Frank's Movie Log

Grade: B+

Synopsis: A seemingly cynical pilot (Cary Grant) running mail through the mountains of Peru finds his life complicated by the arrival of a chorus girl (Jean Arthur).

Only Angels Have Wings is the spiritual forerunner of director Howard Hawks’ later masterpiece Rio Bravo (1959), that, with a better leading lady, could have been its equal.

Unfortunately, Jean Arthur just isn’t up to the task. While other Hawks ladies such as Lauren Bacall and Angie Dickenson excelled at conveying the subtle, sultry, vibe Hawks strove for, Arthur seems unwilling or incapable. As a result, she sticks out among the cast as an artificial oddity, causing Grant’s character’s attraction to her to seem a lot more implausible. Granted, Rita Hayworth, in her biggest role to date, also struggles, but she ultimately acquits herself far better than Arthur.

Fortunately, the rest of the cast is near-perfect. Cary Grant is great in one of his finest roles as a would-be cynical pilot who secretly bleeds for the men working for him, but won’t allow himself to show it, Thomas Mitchell, one of the greatest character actors in history, gives an excellent turn as Grant’s character’s best friend, and Richard Barthelmess brings a profound weight to his role as a disgraced pilot trying to make amends. They’re all Hawks men, married to their jobs and willing to do what it takes to get them done.

It’s a real shame about Arthur though, as she’s the one thing keeping Only Angels Have Wings from perfection. The movie is crammed full of great scenes, from the non-funeral of one of the pilots, to the dangerous rescue operation atop a mesa, Hawks mixes action and drama to create larger than life characters rising to larger than life situations, as only he can.

Bottom Line: Only Angels Have Wings is a near-perfect mix of drama and action from director Howard Hawks, marred only by Jean Arthur’s overdone performance.