DAWN PATROL

Thanks for the replies but has nobody out there seen the original 1930 version?
Was the John Monk Saunders story a novel or a short story?
I am always suprised that the original questions get lost but perhaps it is just as well. The entertainment and interest level is always high.
Many thanks
VBR
Peter S

Peter, nope, never have and never met anyone who has either. Maybe a sweap of Amazon et al is called for.
As for "Darwin Patrol", that's a whole different movie.

toodle-oo

Peter L

"missed the bugger!!"
Cedric Popkin

Peter:
Sorry that nobody felt up to answering your original questions. "Flight Commander" was a short story, as were most of JM Saunders' publications. There may be one or two forumites who've seen the 1930 "Dawn Patrol," but it is not commercially available. (I think Belle & Blade offers it for sale, but what you'll get is likely a rather poor copy based on a bad TV print, like my copy of "Lost Squadron.")

As a professional film critic, I should point out that the acting in the '38 "DP" *is* considered naturalistic, at least according to the standards of the time. What it is not is "method" acting, the style that dominates today.

The whole question of acting in films is actually a bit misleading, since the way movies are made tends to work against naturalistic forms of acting. What we're really responding to is presentation and camera presence, which is why it's not only possible to lack acting skills and still be a movie star, but might actually be necessary. Neither Errol Flynn nor David Niven were great actors, but they were comfortable in front of the camera and thus made for great movie stars. (Incidentally, they were also friends and even room-mates, which probably goes a long way toward explaining their screen chemistry.)

John Monk Saunders is a bit of a sad character. He wrote most of the legendary WWI aviation films of the late '20s and early '30s (including "Wings," the very first Best Picture Oscar-winner). But aviation pictures were all anyone expected from him, and when the market for those dried up he became a drunk, and wound up killing himself. Trivia factoid: Saunders was married to Canadian actress Fay Wray.

[mike_baram]

Let's go easy on Errol. After all, he died in bed, with a 15-year old girl!
Michael,
Thanks for making the inadvertant aviation/ape connection.
"Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes that got him. It was beauty killed the beast."
Mike

In my opinion "The Blue Max"is by far the best WW1
based fighter movie.If you have not had the pleasure of viewing this movie I suggest at some point in time you see it.George Peppard stars in the movie as well as Ursula Andress.The movie follows the aviation career of a soon to be German ace.The movie has great aerial footage as well as a great spinoff on a short happening with the man himself "The Red Baron".Ihave previously viewed Dawn Patrol and find The Blue Max to be far superior.

[mike_baram]

Ursula Andress????????
Barrett, do you know anything about this?????

[PeterL]

<CENTER></CENTER>

Yes Barrett, explain yourself please

Peter L

WOMANNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mike_baram]

Peter,
That picture is about 35 years old. That's older than most of the members of the forum.
Mike

[Barrett]

Peter: THANK YOU. I really needed that.
Fr. Jack: You win the recognition contest.
Mike: I don't care if the picture is a hunnert and thirty-five years old; still looks good to me.
Now, please excuse me while I spool up my video of TBM...