Hell's Angels (1930)

Amidst the genteel halls of Oxford, two brothers, Roy and Monte Rutledge, find their lives disrupted by the onset of World War I. Roy, a stalwart pillar of morality, and Monte, a carefree womanizer – even daring to court Roy's girlfriend, Helen – are as different as two brothers can be. Yet, when war's clarion call sounds, they stand shoulder to shoulder, enlisting with the Royal Air Force. In the tranquility before the storm, they share a bond with Karl, a German comrade from their Oxford days. But as the conflict erupts, Karl is summoned back to his homeland, finding himself aboard a Zeppelin dropping bombs over London. Struggles of loyalty and morality ensue as he steers the deadly rain to fall harmlessly into the water. Meanwhile, the Rutledge brothers face their own trials. Monte's womanizing ways are nothing compared to the yellow streak revealed on his Night Patrol duties. To shed his cowardly reputation, he volunteers for a treacherous mission, but not without Roy by his side, driven by a protective instinct towards his errant brother. Despite their contrasting reasons, they embark on an audacious two-man mission, aiming to obliterate a strategic German munitions facility. Their success reverberates, not just in the booming explosions, but in the impending doom of a squadron of enemy fighters closing in on them. With the echoes of their victory fading and the odds stacked against them, their escape seems as elusive as peace itself. "Hell's Angels" is a gripping narrative of brotherhood and bravery, of loyalty tested and moralities questioned, set against the backdrop of a world at war. It's a tale that's bound to ensnare viewers, pulling them into a vortex of drama, danger, and determination.

Hell's Angels is an action movie featuring Ben Lyon and directed by Howard Hughes.

Hell's Angels is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.