Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

SteinMo What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

wes-connors The U.S. Naval Academy successfully graduates handsome aviators Ramon Novarro (as Tommy Winslow) and Ralph Graves (as Steve Randall). While training, the men in uniform see pretty blonde Anita Page (as Anita Hastings) water-skiing and think, "That's what I call seafood!" Nice line. Both men want to spend their off-duty time making it with Ms. Page. Friendly bickering grows more serious as Page plays along with both Mr. Novarro and Mr. Graves. A grand seafaring adventure leads to the final clinch...With not much of a plot, but plenty of pilot footage, "The Flying Fleet" was a top production and box office hit, despite its appearance during the waning days of silent films. The synchronized sound effects score is nicely done (a DVD release implies the soundtrack is newly recorded; if so, whoever put it together knows the old style exceptionally well). The film benefits from spectacular photography from Charles A. Marshall and Ira H. Morgan. And, of course, Novarro and the cast are irresistibly charming.****** The Flying Fleet (1/19/29) George W. Hill ~ Ramon Novarro, Ralph Graves, Anita Page, Edward J. Nugent

calvinnme MGM was one of the last studios to convert to sound, and this is one of their late silents. By 1929, studios could easily add synchronized sound effects and music scores to films. It was synchronized speech by identifiable individual persons that so grounded the camera and caused so many problems.This late silent, written by one of the founders of naval aviation, has a good if somewhat predictable story with some sound effects to accompany the flight and naval action scenes. The story opens on six graduating seniors at the Naval Academy on the eve of their graduation. The six have been the best of friends for four years, and all six want wings, but only two will make it all the way through. The other four don't make it for a whole number of reasons from being expelled on the eve of graduation, to something as simple and unpreventable as bad eyesight. The last two not only get their wings, they are competing for the affection of a young lady (Anita Page) who lives in San Diego.It's got plenty of action and moves along nicely and absolutely could not have been shot as a sound film for at least a couple of more years when sound technology could finally go outdoors - and in the air - with ease. It's ironic that one of the first of these sound films, 1931's "Dirigible", also stars Ralph Graves playing the same kind of swaggering character that he does here.

MartinHafer Because this film came out in 1929 and studios were hurriedly switching to sound pictures, sound effects and music was added to this otherwise silent film. For this time period, it's a very good film--featuring excellent footage of naval aircraft and a good, though a tad predictable story about six friends who went to the Naval Academy and wanted to earn their pilot's wings. Little by little, the original group is now whittled down to two pilots who actually are able to complete the program--Ramon Novarro and Ralph Graves (who, incidentally, made many military-oriented films in the late 20s and early 1930s set on subs, derigibles and aircraft). Unfortunately, while they are best of friends, they also want the same girl (cute Anita Page) and the story is a combination of serious drama about the training and life of a navy pilot as well as a contest to see who gets the girl.For the time period this was made, this is a much better than average film with excellent production values and an interesting story--particularly to nuts like me that love old aircraft. Also, for those aviation and history lovers out there, it's a good opportunity to see the USS Langley in action (this was America's first aircraft carrier).This film, by the way, was created from a story idea from Frank Wead--a retired navy pilot who, after suffering a serious spinal injury, changed careers and became a Hollywood screenwriter and consultant--mostly (but not exclusively) for aviation films. His life was recreated in the film WINGS OF EAGLES--giving it all the usual John Ford sentimentality and gloss.

raskimono This high budget MGM movie from 1929 stars Mr Ben Hur himself, Ramon Navarrow, himself, a cross btw Robert Taylor and Ty Power. Here he has the Tom Cruise role of Maverick. In the Val Kilmer role we have Ralph Graves and the girl is Anita Page who would soon have her own blockbuster with the Broadway melody. Highly exciting aerial sequences are undercut by an underwritten and paint by the numbers, extremely broad strokes plot. Some of the sequences seeem like documentaries, though they should play more like set pieces eg the T-1000 morphing in T-2, bullet-time in the Matrix. You are giving the audience something they haven't seen, like they've never seen it. The movie never gives you that feeling or the necessary iconographic images that are usually associated in this genre. This is definitely a movie dialogue would have made better, for there is sound, through, music in the background, sounds of the planes etc but not enough to give the scenes the necessary gravitas to support a story about six friends and their friendship through naval and aerial school. he aviator movie would go on to be a popular genre in the earlie thirties Hollywood with all the studios throwing in their hats. Most weren't good but had a certain gravitas because of dialogue. Facial expressions just don't do the job here. Overall, not the best movie, but luscious cinematography and slightly above average direction, with fine performances all around from the cast slightly compensate but not enough.