Poster

Only Angels Have Wings ()

Reference View | Change View
At a remote South American trading port, the manager of an air-freight company is forced to risk his pilots' lives in order to win an important contract as a traveling American showgirl stops in town.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
Reviews:

Photos and Videos

76 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

Edit
...
Geoff Carter
...
Bonnie Lee
...
Bat MacPherson
...
Judy MacPherson
...
Kid Dabb
...
Les Peters
...
Dutchy (as Sig Rumann)
...
Sparks
...
Gent Shelton
...
Tex (as Donald Barry)
...
Joe Souther
Manuel Álvarez Maciste ...
The Singer (as Maciste)
Milisa Sierra ...
Lily (as Milissa Sierra)
Lucio Villegas ...
Doctor
...
Mike
...
Pancho
Pat West ...
Baldy
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Enrique Acosta ...
Tourist (uncredited)
...
Rafael (uncredited)
Harry A. Bailey ...
Tourist (uncredited)
...
Assistant Purser (uncredited)
...
Tourist (uncredited)
...
Harkwright Jr. (uncredited)
...
Felice Torras (uncredited)
...
Bass Player (uncredited)
Lew Davis ...
Shorty (uncredited)
...
Ship's Captain (uncredited)
Curley Dresden ...
Mechanic (uncredited)
Elena Durán ...
Elena Silva (uncredited)
Budd Fine ...
First Mate on the Ship's Bridge (uncredited)
Eddie Foster ...
Mechanic (uncredited)
Tex Higginson ...
Foreman #2 (uncredited)
Raúl Lechuga ...
Tourist (uncredited)
Jack Low ...
Banana Foreman (uncredited)
Francisco Marán ...
Plantation Overseer on Trolley (uncredited)
...
Mechanic (uncredited)
...
Charlie (uncredited)
...
Mr. Harkwright (uncredited)
Tessie Murray ...
Tourist (uncredited)
Aurora Navarro ...
Tourist (uncredited)
...
Lily's Aunt (uncredited)
Ed Randolph ...
Mechanic (uncredited)
Al Rhein ...
Mechanic (uncredited)
Ky Robinson ...
Mechanic (uncredited)
...
Bit Role (uncredited)
...
Sam (uncredited)
Victor Travis ...
Plantation Overseer (uncredited)
...
Mechanic (uncredited)

Directed by

Edit
Howard Hawks

Written by

Edit
Jules Furthman ... (screen play)
 
Howard Hawks ... (story "Plane from Barranca") (uncredited)
 
Eleanore Griffin ... (contributor to treatment) (uncredited)
 
William Rankin ... (contributor to treatment) (uncredited)

Produced by

Edit
Howard Hawks ... producer (uncredited)

Music by

Edit
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by

Edit
Joseph Walker ... (photography)

Editing by

Edit
Viola Lawrence

Art Direction by

Edit
Lionel Banks

Costume Design by

Edit
Robert Kalloch ... (gowns) (as Kalloch)

Makeup Department

Edit
Robert J. Schiffer ... makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

Edit
Arthur S. Black Jr. ... assistant director (uncredited)
Sam Nelson ... second unit director (uncredited)
Richard Rosson ... second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department

Edit
Chesley Bonestell ... background paintings (uncredited)

Special Effects by

Edit
Roy Davidson ... special effects
Edwin C. Hahn ... special effects (uncredited)
Harry Redmond Jr. ... special effects (uncredited)
Harry Redmond Sr. ... special effects (uncredited)

Stunts

Edit
Paul Mantz ... chief stunt pilot (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

Edit
Elmer Dyer ... aerial photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department

Edit
Eugene Joseff ... costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department

Edit
Morris Stoloff ... musical director (as M. W. Stoloff)
Howard Jackson ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
Alfred Newman ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
Ben Oakland ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
George Parrish ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Louis Silvers ... composer: stock music (uncredited)

Additional Crew

Edit
Paul Mantz ... chief pilot / technical adviser
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

Edit

Distributors

Edit

Special Effects

Edit

Other Companies

Edit

Storyline

Edit
Plot Summary

When the ship San Luis makes a stop at the port of Barranca to deliver mailbags and load bananas, cabaret singer Bonnie Lee leaves the boat for some hours to look around. She meets a gang of American flyers who work for a warm-hearted Dutchman. He is the owner of a scrubby hotel, but also of the shaky Barranca Airways, led by the tough flyer Geoff Carter. The only way to fly out of Barranca is through a deep pass at 14,000 feet above the ground. As the weather is often stormy and foggy, the flights are extremely difficult, and several flyers have already lost their lives. Bonnie falls in love with Geoff, who reminds her of her father, a trapeze artist who worked without safety net. She decides to leave the boat and stay at the hotel. But Geoff is scared of being detained by a woman. He wants to continue his risky lifestyle uninterrupted. The situation is aggravated when a new flyer, Bat MacPherson, turns up with his wife Judy. He once caused the death of a young flyer by leaving a malfunctioning airplane in a parachute, and Judy was once Geoff's girlfriend, who he left because she tried to stop him from making risky flights. Written by Maths Jesperson {maths.jesperson1@comhem.se}

Plot Keywords
Taglines BIG As The Fog-Shrouded Andes! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

Edit
Also Known As
  • Plane No. 4 (United States)
  • Howard Hawks' Only Angels Have Wings (United States)
  • Howard Hawks' - Only Angels Have Wings (United Kingdom)
  • Seuls les anges ont des ailes (France)
  • SOS Feuer an Bord (Germany)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 121 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Did You Know?

Edit
Trivia Howard Hawks had known a real-life flier who once parachuted from a burning plane. His copilot died in the ensuing crash and his fellow pilots shunned him for the rest of his life. See more »
Goofs Toward the beginning of the movie, when Tex the lookout radio guy says, "OK, it's open," you can see the whole mountain range in the background slightly shift to the right. (Apparently, somebody was moving the set backdrop or bumped into it while the scene was being filmed.) See more »
Movie Connections Edited into Goodbye to Language (2014). See more »
Soundtracks Gwine to Rune All Night See more »
Quotes Kid Dabb: The boat doesn't stop at Santa Maria this trip.
Geoff Carter: Why not?
Kid Dabb: They have no bananas.
Geoff Carter: They have no bananas?
Kid Dabb: Yes, they have no bananas.
See more »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page


Clear your history

Recently Viewed