World War I · Film · 1927
Wings
Two small-town rivals in love with the same girl become fighter pilots and best friends over France, in the silent epic whose dogfights were filmed for real in the air.
Where it happened
Follow the story across 2 places.
Stop 1: Paris on leave
On leave in a Paris nightclub, the ace Jack is too drunk to recognise Mary, the girl next door now driving ambulances in France.
Stop 2: Saint-Mihiel salient
Key location
During the great American offensive, David is shot down behind German lines and Jack hunts the skies for revenge.
What really happened
Wings won the first Academy Award for Best Picture (then 'Outstanding Picture') in 1929. Its director, William A. Wellman, had flown in France during the war, and the production used US Army pilots, aircraft and thousands of troops at Camp Stanley and Kelly Field in Texas to stage its battles.
The climax recreates the Battle of Saint-Mihiel of 12 to 15 September 1918, the first major offensive led by the American Expeditionary Forces. Colonel Billy Mitchell massed about 1,500 Allied aircraft for it, the largest air operation of the war, and the Americans cut off the salient in four days.
Where to watch
Checking streaming services…
Full details
- Original title
- Wings
- Directed by
- William A. Wellman
- Countries
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Released
- 1927
- Period
- –
- Theaters of war
- Western Europe
- Themes
- Air war
- Combat
- Romance
