Hell's Angels, approximately 1922 to 1965

Level of Description

Sub-Series

Identifier

I.F.

Scope and Contents

The Hell’s Angels sub-series (1922-1965) contains material related to the development, production, and post-production of The Caddo Company film, Hell’s Angels. Both the silent and sound versions of the film are represented in the materials.

Materials include contracts and lawsuits, correspondence, financial, story development, and production and direction records, editing and special effects, aviation logs, and advertising, as well as musical scores for the silent version composed by Adolph Tandler and the sound version composed by Hugo Riesenfeld. Also included are black-and-white photographic prints and negatives and twenty-four miniature airplane models.

Date

1922 to 1965

Extent

47.45 Cubic Feet (13 boxes, 19 oversized boxes, 1 roll, 1 flat file, and 5 unboxed items)

45.58 Linear Feet

To request this item in person:

Collection Number: MS-01036
Collection Name: Howard Hughes Film Production Records
Box/Folder: N/A

Additional Description

Biographical / Historical Note

Hell’s Angels, considered one of the three great early aviation films, began production in 1927 after the release of Paramount Pictures’ epic, Wings. Starring James Hall, Ben Lyons, and Greta Nissen, Hell’s Angels was initially shot as a silent picture, with an original musical score composed by Adolf Tandler. Howard Hughes insisted on as much realism as possible, using both authentic aerial combat scenes filmed with on-ground and aircraft-mounted aerial cameras, and innovating special effect techniques with model airplanes. His determination to produce his vision also led to several directorial changes, high production costs, significant delays, three deaths, and, in the case of Hughes himself, serious injury after a failed aerial maneuver.

In 1929, Hughes decided to add sound to the film, leading to more delays. He first replaced Greta Nissen, whose accent was deemed unsuitable for her character. Hughes replaced with nineteen-year-old Jean Harlow. The silent aerial combat scenes needed sound; Hughes hired stunt pilots, including one of the first female pilots, Florence "Pancho" Barnes, to recreate the sounds of dog-fighting aircraft. Using the new color process created by Multicolor, Limited, Hughes added a color sequence to the film, creating in the process the only known color imagery of Jean Harlow. Hugo Riesenfeld was hired to create additional music for the sound version as well. Hell’s Angels opened in Los Angeles, California in a lavish premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on May 27, 1930 and, despite some criticism of the plot and acting quality, was considered a success worth the wait for the stunning aerial sequences alone.

Sources:

Jakab, Peter. “Hell’s Angels: Hughes’ Big Crash & Harlow’s Big Break”. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Stories. April 19, 2017. Accessed March 1, 2022. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/hells-angels

American Film Institute Catalog. “Hell’s Angels (1930): History”. AFI Catalog. 2019. Accessed March 1, 2022. https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/9655.