Only Angels Have Wingsis a hard boiled movie with a sappy title. It’s not exactly genuine pulp fiction but it’s my blog and I felt like writing about it. Dr. A and watched this 1939 Howard Hawks classic the other day and it grabbed me like it always does. It’s about a group of stoic pilots flying the mail in impossible conditions and the dames who sass them.

Now for a few fun facts about one of my favorite films from Hollywood’s so-called golden age. I think it was really made outta Zinc:

Cary Grant’s character, hard-bitten and sarcastic airline boss, Geoff Carter, is the template for the badass heroes of many future Hawks films fromHis Girl Friday toTo Have And Have Not toThe Big Sleep toRed River toRio Bravo.

Thomas Mitchell had an amazing year in 1939, appearing in Gone With The Wind, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Stagecoach and Mr. Smith Goes To Washingtonas well as this flick.He copped a best supporting actor Oscar for Stagecoach but could have won for any of those performances.

Here’s the trailer:,