Tweet Various US locations: WINGS (1927)

[silentfilm]

Oscar-Winning World War I Drama 'Wings' Returning to Silver Screen
The 1927 Academy Award-winning drama is being screened Wednesday night and May 16.
4:18 PM PDT 5/2/2012 by THR Staff
A fully restored version of Wings, which took home several honors at the first ever Academy Awards in 1929, is returning to movie theaters Wednesday and again on May 16.

Exhibitor Cinemark Theatres will present Wings on Wednesday at locations featuring Cinemark XD Extreme Digital Cinema auditoriums. And on May 16, roughly 50 more Cinemark theaters will present an encore showing of the Paramount Pictures film.

The 1927 silent World War I film was directed by William A. Wellman from a story by John Monk Saunders. The screenplay was from Hope Loing and Louis D. Lighton. At the 1929 Academy Awards, which recognized films from 1927 and 1928, Wings won awards for most outstanding production, best effects and engineering effects.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see Hollywood history on screen, with incredible visuals and the original score recorded by a full orchestra,” said James Meredith, vice president of marketing for Cinemark, in a statement.

This film stars Clara Bow, Charles “Buddy” Rogers and Richard Arlen. It also features Gary Cooper in one of his first film roles.

Being the first and probably last time that my local multiplex will show a vintage silent film, i went to Wings last night in Hayward, CA. There were probably 20 people in the theatre at various times--5 left, 3 arrived late, plus a couple of people drifted in and out during the final battle sequences, as though they had come in from another movie. They were mostly attentive and quiet (the noisiest ones left within 10 minutes). I applauded at the end of the film, which prompted only one more person to applaud, but to my surprise most stuck through the restoration credits. Which had a credit for the Niles Museum--sweet!

I noticed the newly recorded Zamecnik score with plane and artillery noises added in, and sometimes taking advantage of surround-sound effects. It did have the yellow flame/bullets effects as well. But the picture was kind of grainy and soft, if i hadn't known it was digital i would have thought it was 16mm.

We went to the 7 PM performance, there had also been a 2:00 performance but i was unable to find out what the attendance was for that.

Was that Evelyn Selbie as the washroom attendant that loans Clara the sequinned dress? I don't see that role credited in IMDB or AFI.

greta

Was that Evelyn Selbie as the washroom attendant that loans Clara the sequinned dress? I don't see that role credited in IMDB or AFI.

Thanks for the report.

I don't know the name of the character of the lady with the dress, but imdb lists a "Celeste," played by Arlette Marchal, who is clearly a French actress. There aren't a lot of women's roles in the French portion of the film, but that could be either the costume lady or one of the tipsy gals fighting over Buddy Rogers. Oddly, imdb gives William Wellman's daughter credit as being a peasant girl, but not his wife as being the girl's mother! (They're the family whose house the plane crashes into.)

The fact that TCM is not involved at all in the promotion of these screenings certainly doesn't help any. I have yet to see TCM mention a thing about WINGS being out on DVD or Blu-ray.

[Christopher Jacobs]

:? The fact that TCM is not involved at all in the promotion of these screenings certainly doesn't help any. I have yet to see TCM mention a thing about WINGS being out on DVD or Blu-ray.

Well, it's not really all that confusing. It just might have something to do with the fact that TCM owns the Warner, MGM, and RKO libraries but WINGS is a Paramount Pictures product that they happen to have leased for showing on their cable network but have nothing to do with its DVD, Blu-ray, or theatrical distribution. However, I thought I did see mention of the WINGS video release on TCM's monthly classic film update feature that runs periodically between movies. The video release was way back in January, so it's "old news" now.

Christopher,

Afraid not. What you are thinking of is the Classi Film Festival screenings references. They have never mentioned the WINGS DVD or Blu-ray release even once on TCM. I don't think it's even been reviewed in Movie News on their website. If it has been, then I definitely missed the article.

Was that Evelyn Selbie as the washroom attendant that loans Clara the sequinned dress? I don't see that role credited in IMDB or AFI.

Thanks for the report.

I don't know the name of the character of the lady with the dress, but imdb lists a "Celeste," played by Arlette Marchal, who is clearly a French actress. There aren't a lot of women's roles in the French portion of the film, but that could be either the costume lady or one of the tipsy gals fighting over Buddy Rogers. Oddly, imdb gives William Wellman's daughter credit as being a peasant girl, but not his wife as being the girl's mother! (They're the family whose house the plane crashes into.)

Judging from the pictures online of Marchal, i'd say she was the very pretty girl with the rope of pearls that Clara had to pull off of Buddy. Anyway she's definitely neither the costume lady nor the peasant mother (who someone on IMDB identified as Margery Chapin and appears to be her only credit).

greta

Just for the record, i checked with David Kiehn, and he confirmed that it is Evelyn Selbie in the part of the washroom attendant.

Here's a blurry still from that scene, which isn't terribly helpful:

http://cdn.things-and-other-stuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/clara-bow-04.jpg

greta

I noticed last night that the restored Wings has been added to Amazon's Prime Instant Video service. As I write this, it is #74 in a group of 300 "newly added videos" or some-such phrase.

If you subscribe to Amazon's Prime shipping service, you also get free access to many streaming videos on your Roku, computer, or other device. If you have the Roku remote control, hold down the arrow button to quickly get to #74.

Rick