Air Devils

Air Devils
Air Devils
	Theatrical poster
Directed by	John Rawlins
Written by	Harold Buckley; George Waggner;
Based on	original story "The Fighting Marines"; by Harold Buckley
Produced by	Trem Carr (producer); Paul Malvern (associate producer);
Starring	Larry J. Blake; Dick Purcell; Beryl Wallace
Cinematography	Harry Neumann
Edited by	Charles Craft
Music by	Charles Previn
Production; company	Universal Pictures Co.
Distributed by	Universal Pictures Co.
Release date	May 13, 1938;
Running time	57, 58 or 61 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Air Devils is a 1938 American action comedy film directed by John Rawlins, based on an original story, "The Fighting Marines" by Harold Buckley. The film stars Larry J. Blake, Dick Purcell and Beryl Wallace.

Plot

Set in the island of Taro Pago in the years before World War II, two former Marine pilots, John P. "Horseshoe" Donovan (Larry J. Blake) and Percy "Slats" Harrington (Dick Purcell), are hired as air "constables" (constabularies) to keep order on the remote Pacific island. Both friends vie for the attentions of Marcia Bradford (Beryl Wallace) and, through a series of misadventures, find that neither will win out.

The two pilots find that local tavern owner, Tom Mordant (Charles Brokaw), has been stirring up the natives and a civil war is brewing. The two rivals have to combine forces to stop violence and bring the island back to peaceful times.

Cast

Larry J. Blake as John P. "Horseshoe" Donovan
Dick Purcell as Percy "Slats" Harrington
Beryl Wallace as Marcia Bradford
Mamo Clark as Lolano
Charles Brokaw as Tom Mordant
Minerva Urecal as Margaret Price
Forbes Murray as Capt. Hawthorne
Paul Sutton as Holo
LeRoy Mason as Robert Walker
Al Kikume as Don Kahano
Michael Visaroff
Billy Wayne as Sgt. Jennings

Production

Air Devils begins with this prologue: "The Pacific Ocean is strewn with tropical islands, large and small, to which drift adventuring souls. The island are policed and protected by constabularies which function under the local governments. These constabularies are well disciplined military organizations, splendidly equipped and officered by men who have completed enlistments in, and been honorably discharged from, the Army, Navy or Marine Corps, but who have succumbed to the magic spell of the South Seas." Despite the presence of Mamo Clark as Lolano, who had made her film debut in a featured role in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and the illusion of an exotic locale embodied by lush sets, Air Devils was a studio property.^[2] Universal Pictures began principal photography late March 1938 at Talisman Studios.^[3] Air Devils has an aviation-oriented title that is belied by there being very few scenes with an aircraft. Only one Waco biplane is seen in the film.^[4]

Reception

Air Devils premiered at 70 minutes, but was subsequently re-edited down to a running time of 57–61 minutes.^[2]^{[Note 1]} Typical of many of the low-budget B film of the period, later reviews were not complimentary. "A generic action movie with limited means support. Be it budget or actors. Had a couple of half-decent action scenes, but otherwise a very lackluster storyline which was forgotten as soon as the movie ended."^[5] Producer Trem Carr had been behind the numerous John Wayne B films of the same period.

Notes

^ The DVD release is 62 minutes.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b "Air Devils." Aerofiles. Retrieved: August 13, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "Notes: Air Devils (1938)". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: August 13, 2014.
^ "Original Print Information: Air Devils (1938)." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: August 13, 2014.
^ Wynne 1987, p. 181.
^ "Air Devils (1938)" letterboxd.com. Retrieved: August 13, 2014.

Bibliography

Wynne, H. Hugh. The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. ISBN 0-933126-85-9.