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Flying Devils (a.k.a. The Flying Circus) is a 1933 action film dealing with the aviation film genre. The film was directed by former Hollywood agent, Russell Birdwell and photographed by renowned film noir cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca. The screenplay was written by Byron Morgan and Louis Stevens, based on an original story by Stevens.

In an unusual move, Bruce Cabot was the star with perennial "good guy" Ralph Bellamy playing the villain in a love triangle involving Arline Judge and Eric Linden. Although considered a "B" feature, audiences enjoyed the aerial scenes, which helped elevate the feature to a minor box-office hit.

Plot
The "Black Cats" who are part of the Aerial Circus run by "Speed" Hardy (Ralph Bellamy) are a vagabond troupe of aerial performers in the 1930s. Speed takes on a new performer, Ace Murray (Bruce Cabot), a former airmail pilot. After performing a "double parachute" jump with his brother Bud (Eric Linden), Ace becomes aware that his brother is enamoured with Speed's young wife Ann (Arline Judge).

Bud and Ann perform the dangerous double parachute jump together, becoming the show's main attraction but Speed becomes jealous of the romance forming between Bud and Ann. After a flight together, Bud and Ann crash-land and spend a night in a deserted cabin leading to the realization that Ann must seek a divorce. When Speed discovers them, he apparently agrees to the new circumstances and surprisingly offers to design a new aerial stunt for Bud and himself, that will have two aircraft colliding "head-on" with both of the pilots bailing out before their aircraft collide.

Before the stunt takes place, "Screwy" Edwards (Cliff Edwards) reveals that Speed has deliberately cut his rival's parachute and is planning an aerial murder. Ace takes off and crashes into Speed, sacrificing his life to save his brother. The two lovers reunite on the ground.

Cast

 * Bruce Cabot as "Ace" Murray
 * Arline Judge as Ann Hardy
 * Eric Linden as Bud Murray
 * Ralph Bellamy as "Speed" Hardy
 * Cliff Edwards as "Screwy" Edwards
 * June Brewster as Betty
 * Frank LaRue as Al Kern
 * Mary Carr as Mrs. Murray

Production
David O Selznick brought in Merian C. Cooper as Executive Producer to get RKO back on its feet and in the black. Cooper is best remembered for masterminding the production of King Kong. It was natural for RKO to feature a slate of air minded pictures once Cooper was in charge.

Flying Devils combines all the features needed for such a "B" level action-ere. The "Speed" Hardy Flying Circus with veterans of World War I having excitement in the air and conflicts on the ground. RKO standbys Bruce Cabot, Ralph Bellamy with Cliff Edwards are the "vets". Arline Judge the wife (Bellamy) and kid brother Eric Linden (Cabot). Faster then you can say "CONTACT", a triangle forms with Bellemy, Judge and Linden with Cabot as referee and Edwards the comedy relief. In between true love plenty of air action with period aircraft.

RKO made many air films under Cooper's aegis and continued to do so after he left. Flying Devils is well worth a look as are other RKO efforts.

Primarily shot in a backlot, Flying Devils overcame some of the limitations of the low-budget film. The aircraft used were a mix of Standard J-1, Stearman C-3R, Travel Airs 4000 and 2000 stalwarts, the typical movie armada of the time.

Principal photography was begun in April 1933, using the RKO set at the Russell Brothers Ranch at Triunfo, with additional filming at.

Reception
In his August 26, 1933 review in The New York Times, Frank Nugent considered Flying Devils as a tried and true formula. "The materials woven into its plot have seen so much service that most audiences will welcome them as old and trusted friends. There are, for example, the eternal triangle, brotherly love, the enaction of the theme, 'greater love hath no man,' &c., and, finally, the always simple expedient of killing off the non-essential characters."

Richard B. Jewell, Professor of American Film at the University of Southern California, wrote in The RKO Story, "... director Russell Birdwell, best known as one of the demon press agents of the era, was able to pump enough zip into the proceedings to please the public; it became a bantam box-office hit."

