“HELL'S ANGELS.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 142, 17 June 1931, Page 3

“HELL'S ANGELS.”

“Hell’s Angels,” the most expensive and most-tal ked-abou t film-drama of the year, will be the attraction at the Theatre Royal, starting on Friday. Hearly three years in the making, and bearing an overhead cost of approximately 4.000,000 dollars, this lavish airthriller is the screen sensation of the talkies. Howard Hughes, the twenty-five-year-old producer and director of “Hell’s Angels.” has shattered all records in time and money spent on a single picture. It is more than three years since “Hell’s Angels” was first launched—as a silent super. Subsequently the cast and story were revamped and all the non-flying sequences refilmed with sound and dialogue.

Ben Lyon, James Hall and Jean Harlow are co-featured in the leading roles. Approximately 137 aviators, and as many mechanics, including nearly every stunt flyer and ex-war ace available in America, participated in the sky action of “Hell’s Angels,” which alone required eighteen months to record. Exactly eighty-seven 'planes, including forty true war-type ships, both. German and Allied, took part. A Zeppelin and a giant German Gotha bombing 'plane also figure prominently in mile-high action above the clouds. This is the largest air fleet ever assembled, to perform in a private enterprise.

More than 2,000,000 dollars were expended on aviation scenes alone, and another half-million was invested in the dirigible sequence, which is a spectacular highlight of the film. This latter episode, incidentally, is the first authentic reproduction of the famous wartime Zeppelin raids on London. The exploits of Baron von Richtofen’s "flying circus” have been accurately reproduced also, and in one scene fifty ’planes are shown participating simultaneously in a free-for-all “dogfight” between fighting air devils of Germany and the Allies. Equally stupendous were the operations on the ground. More than 20,000 extras were employed in the various mob scenes. Exactly 3 700 ex-soldiers took part in a single infantry battle scene, and extras are featured in other non-flying episodes by the thousands. The Christchurch premiere of this wonderful film will be in the presence of and under the patronage of the officers of the Wigram Aerodrome, and the committee of the Aero Club have also signified their intention of being present to view this great film spectacle.