Cinema Revisited: The Dawn Patrol (1938)

Directed by Edmund Goulding. Starring Errol Flynn, David Niven, Basil Rathbone, Donald Crisp, Barry Fitzgerald. Released December 24, 1938. Running time: 103 minutes.

There is a scene in "The Dawn Patrol" where Captain and flight leader Errol Flynn tells the Major (Basil Rathbone) that one of the flyers lost in the most recent battle is Scotty (David Niven), Flynn's dearest friend. The opening scenes had already shown their relationship clearly, so we share Flynn's shock and sadness. When the German soldier who shot down Scotty's plane is brought in as a prisoner, he is introduced to Flynn as the man who shot his plane down. He bows to Flynn with respect. Flynn asks to drink with him. Moments later, Scotty returns, having survived and made it back to the base. Director Edmund Goulding pulls the camera in toward Flynn. The euphoria on his face is as striking as his stunned sorrow earlier. It is the most powerful scene in a film that has many.

This 1938 film with an all-male cast of familiar British actors is simply one of the finest action dramas ever made. The story deals with the Royal Flying Corps and Rathbone, as commander, suffers with the stress and anxiety of being forced to send young, inexperienced men on suicide missions in planes that are falling apart. Donald Crisp is his relaxed adjutant, taking everything in stride, merrily talking about how much fun it'd be to have a dog in the barracks.

The film gets dramatically stronger when Rathbone gets promoted away and Flynn must take the job of sending the men out on missions. Suddenly, Flynn and Niven are in the situation that Rathbone and Crisp had been in, with Flynn's sense of fun challenged by his heavier responsibility. When Niven's younger brother is sent in as a replacement recruit, he begs Flynn not to send him up. However, the man is needed, so Flynn must. The younger is killed. The shot of Niven watching his brother's plane go down, and screaming his name, is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in any movie made. The Flynn-Niven friendship is tested, but even the horrors of war and responsibility cannot destroy their bond.

"The Dawn Patrol" was an enormous hit during the pivotal year 1939 (it was released very late in 1938). It was one of Warner Brothers most popular movies, its box office tripling its production costs. Despite coming out the year of "Gone With The Wind," "The Wizard of Oz," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Wuthering Heights," and "The Roaring Twenties;" this film enjoyed similar success.

A film about war, friendship, conflict, and camaraderie, "The Dawn Patrol" has lost none of its impact as late as the 21st century.