A talented but brash stunt pilot enters the Marine Corps and becomes more disciplined.A talented but brash stunt pilot enters the Marine Corps and becomes more disciplined.A talented but brash stunt pilot enters the Marine Corps and becomes more disciplined.
William B. Davidson
- Adjutant
- (as William Davidson)
Edward Brophy
- Undetermined Role
- (scenes deleted)
Helen Flint
- Mrs. Brown
- (scenes deleted)
William Begg
- Officer
- (uncredited)
Carlyle Blackwell Jr.
- Messenger
- (uncredited)
Joseph Crehan
- Communications Officer
- (uncredited)
George Bernard Dilley Sr.
- US Navy Radio Man
- (uncredited)
Bill Elliott
- Instructor
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaHelen Flint (Mrs. Brown) and Edward Brophy are in studio records/casting call lists as actors in this movie, but they do not appear.
- GoofsThe handwriting on the check O'Toole endorses for Betty, and the handwriting on the same check that Betty shows Brannigan, are not the same.
- Crazy creditsTo the Navy Department, to the officers and men of the Marine Corps and the fleet, Warner Bros. extend their thanks for invaluable co-operation.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Angels with Dirty Faces: Whaddya Hear? Whaddya Say? (2005)
- SoundtracksThe Marines Hymn
(ca 1850) (uncredited)
Traditional Marines song
Music by Jacques Offenbach from "Geneviève de Brabant"
Played during the opening credits and at the end
Variations played in the score often
Featured review
Not up to the quality of most of Cagney's films
James Cagney is a cocky stunt pilot who joins Pat O'Brien's beloved Marine Corps flying squad in Devil Dogs of the Air (1935). Taking the worst of the Cagney persona and upping it by a factor of at least 10 he is reduced to a boorish lout that insanely laughs at his own doings while stumbling into stealing O'Brien's girl, Margaret Lindsay. The execrable Frank McHugh adds to the agony as a braying jackass constantly repeating the same musical phrase as some sort of "comic" "relief." You could practically see the pages being torn from the script as it goes to the inevitable conclusion in high, inexplicable speed. The big flying sequence turns out to be a practice mission (it was between the wars, so...) and is about as exciting as watching a practice mission.
The studios had a hard time making quality films that conformed to the demands of the production code, particularly in the first few years of its existence, 1934-1938. So I lay the blame for the inanity and lack of entertainment value of this one on said production code. A much better film about flyers - though commercial not military - is Ceiling Zero from 1936, also starring Cagney and O'Brien. I'd recommend that one instead, but unfortunately rights problems make it unavailable.
The studios had a hard time making quality films that conformed to the demands of the production code, particularly in the first few years of its existence, 1934-1938. So I lay the blame for the inanity and lack of entertainment value of this one on said production code. A much better film about flyers - though commercial not military - is Ceiling Zero from 1936, also starring Cagney and O'Brien. I'd recommend that one instead, but unfortunately rights problems make it unavailable.
helpful•10
- AlsExGal
- Dec 2, 2023
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $350,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 25 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Devil Dogs of the Air (1935) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer