Hell's Angels (film)

Hell's Angels (film)

Hell's Angels is a 1930 American war film, directed by Howard Hughes and starring Jean Harlow, Ben Lyon, and James Hall. The film, which was produced by Hughes and written by Harry Behn and Howard Estabrook, centers on the combat pilots of World War I. It was released by United Artists and, despite its initial poor performance at the box office, eventually earned its production costs twice over. Controversy during the Hell's Angels production contributed to the film's notoriety, including the accidental deaths of several pilots, an inflated budget, a lawsuit against a competitor (The Dawn Patrol), and repeated postponements of the release date. Originally shot as a silent film, Hughes retooled the film over a lengthy gestation period and Hell's Angels is now hailed as one of the first sound blockbuster action films.