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Monday, April 15, 2019

WINGS FOR THE EAGLE (1942)

By 1942, both Ann Sheridan & Dennis Morgan's careers @ Warners had moved past this little WWII programmer. But an aircraft factory setting & a relationship where Morgan takes advantage of Sheridan’s crumbling marriage to BFF Jack Carson refreshes the formula. Morgan, a bit of a jerk here, hopes to keep the draft at bay by working in an ‘Essential Industry.’ Sure, he’ll succumb to patriotic sentiment & stop his romantic poaching by the finish, but the script comes up with some nice turns to get him there. George Tobias & son Russell Arms bring a lot of heart to their roles as factory foreman forced out for not having citizenship papers and as putative Army Air Force flyboy. Plus, a rare Hollywood sighting of ‘little person’ Billy Curtis working a legit factory job rather than a sideshow. (He’s small enough to check out engine casings from the inside.) He can't reach the payroll punch-in clock and gets roughly kidded for his size, but kidded like a regular, if short, guy. Any other examples in the period to match? Any now? Director Lloyd Bacon keeps up a decent pace, though can’t do anything with a corny bit of flying action tagged on at the end. But this was mid-1942. News from the front still pretty dark. And like the trailer promises: Prioritizing Adventure and Romance! Add in a bit of comedy, and you’ve nailed the wartime entertainment trifecta for the times.

DOUBLE-BILL: Morgan & Carson would pair up for a series of light vehicles, but are revelatory in next year’s exceptionally dark backstager, THE HARD WAY, alongside the equally fine Ida Lupino & Joan Leslie. (Billy Curtis shows up, too, back in a showbiz role.)

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