Devil Dogs of the Air (1935)

68% of users liked it
(543 ratings)

Warner Bros.' Devil Dogs of the Air is very much a "formula" picture -- but what a wonderful formula it is! James Cagney plays reckless stunt flyer Tommy O'Toole, who is encouraged to join the Marine Flying Corps by his old Brooklyn buddy Lt. William Brannigan (Pat O'Brien). An undeniably talented… More Warner Bros.' Devil Dogs of the Air is very much a "formula" picture -- but what a wonderful formula it is! James Cagney plays reckless stunt flyer Tommy O'Toole, who is encouraged to join the Marine Flying Corps by his old Brooklyn buddy Lt. William Brannigan (Pat O'Brien). An undeniably talented flyboy, Tommy is also brash, obnoxious and pugnacious, quickly earning the enmity of his fellow trainees. He even falls out with Brannigan over the affections of pretty waitress Betty Roberts (Margaret Lindsay). Very nearly "washing out" of the service, Tommy is eventually brought into line by the combined efforts of Brannigan, Betty, and the rest of the "devil dogs." After earning oodles of money for Warners during its first release, Devil Dogs of the Air proved equally as successful when it was reissued six years later, just before America's entry into WW II. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 25 min.
Directed By: Lloyd Bacon
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 9, 1935 Wide
On DVD: Aug 18, 1993

Critic Reviews

Sean Axmaker, Turner Classic Movies Online
It's really a showcase for Cagney's cocky charm and smart-aleck attitude...

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Cast

            James Cagney as Tommy O'Toole

            Pat O'Brien as Lt. William Brannigan

            Margaret Lindsay as Betty Roberts

            Frank McHugh as Crash Kelly

            Helen Lowell as Ma Roberts

            John Arledge as Mac

            Robert H. Barrat as Commandant

            Russell Hicks as Captain

            Ward Bond as Senior Instructor

            Bill Beggs as Second Officer

            Bud as Student

            Joseph Crehan as Communications Officer

            William B. Davidson as Adjutant

            William "Wild Bill" Elliott as Instructor

            Helen Flint as Mrs. Johnson

            Dick French as Second Student

            Samuel S. Hinds as Fleet Commander

            Newton House as Officer

            Selmar Jackson as Medical Officer

            Olive Jones as Mrs. Brown

            Martha Merrill as Girl

            David Newell as Lt. Brown

            Ralph Nye as Officer

            Harry Seymour as Officer

            Charles Sherlock as Third Student

            Bob Spencer as Mate

            Don Turner as First Student

            Carlyle Blackwell as Messenger

            Dennis O'Keefe as Student
See full cast

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