I can only rate of film based on what I have seen, and the 62 minute print of the edited version of this film is incomprehensible. Producer Howard Hughes made this between "Hell's Angels" and "Scarface", and while those two films are classics still well regarded today, this one has fallen Into obscurity although apparently it has been restored somehow. What remains in the version I saw is choppy and often awkward, with cuts between scenes making no sense.
This was the last leading role of silent actress Billie Dove, having one supporting role in a film after it and a completely cut role years later, and her character, a glamorously dressed opera diva, seems to be tailor made for someone of her beauty. It is during a big festive occasion when she all of a sudden sees army officer Chester Morris, plops himself down at his table, and they end up as lovers. But of course, she's a self-centered narcissist and he's obligated to army duty so it's obvious that the romance is doomed, just like the edited film.
What makes this film interesting is that it has a very opulent setting so had a full version been available, that's how it should have ended up in theaters rather than restoration try to call all the remaining pieces together. It's only because it's a Howard Hughes film that that was most likely done, and I wasn't interested in enough of what I saw to seek out the version that has been glued back together. Hughes' love of flying means that there are some aviation sequences in the film, but when you chop up a movie by placing it in front of propellers, you're lucky that anything survives. This one is for enthusiasts and completists only. Even at 62 minutes, this version is completely tedious. It's a bit of a metaphor that sound effects concerning a plane having issues sounds like flatulence.
This was the last leading role of silent actress Billie Dove, having one supporting role in a film after it and a completely cut role years later, and her character, a glamorously dressed opera diva, seems to be tailor made for someone of her beauty. It is during a big festive occasion when she all of a sudden sees army officer Chester Morris, plops himself down at his table, and they end up as lovers. But of course, she's a self-centered narcissist and he's obligated to army duty so it's obvious that the romance is doomed, just like the edited film.
What makes this film interesting is that it has a very opulent setting so had a full version been available, that's how it should have ended up in theaters rather than restoration try to call all the remaining pieces together. It's only because it's a Howard Hughes film that that was most likely done, and I wasn't interested in enough of what I saw to seek out the version that has been glued back together. Hughes' love of flying means that there are some aviation sequences in the film, but when you chop up a movie by placing it in front of propellers, you're lucky that anything survives. This one is for enthusiasts and completists only. Even at 62 minutes, this version is completely tedious. It's a bit of a metaphor that sound effects concerning a plane having issues sounds like flatulence.