The Eagle and the Hawk
(1933)
68,72 or 74 mins | Drama | 19 May 1933
Cast:
Fredric March, Cary Grant, Jack Oakie [ More ]Director:
Stuart WalkerWriters:
Bogart Rogers, Seton I. Miller, John Monk SaundersCinematographer:
Harry FischbeckProduction Company:
Paramount Productions, Inc.The working title of the film was Fly On. A script dated 30 Jan 1933 in the Paramount story files at the AMPAS Library lists Gary Cooper in the role of "Lieut. Henry Crocker." A news item in HR indicates that production was initially postponed so that Cooper could appear in another film before beginning work on this film. According to a contemporary article, George Raft was considered for the part of "Jerry Young." The film's pressbook notes that twelve members of the "Suicide Squadron," formally known as the Associated Motion Picture Pilots, appear in the film. The Squadron made its debut in Paramount's 1929 film Wings, directed by William Wellman, but by the time that this film was produced, fifteen members had been killed, according to the pressbook. Other pressbook credits note that J. M. Stembridge provided guns for the film, and Gaston Duval, who was in charge of the Paramount medals collection, supervised their distribution for this film. An article in NYT notes that during production, a premature explosion trapped March and Grant under fallen beams. Grant supported one of the beams, saving March from serious injury, but did suffer some internal injuries himself.
A modern source notes that when the film was re-released in 1939, Mitchell Leisen, who is credited as associate director, was given co-director credit, and several scenes were cut to comply with the Hays Production Code. In a modern interview, Leisen states that he was responsible for the majority of the direction on the film, and Stuart Walker acted more as an assistant director, however, Leisen had no contract with the studio ...
The working title of the film was Fly On. A script dated 30 Jan 1933 in the Paramount story files at the AMPAS Library lists Gary Cooper in the role of "Lieut. Henry Crocker." A news item in HR indicates that production was initially postponed so that Cooper could appear in another film before beginning work on this film. According to a contemporary article, George Raft was considered for the part of "Jerry Young." The film's pressbook notes that twelve members of the "Suicide Squadron," formally known as the Associated Motion Picture Pilots, appear in the film. The Squadron made its debut in Paramount's 1929 film Wings, directed by William Wellman, but by the time that this film was produced, fifteen members had been killed, according to the pressbook. Other pressbook credits note that J. M. Stembridge provided guns for the film, and Gaston Duval, who was in charge of the Paramount medals collection, supervised their distribution for this film. An article in NYT notes that during production, a premature explosion trapped March and Grant under fallen beams. Grant supported one of the beams, saving March from serious injury, but did suffer some internal injuries himself.
A modern source notes that when the film was re-released in 1939, Mitchell Leisen, who is credited as associate director, was given co-director credit, and several scenes were cut to comply with the Hays Production Code. In a modern interview, Leisen states that he was responsible for the majority of the direction on the film, and Stuart Walker acted more as an assistant director, however, Leisen had no contract with the studio and Stuart Walker's contract deemed he be given full directorial credit. In addition, Leisen states that stock footage from Wings was used. Modern sources credit Edgar Anderson as a pilot and stand-in for Fredric March, and Garland Lincoln as a pilot. In addition, modern sources claim that footage of a Dick Grace crash scene from the 1928 First National film Lilac Time was used, as well as a scene from First National's 1930 film The Dawn Patrol. (For Wings, Lilac Time and The Dawn Patrol, see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.6404, F2.3089 and F2.1237 respectively).
During World War I, American pilot Jerry Young and his aviation unit are transferred to France. Henry Crocker, who is not a proficient pilot, is left behind on Jerry's advice. On arrival in France, Jerry and his buddy Mike Richards report to British Major Dunham who assigns them to fly reconnaissance missions over enemy territory while their tailgunner photographs the area. Time passes and all of Jerry's observers are killed. The growing number of deaths greatly affects Jerry, despite the fact that he is hailed as a hero. Henry arrives to serve as Jerry's new observer, and although there is animosity between them, they successfully complete many missions and are decorated. After a bomb drops on the officers' bar and kills several new arrivals, the major gives Jerry ten days leave because he is exhibiting signs of exhaustion. Jerry goes to England and meets a beautiful woman, who consoles him. Meanwhile, Henry has been reassigned temporarily as Mike's tailgunner. Jerry returns to base just as Mike and Henry land, and Mike, who was hit during the flight, dies a few minutes later. Jerry blames Mike's death on Henry and asks to be assigned a new observer. Jerry and his young observer, John, shoot down a famous German pilot during their mission, but John is shot and falls out of the plane. That night Jerry is toasted as a hero for killing the German but he can only think about the loss of life and, consequently, commits suicide. Henry finds Jerry's body and, in an effort to maintain Jerry's hero status, surreptitiously takes the body up in the plane ...
During World War I, American pilot Jerry Young and his aviation unit are transferred to France. Henry Crocker, who is not a proficient pilot, is left behind on Jerry's advice. On arrival in France, Jerry and his buddy Mike Richards report to British Major Dunham who assigns them to fly reconnaissance missions over enemy territory while their tailgunner photographs the area. Time passes and all of Jerry's observers are killed. The growing number of deaths greatly affects Jerry, despite the fact that he is hailed as a hero. Henry arrives to serve as Jerry's new observer, and although there is animosity between them, they successfully complete many missions and are decorated. After a bomb drops on the officers' bar and kills several new arrivals, the major gives Jerry ten days leave because he is exhibiting signs of exhaustion. Jerry goes to England and meets a beautiful woman, who consoles him. Meanwhile, Henry has been reassigned temporarily as Mike's tailgunner. Jerry returns to base just as Mike and Henry land, and Mike, who was hit during the flight, dies a few minutes later. Jerry blames Mike's death on Henry and asks to be assigned a new observer. Jerry and his young observer, John, shoot down a famous German pilot during their mission, but John is shot and falls out of the plane. That night Jerry is toasted as a hero for killing the German but he can only think about the loss of life and, consequently, commits suicide. Henry finds Jerry's body and, in an effort to maintain Jerry's hero status, surreptitiously takes the body up in the plane the next morning and riddles him and the plane with bullets. Jerry is honored in death, but Henry's sacrifice has taken its toll. While visiting Jerry's memorial, he appears downtrodden and is shooed away by passersby as though he were a bum.
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