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Hell's Angels had been originally conceived as a silent, with James Hall and Ben Lyon as Roy and Monte Rutledge, and Norwegian silent film star Greta Nissen cast as Helen, the female lead, and was to be directed by Marshall Neilan.
Dec 22, 2023 · The film was initially intended to be a silent movie. Originally, “Hell’s Angels” was planned as a silent film. However, due to advancements in technology, it was later converted into a sound film.
When the completed silent version of Hell's Angels was previewed in March of 1929, Hughes, at the urging of co-director James Whale, decided to scrap the film and reshoot it in sound. Hughes borrowed M-G-M writer Joseph Moncure March for the task of rewriting the script.
- Howard Hughes
- Ben Lyon
Entire story had been filmed as a silent, minus a soundtrack, by Howard Hughes in 1928. Greta Nissen had the role played later by Jean Harlow. When sound equipment became available Hughes decided to re-shoot the whole film as a talkie.
In fact this film was initially going to be a silent with Greta Nissen in the Harlow role. But during the time it was being made the transformation from silent films to "talkies" was taking place. So having more money than God Hughes decided to reshoot most of it requiring that he replace the Norwegian actress with Harlow.
Hell's Angels (1930) is well-known for Howard Hughes' high-cost direction (production costs of about $3 million), 18-year-old blonde bombshell Jean Harlow's first major role and big break into film, and the stunning aerial footage (e.g., authentic-looking dogfights).
Mar 31, 2015 · James R. Quirk, editor of Photoplay, was harshest when he damned Hell’s Angels in a defense of his magazine’s refusal to honor the film as one of August 1930’s six best pictures of the month: “This picture is guilty of the highest of all motion picture crimes – bad taste. The character played by Miss Jean Harlow is one of which the ...
