Wings Over Honolulu (1937) Online

Normally I only glance at the summaries of films on IMDb. However, I am very glad I read the one by Les Adams as it not only explains the film but does it in a funny and wonderful way!

The film begins in Virginia, as Lauaralee (Wendy Barrie) is celebrating her 20th birthday. Her beau asks her to marry him but she declines as she's not in love with him. But soon a dashing and marriageable man literally comes dropping out of the sky as aviator Lt. Sam Gilcrist makes a forced landing on her property. When Lauralee sees him, it's the proverbial love at first sight. Soon they marry...though they know nothing about each other AND he's a Navy flier. However, shortly after they marry she becomes disenchanted with the life of a Navy wife and makes Sam's life very difficult. What will come of all this?

I noticed one review complained about how sexist the movie was. Well, let's say we should agree to disagree. After all, Sam was a naval officer and yet his wife constantly is complaining about how often he needs to work. Well, this DOES go with the territory and listening to the character whine and complain and demand her husband be home when he's ordered to go on maneuvers just makes her character seem like a spoiled baby. Sexism? Nah...these are just the demands the military put on a man and his spouse. Is it an easy life? No way...but sexist, I just don't see it.

Now if the complaint was that the movie was STUPID...well, that I could have agreed with wholeheartedly. Not only was the wife ridiculously naive, but the Lieutenant's reaction when his wife left him is INSANE. Additionally, he probably would have been sent to federal prison for what he did...yet magically everything works out just fine!! But he stole and then wrecked a Navy airplane-- something that cost a fortune!!! Huh?!

A spoiled debutante (mannered & shrill Wendy Barrie, the poor man's Katharine Hepburn) has trouble adjusting to life as the wife of a Navy flyboy (the always-overrated Ray Milland). This woman's-magazine storyline is terminally boring, and aviation buffs attracted by the title will be disappointed, as barely 5 of the film's excruciating 80 minutes are given over to aerial footage. Oscar nominee for Best Cinematography in the era in which every studio was invited to put up a title in the tech categories, and this was the best Universal could come up with.

Well, not really, and I had no idea what they had mice in Hawaii. It's the only real standout detail in this military romance that starts off in the stereotypical ideal of the old south and ends up in the land of pineapples and sugar cane. Ray Millard is a navy pilot who falls instantly in love with spoiled Wendy Barrie and takes her from the plantation of cotton and collard greens to the more tropical Pacific island where she gets a quick lesson in responsibility and growing up. Their romance moves so fast that the two actors don't have the chance to establish any chemistry. The sudden twist of her apparent infidelity comes out of nowhere.

Barrie's character has to deal, not only with no servants and a piano playing mouse, but nosy neighbors, strict naval rules and a husband who doesn't let her get away with any nonsense. There are some tense flying moments (including a crackup that really gets no serious reaction from Milland) and another aviation sequence that seemingly has Milland on a suicide mission after Barrie takes off with his rival (Kent Taylor), followed by a court- martial trial. Character actors like Clara Blandick and Louise Beavers representing the old south and Samuel S. Hinds representing the Navy makes this seem like two different films.