80 DAWN PATROL, THE [AKA FLIGHT COMMANDER]
was being rebuffed. Courtney feels the full responsibility of sending newer pi lots
into active duty after being forced to send Donny (William Janney), Scott’s brother,
on a mission before he is ready—an act that results in Donny’s death. Brand arrives
back on base with a veritable suicide mission for his pi lots that will send them
behind enemy lines. As the new squadron commander, Courtney is not allowed to
participate in the mission. Enraged over the death of his brother, Scott volunteers
for the mission, but Courtney plies him with drink and takes his spot in order to
make amends. Courtney shoots down von Richter but is then shot down and killed
by another German pi lot. The film ends with Scott assuming command of the unit
and reading orders to even newer recruits.Reception
Premiering on 10 July 1930, when sound films were still an exciting novelty, The
Dawn Patrol did well at the box office and garnered glowing reviews but further
aggravated Howard Hughes, who sued the filmmakers for plagiarizing Hell’s Angels.
Hughes soon changed his mind, however, and dropped his lawsuit. He even invited
Hawks to play golf with him and ended securing an agreement from Hawks to
co- produce and direct Scarface (1932), his pre- Code gangster classic with Paul Muni.
The success of The Dawn Patrol in 1930 spawned a remake eight years later, with
Errol Flynn as Capt. Courtney, David Niven as Lt. Scott, and Basil Rathbone as
Major Brand. The 1938 version recycles the script and the aerial combat footage of
the earlier film but supplements both with some new material. In keeping with
the better sound equipment available in 1938, dialogue was slightly expanded—
mainly with anti- war sentiments appropriate to the temper of the times— and
improved by a more naturalistic acting style that lent the remake a smoother feel.
Like its pre de ces sor, the second Dawn Patrol was a box office and critical success.
Critics and film historians are divided as to which version is superior, though IMDb
ratings rank the 1930 version slightly higher than the 1938 version.Reel History Versus Real History
Though inspired by aviators’ stories, The Dawn Patrol is not specifically based on
any true events. In keeping with its purely fictional character, the film makes no
references to any battles, units, or famous names connected with the war. There
was a 59th Squadron in the RFC but it was not formed until 1 August 1916 and
did not enter frontline ser vice in France until February 1917– more than a year
after the temporal setting of the film. The movie does, however, depict the chaotic
maelstrom of WWI air combat in a realistic manner. It also accurately represents
the real ity of combat for RFC pi lots in the first two years of the war, when inexpe-
rienced recruits flying inferior airplanes took exceedingly high casualty rates. For
example, during the Somme campaign ( July– November 1916), the RFC lost 800
aircraft and 252 aviators. RFC in effec tive ness and lopsided losses against German
Fokkers continued until the summer of 1917, when the introduction of new and
better planes (e.g., the Sopwith Camel and the Bristol F.2B fighter) allowed the RFC
to begin to achieve fighting parity with the enemy and drastically reduce losses.
Scott and Courtney’s attack on the German aerodrome was perhaps inspired by a