Air Devils

Air Devils
Theatrical poster
Directed by	John Rawlins
Written by	Harold Buckley George Waggner
Based on
Produced by	Trem Carr (producer) Paul Malvern (associate producer)
Starring	Larry J. Blake Dick Purcell Beryl Wallace
Cinematography	Harry Neumann
Edited by	Charles Craft
Music by	Charles Previn
Production Template:Pluralize from text	Universal Pictures Co.
Distributed by	Universal Pictures Co.
Release dateTemplate:Pluralize from text
Running time	57, 58 or 61 minutes
Template:Pluralize from text	United States
Template:Pluralize from text	English

Air Devils is a 1938 American action adventure film directed by John Rawlins, based on an original story, "The Fighting Marines" by Harold Buckley. The film stars Larry J. Blake, Dick Purcell and Beryl Wallace.

Plot

Set in the island of Taro Pago in the years before World War II, two former Marine pilots, John P. "Horseshoe" Donovan (Larry J. Blake) and Percy "Slats" Harrington (Dick Purcell), are hired as air "constables" (constabularies) to keep order on the remote Pacific island. Both friends vie for the attentions of Marcia Bradford (Beryl Wallace) and, through a series of misadventures, find that neither will win out.

The two pilots find that local tavern owner, Tom Mordant (Charles Brokaw), has been stirring up the natives and a civil war is brewing. The two rivals have to combine forces to stop violence and bring the island back to peaceful times.

Cast

• Larry J. Blake as John P. "Horseshoe" Donovan
• Dick Purcell as Percy "Slats" Harrington
• Beryl Wallace as Marcia Bradford
• Mamo Clark as Lolano
• Charles Brokaw as Tom Mordant
• Minerva Urecal as Margaret Price
• Forbes Murray as Capt. Hawthorne
• Paul Sutton as Holo
• LeRoy Mason as Robert Walker
• Al Kikume as Don Kahano
• Michael Visaroff
• Billy Wayne as Sgt. Jennings

Production

File:Screen shot parachute jump.png

Although the title hints at aerial action, there are few flying scenes. There are two dramatic parachute jumps, however, in the climactic battle scene.

Air Devils begins with this prologue: "The Pacific Ocean is strewn with tropical islands, large and small, to which drift adventuring souls. The island are policed and protected by constabularies which function under the local governments. These constabularies are well disciplined military organizations, splendidly equipped and officered by men who have completed enlistments in, and been honorably discharged from, the Army, Navy or Marine Corps, but who have succumbed to the magic spell of the South Seas." Despite the presence of Mamo Clark as Lolano, who had made her film debut in a featured role in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and the illusion of an exotic locale embodied by lush sets, Air Devils was a studio property. Universal Pictures began principal photography late March 1938 at Talisman Studios. Air Devils has an aviation-oriented title that is belied by there being very few scenes with an aircraft. Only one Waco biplane is seen in the film.

Reception

Air Devils premiered at 70 minutes, but was subsequently re-edited down to a running time of 57–61 minutes. Typical of many of the low-budget B film of the period, later reviews were not complimentary. "A generic action movie with limited means support. Be it budget or actors. Had a couple of half-decent action scenes, but otherwise a very lackluster storyline which was forgotten as soon as the movie ended." Producer Trem Carr had been behind the numerous John Wayne B films of the same period.

References

Bibliography

• Wynne, H. Hugh. The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. Template:ISBN.

External links

• Air Devils at IMDbTemplate:Edit at Wikidata
• Air Devils is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive