Hell's Angels

Hell's Angels Movie Poster Country United States Directed by Howard Hughes James Whale Release Date November 15, 1930 Language English French German Studio The Caddo Company Distributor United Artists Main Cast Character Actor Monte Rutledge Ben Lyon Roy Rutledge James Hall Helen Jean Harlow Karl Arnstedt John Darrow Baron Von Kranz Lucien Prival

Hell's Angels was made in 1930 and is the first multi-million dollar talking picture. Produced by Howard Hughes, it's a thrilling story about two British brothers attending Oxford who enlist with the Royal Flying Corps at the outbreak of World War I. Roy and Monte Rutledge have very different personalities. Monte is a womanizer and a coward when it comes to his night patrol duties. Roy is made of strong moral fiber and attempts to keep his brother in line. Both volunteer for an extremely risky two-man bombing mission for different reasons. Their assignment to knock out a strategic German munitions facility is a booming success, but with a squadron of fighters bearing down on them afterward, escape seems unlikely.

Originally shot as a silent film, but the success of The Jazz Singer resulted in Hughes deciding to covert the then-half-finished film into a talkie. The film is notable for its extremely ambitious cinematography and stunt work for the time, which made use of 137 stunt pilots and numerous authentic period aircraft. Three pilots and a mechanic were killed in accidents during filming, and Hughes himself was seriously injured after crashing while attempting to perform a dangerous aerial maneuver he had been told was impossible to safely pull off. Despite numerous setbacks and challenges, Hell's Angel's is considered a pioneering film of the action genre and often praised for its early use of sound and color.

The following weapons were used in the film Hell's Angels:

Machine Guns

Lewis Gun

Many British aircraft are fitted with the aircraft version of the Lewis Gun.

Lewis Gun Aircraft Version - .303 British

The Lewis Gun Aircraft Version in the observer position.

Vickers Aircraft Machine Gun

The Vickers Aircraft Machine Gun is also used by British aircraft.

Vickers Aircraft Machine Gun - .303 British

Vickers Aircraft Version in the pilot position.

Maxim lMG 08/15 Spandau Aircraft

The air-cooled Maxim LMG 08/15 is mounted on German aircraft.

LMG 08/15 Air-Cooled - 7.92x57mm Mauser

A Maxim LMG 08/15 mounted in the Zeppelin R Class.

A Maxim LMG 08/15 mounted on a German Gotha bomber (actually the sole Sikorsky S-29A mocked-up to resemble a German bomber) manned by Monte Rutledge (Ben Lyon). Note the Browning M1917-style grip.

A Maxim LMG 08/15 mounted on German Bomber manned by Monte Rutledge (Ben Lyon).

A Maxim LMG 08/15 mounted on German Bomber manned by Monte Rutledge (Ben Lyon).

The twin Maxim LMG 08/15s mounted on a German Fokker D.VII open fire

Rear view of the twin-linked Maxim LMG 08/15s.

Browning M1918 Aircraft

The air-cooled Browning M1918 is the primary weapon of British S.E.5a fighters.

Browning M1918 Aircraft - .30-06

A close-up of the twin Browning M1918s of an S.E.5a.

The Browning M1918 fired by Baldy Maloney (Roy Wilson).

Pistols

Luger P08

The Luger P08 is carried by Imperial German Army officers.

Luger P08 - 9x19mm

Both the German officer and Roy Rutledge (James Hall) hold Lugers.

Rifles

Mauser Gewehr 1898

The Gewehr 1898 is used by German infantry.

Mauser Gewehr 1898 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

A German soldier carrying a Gewehr 1898 escorts Roy Rutledge (James Hall).

Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk. III*

The Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk.III* is used by the British Army, most notably in the final scenes.

Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk.III* - .303 British

British Troops charging the trenches with Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk. III* rifles.