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Hell's Angels

Berlinale Classics 2025
© Universal Pictures
The very different characters of two brothers who join England’s Royal Flying Corps during World War I are revealed. While Roy Rutledge proves his mettle, his brother Monte turns out to be a disloyal coward. But Roy forgives his brother everything, even sleeping with Roy’s girlfriend Helen. It is not until they are captured by the Germans and Monte is on the verge of betraying England that Roy turns on him … Hell’s Angels began life as a silent in 1927 and was remade in 1930 with sound. Some passages are tinted, including the dramatic scene of a German Zeppelin going down in flames, and an opulent ball sequence in two-strip Technicolor, which is the only film footage of Jean Harlow in colour. In one of the dangerous aerial dogfighting sequences, producer Howard Hughes, an enthusiastic pilot, flew a plane from his own collection. He was injured during an emergency landing. Three other pilots and a mechanic were killed during the shoot.
A 35 mm two-strip print of Hell’s Angels was used alongside other films as references for the restoration of the Technicolor passages.
by Howard Hughes (Director), James Whale (Director), Howard Estabrook (Screenplay), Harry Behn (Screenplay)
with Ben Lyon, Jean Harlow, James Hall, John Darrow, Lucien Prival, Frank Clarke, Roy Wilson, Douglas Gilmore, Jane Winton, Evelyn Hall USA 1930 English, German 127' Black/White & Colour World premiere of the digitally restored version

With

  • Ben Lyon
  • Jean Harlow
  • James Hall
  • John Darrow
  • Lucien Prival
  • Frank Clarke
  • Roy Wilson
  • Douglas Gilmore
  • Jane Winton
  • Evelyn Hall

Crew

Directors Howard Hughes, James Whale
Screenplay Howard Estabrook, Harry Behn
Cinematography Antonio Gaudio
Editing Frank Lawrence, Douglass Biggs, Perry Hollingsworth
Music Hugo Riesenfeld
Sound Lodge Cunningham
Producer Howard Hughes

World Sales

Park Circus

Additional information

DCP: NBCUniversal

Photos