Hell's Angels

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Hell's Angels

PG,

1930,

2h 15m,

War

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Watchlist

75%

20 Reviews

Tomatometer

64%

1,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

75%

Tomatometer

20 Reviews

64%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

As World War I breaks out in Europe, Roy (James Hall) and Monte (Ben Lyon), two brothers studying at Oxford University, enlist in the Royal Flying Corps to fight for queen and country, while their college friend Karl is drafted in Germany. A love triangle involving Monte, Roy, and Roy's girlfriend, Helen (Jean Harlow), the brothers' disparate personalities, and Monte's cowardice in the face of war soon threaten to compromise a top-secret bombing mission over German territory.

Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Dec 3, 2025

5/5

It’s a pre-Hays Code movie, so the morality is fantastically off-kilter, with French brothels, bed-hopping, multiple suicides and a brutal execution that underscores the hellishness of war and the fact that Hughes, in the end, got it done.

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Jake Cole

Slant Magazine

Nov 14, 2025

Hell’s Angels spares few thoughts for empty patriotism.

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Malcolm Cowley

The New Republic

Apr 29, 2013

The machine guns are real machine guns, the bombs are real bombs, the drum of motors is the drum of genuine motors. But the actors themselves are false, puny, inadequate, the only real automatons in a world of vital steel.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 22, 2025

3.5/4

After nearly a full century, the aerial combat sequences in Hell’s Angels remain among the best ever committed to celluloid. That’s entirely due to the vision (some would say fanaticism) of director-producer Howard Hughes.

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Ellie Lucas

From the Front Row

Nov 11, 2025

3/4

Despite the rather banal soap opera at its core, however, it's hard to deny what a stunning technical achievement this is.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

May 31, 2024

6/10

Aside from its sound prowess, it is a war film that raises its point of authenticity in the aerial sequences of dogfights, but which, unfortunately, falls from the skies with a trivial plot. [Full review in Spanish]

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Feb 1, 2019

The best movie quote ever spoken: "Would you be shocked if I put on something more comfortable?"

Theodore P

Apr 17, 2018

The weakest point of this film is the relationships of the main trio. Why they are best friends (two of them brothers) instead of being merely acquainted within their fraternal group... I don't know. The Zeppelin sequence is a high-point of he film (thrilling & shocking), but not the only high-point. What does work in this film are the action sequences, many of them live. Then there's the two-tone color sequence with bra-less Harlow being very obvious for the camera. The ending redeems the film as the single person with strong morals opts to be the hero - regardless of the cost to others.

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Abraham W

Oct 3, 2016

The arial photography, unknown leads, and some uncensored dialogue set this remarkable early talkie apart from most, in spite of a hokey plot. Howard Hughes was quite a visionary.

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Howard Hughes

Director

Ben Lyon

Monte Rutledge

Jean Harlow

Helen

James Hall

Roy Rutledge

John Darrow

Karl Armstedt

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Synopsis

As World War I breaks out in Europe, Roy (James Hall) and Monte (Ben Lyon), two brothers studying at Oxford University, enlist in the Royal Flying Corps to fight for queen and country, while their college friend Karl is drafted in Germany. A love triangle involving Monte, Roy, and Roy's girlfriend, Helen (Jean Harlow), the brothers' disparate personalities, and Monte's cowardice in the face of war soon threaten to compromise a top-secret bombing mission over German territory.

Director: Howard Hughes
Production Co: The Caddo Company
Rating: PG
Genre: War
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 27, 1930, Original
Release Date (DVD): Dec 21, 2004
Runtime: 2h 15m

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