Tone and Young) go off to war and the lady (Crawford) is left home alone. Due to financial difficulties, she is forced to rent the family estate to an American (Cooper), as the Americans still are neutral and Cooper thought it would be fun to live there. Over time, Cooper falls in love with Crawford and they plan on marrying. However, Cooper also finally sees what Britain is fighting for and volunteers for the Royal Air Corps--where he is soon reported killed in an accident. Heartbroken, Crawford seeks solace in the arms of Young and soon marries him. Naturally, later, Cooper turns up alive and Crawford is conflicted--stay with her husband (who is more of a friend than lover) or run off with dashing Cooper.Now, although this plot is rather "soapy", it still could have worked--even if it seemed very, very unlikely and clichéd. However, combined with lousy casting AND two very long and unnecessary "macho interludes", the film seemed to lose its way. When I say macho interludes, I am referring to several action segments that did nothing to further the plot and strained credibility beyond the breaking point--though they were pretty exciting and looked very good for 1933. In one, Cooper takes Young along for a bombing mission--even though they fought for different armies by this point in the film (American and British--and you can't just take a friend up for laughs during wartime!). Amazingly, Young is able to shoot down four fighter planes while operating as a gunner on this plan--despite having no training whatsoever!! Later, Young returns the favor and takes Cooper on a patrol boat mission--during which time they easily sank a German merchant ship with this minuscule souped up motor boat. In fact, later in the film, this same tiny boat sinks a German battleship--something that just could not have happened in real life. If planes and tiny ships had been THIS effective, the war would have only lasted a couple weeks--not four years! Needless to say, because of all the film's clichés, Young is killed in action by the end and this allows Crawford to finally marry Cooper. Don't worry about the fact that Young (now blinded in his last combat mission) STILL went on yet another mission in which he "bought the farm"--it was needed to further the very predictable romance between Crawford and Coop.Overall, a very silly and impossible to believe film that still manages, despite its many problems, to entertain due to nice action sequences and excellent cinematography. But please, please DON'T take this as a good history lesson or lesson on how to write a proper romance.

This early Hawks' film has many of the themes that will frequently appear in all his filmography, like friendship between men or the professional skill as a mean of survival in dangerous situations. After a weak start the movie takes off during the plane and boat attacks, when Joan Crawford's character is somehow left aside. All in all, her character appears more like a nuisance than anything else. Her first appearance during the tea scene is promising but from there on she'll lack the mannish qualities of other Hawks' females. It is clear that the love interests all through the film are between Cooper, Tone and Young. Claude's blindness reminds other physical impediments of Hawksian heroes. This film, however, closes with a display of self sacrifice and heroism seldom seen in the director's universe. There's also some unusual appearance of religious elements. Although a film "d'epoque", Hawks cannot help turning the material into a modern piece. Some fine scenes, like the aviator instructing the neophyte gunman about the dangers of throwing up, or the wake of the dead cockroach are a true landmark of the director's imaginary, and a clear proof of his ability to turn any material into his own.