''Body and Soul'' (1931) is an American
Pre-Code
Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...
action drama
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-gen ...
film directed by
Alfred Santell
Alfred Allen Santell (1895–1981), was an American film director and film producer.
Santell directed over 60 films, beginning in 1917, most of which were two-reel comedy short subjects for Hal Roach and other productions companies. Taking up f ...
and starring
Charles Farrell
Charles David Farrell (August 9, 1900 – May 6, 1990) was an American film actor of the 1920s silent era and into the 1930s, and later a television actor. Farrell is probably best recalled for his onscreen romances with actress Janet Gaynor ...
,
Elissa Landi
Elissa Landi (born Elisabeth Marie Christine Kühnelt; December 6, 1904 – October 21, 1948) was an Austrian-American actress born in Venice, who was popular as a performer in Hollywood films of the 1920s and 1930s. She was noted for her a ...
,
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...
, and
Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. ...
. The story, adapted from the stage play ''Squadrons'' by
Elliott White Springs
Elliott White Springs (July 31, 1896 – October 15, 1959), was a South Carolina businessman and an American flying ace of World War I, credited with shooting down 16 enemy aircraft.
Early life
Springs was born to Col. Leroy Springs and Grac ...
and A.E. Thomas, depicts
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
pilots in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Plot
In
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, American pilots Mal Andrews, Tap Johnson, and Jim Watson enroll in a
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
squadron. Mal and Tap are worried that their friend Jim is cheating on his new bride. When General Trafford Jones arrives to evaluate the squadron, he criticizes its lack of discipline and poor effort in aerial battles. Consequently, the general orders Watson to undertake a near-suicidal mission to
shoot down an enemy balloon for his first flight with the squadron. Secretly, Mal joins him aboard the aircraft and when Jim is killed in the air battle, his friend manages to complete the mission and make it look like the dead pilot was a hero.
At the base, Jim's wife Carla is mistaken for "Pom Pom," his mistress. Mal falls in love with Carla and when Alice Lester, the real "Pom Pom", appears, she finds out that Tap is about to fly a mission. Lester is a German spy who sends the information to the enemy; Tap is killed as a result. When Mal realizes that Carla is Jim's widow and not his mistress, he sets off on another mission, with the hope that he will return to his true love.
Cast
*
Charles Farrell
Charles David Farrell (August 9, 1900 – May 6, 1990) was an American film actor of the 1920s silent era and into the 1930s, and later a television actor. Farrell is probably best recalled for his onscreen romances with actress Janet Gaynor ...
as Mal Andrews
*
Elissa Landi
Elissa Landi (born Elisabeth Marie Christine Kühnelt; December 6, 1904 – October 21, 1948) was an Austrian-American actress born in Venice, who was popular as a performer in Hollywood films of the 1920s and 1930s. She was noted for her a ...
as Carla
*
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...
as Jim Watson
*
Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. ...
as Alice Lester ("Pom Pom")
*
Don Dillaway
Donald Provost Dillaway (March 17, 1903 – November 18, 1982) was an American stage and film actor.
Early years
Dillaway's mother, billed as Nettie Gordon, sang in vaudeville. Because she and his father insisted on a professional career for h ...
as Tap Johnson
*
Crauford Kent
Crauford Kent (12 October 1881 – 14 May 1953) was an English character actor based in the United States. He has also been credited as Craufurd Kent as Major Burke
*
Pat Somerset
Pat Somerset (28 February 1897 – 20 April 1974) was an English stage and film actor.
Biography
Born Patrick Holme-Sumner, after appearing in some British silent films early in his career, he moved to the United States.
In 1922 he starred on ...
as Major Knowls
*
Ian MacLaren
John Watson (3 November 1850 – 6 May 1907), was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland. He is remembered as an author of fiction, known by his pen name Ian Maclaren.
Life
The son of John Watson, a civil servant, he was born in Manningtre ...
as General Trafford-Jones
* David Cavendish as Lieutenant Meggs (Dennis D'Auburn)
Production
''Body and Soul'' began location shooting on November 29, 1930, at the Russell Movie Ranch in
Agoura, California
Agoura () is an unincorporated community of Los Angeles County, which is located southeast of the city of Agoura Hills, California, adjacent to the city of Calabasas in Los Angeles County. Agoura was the historical name of the area, before much ...
, with a modicum of flying. A
Travel Air 4000
The Travel Air 2000/3000/4000 (originally, the Model A, Model B and Model BH were open-cockpit biplane aircraft produced in the United States in the late 1920s by the Travel Air Manufacturing Company. During the period from 1924–1929, T ...
biplane that had been flown in ''
Hell's Angels'' (1930), disguised as a British World War I fighter aircraft, was the only actual aircraft acquired for the production.
A combination of flying sequences, matched to sound stage process shots at the studio where the Travel Air was again used, completed the aerial scenes.
[Orriss 2013, p. 59.] Production wrapped up on January 2, 1931.
"Original Print Information: Body and Soul (1931)."
''Turner Classic movies''. Retrieved: August 10, 2014.
Reception
The main attraction of ''Body and Soul'' was in the drama and the introduction of Elissa Landi
Elissa Landi (born Elisabeth Marie Christine Kühnelt; December 6, 1904 – October 21, 1948) was an Austrian-American actress born in Venice, who was popular as a performer in Hollywood films of the 1920s and 1930s. She was noted for her a ...
to North American audiences. In Mordaunt Hall
Mordaunt Hall (1 November 1878 – 2 July 1973) was the first regularly assigned motion picture critic for ''The New York Times'', working from October 1924 to September 1934.[The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...]
'', he noted: "There are several effective flying episodes, but after all, the whole production hinges on the excellent portrayal of Elissa Landi." He also praised other actors: "Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. ...
does well with the minor role of Alice Lester. Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...
is earnest as Jim Watson, and Donald Dillaway acquits himself favorably as the valorous Tap Johnson."[Hall, Mordaunt]
The screen, Romantic war fliers, 'Body and Soul' (1931)."
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', March 14, 1931.
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
* Maltin, Leonard. ''Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia''. New York: Dutton, 1994. .
* Orriss, Bruce W. ''When Hollywood Ruled the Skies: The Aviation Film Classics of World War I.'' Los Angeles: Aero Associates, 2013. .
* Wynne, H. Hugh. ''The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies''. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. .
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Body And Soul (1931 Film)
1931 romantic drama films
American romantic drama films
American aviation films
American black-and-white films
1930s English-language films
Films directed by Alfred Santell
War romance films
Western Front (World War I) films
World War I aviation films
World War I spy films
Films with screenplays by Jules Furthman
Fox Film films
1931 films
1930s American films
Silent romantic drama films