Filmography
as director

1899: Les Mésaventures d'un muet mélomane (Le Muet mélomane) 1899: Les Méfaits d'une tête de veau 1901: Une tempête dans une chambre à coucher 1901: Une idylle sous un tunnel 1901: Un duel abracadabrant 1901: Un drame au fond de la mer 1901: La Soupière merveilleuse 1901: Les Sept Châteaux du diable 1901: Rêve et Réalité 1901: Plongeur fantastique 1901: Par le trou de serrure 1901: La Mégère récalcitrante 1901: Le Mauvais Riche 1901: La Loupe de grand-maman 1901:  L'Illusionniste mondain 1901: Histoire d'un crime 1901: L'Enfant Prodigue 1901: Comment on met son couvert 1901: ''Comment Fabien devient architecte;; 1901: Scènes vues de mon balcon (Ce que je vois de mon sixième) 1901: À la conquête de l'air 1901: L'Agent plongeur 1901: Une discussion politique 1901: Quo Vadis? 1902: Les Victimes de l'alcoolisme 1902: Une séance de cinématographe 1902: La Fée des roches noires 1902: Le Conférencier distrait 1902: Chez le photographe 1902: La Catastrophe de la Martinique 1902: La Belle au bois dormant (coréalisation de Lucien Nonguet) 1902: Baignade impossible 1902: L'Assommoir 1902: L'Affaire Dreyfus 1902: La Poule merveilleuse 1902: Ali Baba et les quarante voleurs 1902: L'Assassinat du duc de Guise 1903: Samson et Dalila 1903: Repas infernal 1903: La Soubrette ingénieuse 1903: Le Chien et la Pipe 1903: Le Premier Cigare du collégien 1903: Le Démon du jeu ou la Vie d'un joueur (La Vie d'un joueur) 1903: Les Aventures de Don Quichotte (Don Quichotte) (coréalisation de Lucien Nonguet) 1903: Le Chat botté (coréalisation de Lucien Nonguet) 1904: The Wrong Door 1904: Le Portrait 1904: Les Petits Coupeurs de bois vert 1904: Le Pêcheur de perles 1904: Annie's Love Story 1904: La Grève 1905: La Passion de Notre-Seigneur Jésus Christ (La Vie et la Passion de Jésus Christ) 1905: Un drame à Venise 1905: L'Amant de la lune (Rêve à la lune) (coréalisation de Gaston Velle) 1905: Le Remords 1905: La Course aux tonneaux 1905: Automobile et Cul-de-jatte 1905: Au pays noir 1905: Au bagne 1905: L'alcool engendre la tuberculose 1905: L'Incendiaire 1905: Dix femmes pour un mari (coréalisation de Georges Hatot et Lucien Nonguet) 1905: L'Honneur d'un père 1905: Vendetta 1905: Les Apaches de Paris 1905: Brigandage moderne 1907: Le Spectre rouge (coréalisation de Segundo de Chomón) 1907: Le Poil à gratter 1907: Métempsycose 1907: L'Homme Protée 1907: La Course des sergents de ville 1908: Samson (coréalisation d'Henri Andréani) 1908: Le Rêve d'agent 1908: L'Affaire Dreyfus 1909: Le Caprice du vainqueur 1910: La Tragique Aventure de Robert le Taciturne, duc d'Aquitaine 1910: Slippery Jim 1910:  Cléopâtre (coréalisation d'Henri Andréani) 1910: 1812, (coréalisation de Camille de Morlhon)

All films below are co-directed by René Leprincee

1912: La Fièvre de l'or 1913: Le Roi de l'air 1913: La Leçon du gouffre 1913: La Comtesse noire 1913: Cœur de femme 1913: Plus fort que la haine (film, 1913) 1914: La Danse héroïque 1914:  La Lutte pour la vie 1914:  La Jolie Bretonne 1914: L'Étoile du génie 1915: Le Vieux Cabotin 1915: Le Noël d'un vagabond 1919: Les Larmes du pardon 1919: Le Calvaire d'une reine

As producer

1901: Scènes vues de mon balcon (Ce que je vois de mon sixième) 1901: À la conquête de l'air 1903: Le Démon du jeu ou La vie d'un joueur (La Vie d'un joueur) 1906: Pauvre Mère 1906: La Grève des bonnes 1907: Cendrillon, ou la Pantoufle merveilleuse (Cendrillon) d'Albert Capellani 1907: Les Débuts d'un patineur 1908: Don Juan 1912: Boireau, roi de la boxe 1913: Les Incohérences de Boireau 1913: Boireau empoisonneur 1913: Boireau spadassin

as actor 1899: Les Mésaventures d'une tête mélomane (Le Muet mélomane) 1901: Une idylle sous un tunnel 1901: Histoire d'un crime 1901: Comment on met son couvert 1901: À la conquête de l'air 1902: Une séance de cinématographe 1902: Chez le photographe 1902: La Poule merveilleuse 1905: L'Amant de la lune (Rêve à la lune): Le pochard 1905: Automobile et cul-de-jatte 1905: Créations renversantes 1912: Rigadin aux Balkans

as writer 1901: Histoire d'un crime 1902: Les Victimes de l'alcoolisme 1903: Le Démon du jeu ou La vie d'un joueur (La Vie d'un joueur) 1905: L'Amant de la lune (Rêve à la lune) 1906: Le Théâtre de Bob 1910: La Tragique aventure de Robert le Taciturne, duc d'Aquitaine 1915: Le Malheur qui passe==See also==*Histoire d'un crime