[9]
Cary Grant and Jean Arthur star in this Howard Hawks film about a remote Central American air-freight company that risks pilots’ lives to deliver the mail over a dangerous mountain peak. Grant plays the head of the operation, one that Arthur discovers during shore leave. She’s an entertainer looking for employment in Panama, but when she meets Grant, the two fall uneasily in love. After witnessing the death of a pilot, Arthur becomes infatuated with the men who run the operation and the ways they cope with death and danger. She lets her boat leave without her and quickly gets in over her head trying to win Grant’s heart. He’s simply too afraid to be tied down by anyone. Things are complicated when a former teammate with a notorious past (Richard Barthelmess) returns to fly again, bringing along a wife (Rita Hayworth) who used to be one of Grant’s many flings.
Only Angels Have Wings creates a compelling setting and atmosphere that is simply fun to be in. Like Casablanca or To Have and Have Not, the film takes place primarily in a bar full of characters who know and love each other — it’s a ‘hang out movie’. Arthur is our window, not only into the exotic locale, but into the secret world of daredevil men. She learns how they handle loss and grief, how strong and long-lasting friendships between men can be, and the orderly way they handle conflicts among themselves. To this end, Only Angels Have Wings is a master-class in the study of traditional masculinity and the code of conduct among men. The most interesting thing about the film is how Arthur’s character learns from her observations to make herself more appealing to Grant. She’s essentially learning how to become the ‘Hawksian woman’ (a romantic partner men view as an equal instead of as a dependent) that would become popular in Hawks’ later films.
The second act introduces subplots with Barthlemess and Hayworth’s characters that are variations on the main theme of masculine conduct, exploring shame, betrayal, and forgiveness through a masculine lens. Grant and Arthur are terrific leads, aided by a witty screenplay that never resorts to predictable romantic schmaltz. They are backed by fine supporting turns from Thomas Mitchell as Grant’s surrogate father figure, and Sig Ruman as the kindly Dutch owner of the bar and freight operation. The atmospheric sets and lively bar music add to the film’s cumulative, escapist appeal. More importantly, Only Angels Have Wings serves as a beautiful reminder that masculinity can be more than just toxic — it can be noble and virtuous.
Oscar Nomination: Best Special Effects