A perfect Howard Hawks movie, which demonstrated his themes and skill like few others - to wit, it depicts a group of men being wisecracking and displaying grace under pressure while being professional, Americans in an exotic corner of the world, a woman who falls in with them and can hold her own in their company, and lots of terrific dialogue.
Cary Grant at first looks a little silly as a hard bitten flyer with his clean shaven face and sombrero but actually it's one of his best performances. Jean Arthur is great fun as the sweet show girl who winds up stranded with them, and there is fine support work from Thomas Mitchell, who has the typically Hawksian bromance with Grant.
Rita Hayworth's career shot up several notches from being in this movie as an ex of Grant's; she's extremely pretty but not much of an actress - but the beauty is enough. Richard Barthelmess has a haunted, doomed look which perfectly suits his character, and there's real camraderie amongst support actors like Sig Ruman and Noah Beery Jnr.
To be honest the model plane shots look a little silly now and it feels like it goes on for a half hour too long (there's a plane crash, then another plane crash), but it's wonderful atmosphere and sense of adventure hasn't dated a bit.
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