The Eagle and the Hawk (1933)

58% of users liked it
(269 ratings)

Eagle and the Hawk is a "war is hell" saga slightly reminiscent of All Quiet on the Western Front. Fredric March plays a British World War One flying ace suffering from emotional fatigue. March's happy-go-lucky pilot buddy (Cary Grant) tries to help his friend forget his problems by accompanying him… More Eagle and the Hawk is a "war is hell" saga slightly reminiscent of All Quiet on the Western Front. Fredric March plays a British World War One flying ace suffering from emotional fatigue. March's happy-go-lucky pilot buddy (Cary Grant) tries to help his friend forget his problems by accompanying him on leave in London. March meets a beautiful young lady (Carole Lombard), to whom he pours out his problems and with whom he has an implicit affair (made even more discreet when this film was edited for reissue). Tortured by the memory of the his fallen comrades and by the men he's killed in battle, March finally breaks and commits suicide. To save his friend's reputation, Cary Grant props March's body up in the cockpit of his plane, flies the craft into the air, and makes it appear that March died while shooting it out with a German ace. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 8 min.
Directed By: Stuart Walker
Written By: Seton I. Miller, Bogart Rogers
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics

In Theaters: May 6, 1933 Wide
On DVD: Jun 10, 1997

Critic Reviews

Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
An unheralded near-masterpiece, The Eagle and the Hawk is among the strongest antiwar statements put on film.

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Featured Audience Ratings

cody f

Wow what a great film. I've never heard of this film and they premired it on TCM the other day and what a treat. The acting is great all around(Oakie,Lombard,and one of Grant's first films) with Fredric March as a standout. The look of the film is great and they mix WW1… More
Wow what a great film. I've never heard of this film and they premired it on TCM the other day and what a treat. The acting is great all around(Oakie,Lombard,and one of Grant's first films) with Fredric March as a standout. The look of the film is great and they mix WW1 documentery footage that works really well. Great story and dialogue with a fantastic ending. One of the best war films of it's time, it's real hidden Gem.