Wings

Long touted as a classic by cinema historians, and justifying almost every adjectival extravagance. A spectacular tribute to the American flyers of World War I, born of Wellman's and John Monk Saunders' own experiences with the Lafayette Flying Corps, it's distinguished by matchless aerial photography, logistically-detailed battle scenes and dogfights, a unique blend of 'European' directorial touches with Hollywood pace, and solid performances holding the straightforward love/duty/camaraderie plotline together. Clara Bow leaves 'It' behind to work as a volunteer ambulance driver, while the boy-next-door she loves (Buddy Rogers) performs airborne heroics with his friend and rival-in-love Arlen, and Gary Cooper makes a brief but telling early appearance.