Only Angels Have Wings

directed by Howard Hawks
Category: "Suspense"
Year of Release:1939
Date Added:04/25/2008
Date Watched:11/22/2005
Description:Geoff Carter (Cary Grant) runs a small mailplane concern in South America, flying through the Andes. Bonnie Lee (Jean Arthur) arrives on a ship and the two fall for each other, but Geoff won't ask any woman to stay with him because of the danger of his career. Several pilots die during the movie, and a new one shows up with Geoff's ex (Rita Hayworth) as his wife. In the end, Geoff keeps flying but asks Bonnie to stick around, which she does.
My Rating:7

Reviews for Only Angels Have Wings

Review - Only Angels Have Wings

Dutchy and Geoff run an airlines from a South American port city, carrying the mail over the Andes. Bonnie comes in on a boat and is attracted to Geoff. He wants no part of her because he knows no woman can handle having her husband in constant danger. Bonnie stays beyond when her boat leaves, but still Geoff isn’t interested. As pilots die or are injured, the airlines is in danger of not fulfilling its contract. Geoff hires a new pilot, MacPherson, who is shunned because he parachuted from a burning plane and left his radioman to die. MacPherson’s wife, Judy, is Geoff’s old flame. MacPherson goes up with Geoff’s best friend, Kid, and when the plane catches on fire, manages to fly it back to the airport, getting severly burned in the process. Kid dies, MacPherson is accepted by the other pilots and Geoff, although injured takes the mail across the mountains to fulfill the contract. Bonnie, who hung around the entire time, finally gets Geoff.

Interesting but a bit boring in places. The flying scenes were good, the ground scenes not so good. Cary Grant and Rita Hayworth were wasted. Jean Arthur sorta just stood around for most of the middle of the movie so she could be there at the end to have a romantic scene with Cary Grant.

We watched it again in June, 2012, and I liked it better this time. It has its flaws and is a bit over the top at time, but the characters are great and there are some very funny lines.
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