Michael_Elliott The Flying Fleet (1929) *** (out of 4) Good, if rather routine and predictable, drama about buddies Tommy (Ramon Novarro) and Steve (Ralph Graves) who are trying to earn their wings in the Navy but along the way they fall in love with the same woman (Anita Page) and it starts to ruin their friendship. Screenwriter Frank Wead was well known off the camera and most people remember him today for being played by John Wayne in THE WINGS OF EAGLES but he'd also write several screenplays including the one for THEY WERE EXPENDABLE. This here was his first screen writing job and while it's very routine and contains no shocks it does remain entertaining as it really comes off like a documentary. It really does seem as if Wead wanted to give people a good idea of what it was like being in the Navy in regards to what you have to go through, the comradery between men and of course their views on women. There's a funny bit where the men see Page in her bathing suit and say that's a great bit of seafood. What really makes this film work so well are the wonderful aerial shots including a couple terrific crashes. It seems all of these movies back in the silent era were trying to top each other in regards to their stunts and this one here is mighty impressive and just goes to show that CGI isn't needed. The ending is one people will see coming from miles away but the crash is quite tense as is the scenes in the water. Another plus are the three leads who are all in fine form. Both Novarro and Graves come across as real friends and their chemistry really jumps off the screen. Page is as beautiful as ever and comes across extremely charming. The three have no problems mixing it up and the supporting players are just as good. The one problem is that by even 1929 standards the love triangle is just too predictable and it really starts to drag the rest of the film down at times. With that said, THE FLYING FLEET is still worth checking out for the stars and stunts.

preppy-3 Two buddies in the Navy, Tommy (Ramon Novarro) and Steve (Ralph Graves) fall in love with the same girl--Anita (Anita Page). It starts a rivalry which slowly gets serious--can their friendship survive?Very obvious (you KNOW how it's going to end) but pretty good. The story moves quickly, Graves is tall and handsome, Page is pretty and Novarro is just incredibly beautiful with his dark eyes blazing. The direction is very good and there is some truly unbelievable aerial footage. This was all done with the full cooperation of the Navy so we get to see what it was really like back in 1929.No great shakes but a very good silent movie (with some sound effects here and there). Recommended.

raskimono This high budget MGM movie from 1929 stars Mr Ben Hur himself, Ramon Navarrow, himself, a cross btw Robert Taylor and Ty Power. Here he has the Tom Cruise role of Maverick. In the Val Kilmer role we have Ralph Graves and the girl is Anita Page who would soon have her own blockbuster with the Broadway melody. Highly exciting aerial sequences are undercut by an underwritten and paint by the numbers, extremely broad strokes plot. Some of the sequences seeem like documentaries, though they should play more like set pieces eg the T-1000 morphing in T-2, bullet-time in the Matrix. You are giving the audience something they haven't seen, like they've never seen it. The movie never gives you that feeling or the necessary iconographic images that are usually associated in this genre. This is definitely a movie dialogue would have made better, for there is sound, through, music in the background, sounds of the planes etc but not enough to give the scenes the necessary gravitas to support a story about six friends and their friendship through naval and aerial school. he aviator movie would go on to be a popular genre in the earlie thirties Hollywood with all the studios throwing in their hats. Most weren't good but had a certain gravitas because of dialogue. Facial expressions just don't do the job here. Overall, not the best movie, but luscious cinematography and slightly above average direction, with fine performances all around from the cast slightly compensate but not enough.

BoYutz Ramon Navarro and Ralph Graves are two young Navy flyers vying for lovely Anita Page. They are also training for carrier landings and competing for the honor of piloting a large flying boat to Honolulu.The story is pedestrian at best, puerile at worst, with a few moments of high drama. What makes this film truly memorable is the awesome aireal photography of cinematographer Charles A. Marshall. It's amazing that work of such quality was done at this time. There's also very good footage of the USS Langley, the Navy's first aircraft carrier, not to mention all the first generation naval aircraft. This lends great historical importance to this otherwise trivial film.George W. Hill directed, and seems to have taken elements of this film and grafted them onto his later (1932) 'Hell Divers.'