Legally unavailable for decades, Howard Hughes' sensational World War I epic is finally back in distribution. Now you can see some of the most spectacular and incredibly exciting aerial battle sequences ever filmed! The story concerns the lives, loves and friendships of three Oxford buddies — two British (Lyon and Hall) and one German (Darrow) — who, with the coming of the war, are conscripted to fight on opposing sides. Hughes complements the film's emotional conflict with aerial dogfights, a Zeppelin raid over London, and a duel for love. Originally planned in 1927 and partially filmed as a silent picture, Hughes revamped the project when he saw the importance of sound to motion picture development. Consequently, he fired his first leading lady, Norwegian actress Greta Nissen, who could not speak English. In search of a replacement, he recruited an unknown, and made a star out of a young actress named Jean Harlow. (The famous seduction scene that ends with her much-quoted line "Do you mind if I change into something more comfortable?" is not to be missed.) Determined to produce the greatest air war-film ever made, Hughes spared no expense to capture the exciting dogfights between R.A.F. and German fighter planes, using 137 pilots in all. The sequence lasts close to a half-hour on screen. Equally impressive is the Zeppelin raid sequence, which climaxes spectacularly with the blazing airship crashing, seemingly right onto the audience! All told, the picture cost over $4,000,000, a hefty investment by its 1930 release date; in comparison, expenses for a picture of Hell's Angels' magnitude would exceed $20,000,000 today.

Previously unavailable for decades, Howard Hughes' sensational World War I epic includes some of the most spectacular aerial battle sequences ever filmed. The story concerns the lives, loves and friendships of three Oxford buddies who, with the coming of war, find themselves conscripted to fight on opposite sides.