Must See Movie...

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Stuart Walker, who directed almost nothing of value, did splendidly with this 1933 antiwar opus, which has plenty of action (some of it borrowed from "Wings" footage) and deeper-than-usual psychological insights for this genre. Fredric March, an American in a Brit World War I air unit, becomes a daredevil ace, and is increasingly repulsed by the death toll he engenders, to the point of madness. Meantime, his "observer" (he snaps pictures from the rear seat) Cary Grant relishes combat, and American compatriot Jack Oakie provides emotional ballast, until he's gunned down. Carole Lombard is also on hand, for two scenes, looking gorgeous and wearing quite a gown. The screenplay's unusually intelligent and despairing, but what really makes it work is March, at the top of his game. Watch him in a scene where a friend's young son asks for gruesome detail about what happens in combat, and see the anguish play across his face. A truly fine actor.

Based on the story by John Monk Saunders, "The Eagle and the Hawk" is a grim anti-war film starring Fredric March and Cary Grant. It takes place during WWI, when pilot March and gunner / observer Grant are often at odds with each other. March becomes a highly decorated pilot, yet never is comfortable with it. Shrugging off his accomplishments, he finds no glory in killing other human beings - even if they are the enemy.Although Stuart Walker ("Werewolf of London") is given the official directing credit, much of the film is the work of Mitchell Leisen ("Death Takes a Holiday"), who's listed as "associate director". It combines both drama and comedy to good effect, and in fact begins on a blatantly comic note, as March and Grant land a plane upside down. Co-star Jack Oakie functions as principal comedy relief, and he's quite chipper and engaging, but in fact this viewer found Grant, whose character is hot-tempered and confrontational, even more humorous. Both Grant and March are excellent, setting off some believable sparks, and March does a wonderful job of doing the heavy lifting dramatically. You really do feel for his character, as does a pretty high society type (Carole Lombard, in a cameo) who lends a sympathetic ear. But then, the whole cast, also including Sir Guy Standing, Forrester Harvey, Kenneth Howell, and Leyland Hodgson, is a joy to watch.Ultimately, "The Eagle and the Hawk" is quite sobering - and tragic. Still very timely in terms of its themes, it devastatingly makes the point that there is a real price to be paid for war. March can't get over the fact that one high-ranking enemy pilot whom he shoots down is still basically a kid.Action and flight scenes are good, but are in service of the story rather than becoming the focus.A good, solid film that does get its point across in a succinct matter, wrapping up in a trim 74 minutes, unlike more modern pictures which try to be more "epic".Eight out of 10.

Fredric March and Cary Grant star in "The Eagle and the Hawk," a 1933 film about World War I.March plays Jerry Young, a Flying Corps pilot responsible for filming documentary positions. It's extremely difficult for him; a sensitive man, seeing all the tragedy devastates him.Crocker (Cary Grant) is an ambitious gunner, anxious to get in the air, and loves killing Germans.The film has wonderful aviation scenes (and Mitchell Leisen is rumored to have been the actual director of this film) which are very impressive.A powerful antiwar statement, and very unusual for its time. The ending is quite stunning and partially unexpected.Both men give excellent performances - in today's world, March may seem a bit over the top, but it was the style in those days. Carole Lombard has brief scenes as someone who tries to be helpful to him.The overall atmosphere of this film is depressing, so don't watch it if you want to be entertained by something light. However, it's ahead of its time and definitely worth seeing.

This is a mostly forgotten film today, though it deserves to be seen. It bears a lot of similarity to the great All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) in that the film is meant to warn against the horrors of war instead of glamorize it.Frederick March does an excellent job in portraying a troubled WW1 ace. Despite his success, he can't seem to forget that each victory equals him killing another human being. This inner turmoil continues throughout the film and climaxes when he is given yet another accolade.I don't want to spoil the film by revealing what happens next. But, it came as a bit of a surprise! The ending clearly makes the movie.By the way, the VCR box cover shows Cary Grant. Yes he was an important supporting actor in this movie, but considering March's performance, it is a darn shame they are trying to capitalize on Grant and not March.PS--if you liked this film, try watching the hard to find ACE OF ACES, starring Richard Dix. It's very similar except that Dix is a pacifist who only reluctantly goes to war. Once he becomes a pilot, unlike March, he finds he LOVES killing and his personality changes dramatically! A truly unusual film.