''Crimson Romance'' is a 1934 American

drama film 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-g ...

directed by David Howard and written by

Milton Krims Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free t ...

and

Doris Schroeder Doris Schroeder (February 7, 1893 – January 4, 1981) was an American screenwriter and publicity woman. Biography Born in New York, Doris was the daughter of Edward Schroeder and Phoebe Kent. She attended Brooklyn Girls High School befo ...

. The film stars

Ben Lyon Ben Lyon (February 6, 1901 – March 22, 1979) was an American film actor and a studio executive at 20th Century-Fox who later acted in British radio, films and TV. Early life and career Lyon was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Alvine ...

Sari Maritza Sari Maritza (born Dora Patricia Detring-Nathan; 17 March 1910 – July 1987) was a British film actress of the early 1930s. Early years Born Dora Patricia Detring-Nathan in Tianjin, China, Maritza was the daughter of Major Walter Si ...

Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, actor and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of the silent era. H ...

, James Bush,

William Bakewell William Bakewell (May 2, 1908 – April 15, 1993) was an American actor who achieved his greatest fame as one of the leading juvenile performers of the late 1920s and early 1930s. Early years Bakewell was a native of Los Angeles, where he at ...

and

Hardie Albright Hardie Hunter Albright (born Hardie Hunter Albrecht; December 16, 1903 – December 7, 1975) was an American actor. Early years Albright was born on December 16, 1903, in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, to traveling vaudeville performers. He made his ...

. The low-budget project utilized footage from '' Hell's Angels'' (1930) and was released on October 12, 1934, by

Mascot Pictures Mascot Pictures Corporation was an American film company of the 1920s and 1930s best known for producing and distributing film serials and B-westerns. Mascot was formed in 1927 by film producer Nat Levine. In 1936 it merged with several other c ...

Plot

In 1916, childhood best friends, Bob Wilson (

) and Fred von Bergen ( James Bush), are test pilots working for an American company that builds bombers for the European allies. Since he is German-born and faces prejudice against his heritage, Fred loses his job and, unable to find other employment, decides to return to Germany to fight for his homeland. Although he has no special attachment to the German cause, Bob quits the aviation company and joins his friend in Germany. On their way to a German airfield, Red Cross nurse Alida Hoffman (

) accidentally runs Bob and Fred off the road, Both men are immediately drawn to Alida, especially Bob although Fred is more shy. After Bob's first unsuccessful mission, Captain Wolters (

), the squadron's tyrannical leader, expresses his doubt about his loyalty but, desperate for pilots, gives him another chance. As the United States is drawn into the war, instead of sending him into a crucial air battle, Wolters arrests Bob. Fred, heartbroken that Alida has chosen Bob, quarrels with his friend, calling him a coward. Later, however, Fred allows his friend to escape from a firing squad and flee to the Allied lines. To prove his allegiance, Bob leads British bombers to the German base, while Fred is told by Wolters that he must shoot down Bob to prove his loyalty. Neither man is capable of killing the other, and, in the end, Fred sacrifices his life for Bob. After the war, Bob returns to Germany to marry Alida. The newly married couple then returns to the United States, and pay their respects to Fred's mother.

Cast

as Bob Wilson *

as Alida Hoffman *

as Capt. Wolters * James Bush as Fred von Bergen *

as Adolph *

as Hugo * Arthur Clayton as Baron von Eisenlohr *

Oscar Apfel Oscar C. Apfel (January 17, 1878 – March 21, 1938) was an American film actor, director, screenwriter and producer. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1913 and 1939, and also directed 94 films between 1911 and 1927. Biography Apf ...

as John Fleming *

Purnell Pratt Purnell Pratt (October 20, 1885 – July 25, 1941) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1914 and 1941. He was born in Bethel, Illinois and died in Hollywood, California. Partial filmography * ''The Great D ...

as Franklyn Pierce * Jason Robards, Sr. as Pierre *

Wilhelm von Brincken Wilhelm von Brincken (May 27, 1881 – January 18, 1946), also known as Wilhelm L. von Brincken, William Vaughn, William von Brinken, and William Vaughan, was a German diplomat and spy during World War I, who went on to become an American charac ...

as Von Gering *

Brandon Hurst Brandon Hurst (30 November 1866 – 15 July 1947) was an English stage and film actor. Early life Born in London, England, Hurst studied philology in his youth and began performing in theater in the 1880s. Before he began acting professionall ...

as English Officer *

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 English Officer *

Jameson Thomas Jameson Thomas (born Thomas Roland Jameson; 24 March 1888 – 10 January 1939) was an English film actor. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1923 and 1939. He was born in St George Hanover Square, London. On the stage from his earl ...

as English Officer * Eric Arnold as Von Muller * Harry Schultz as Drill Sergeant * Frederick Vogeding as German Colonel

Production

''Crimson Romance'' was a low budget production that relied on the large amount of footage that had been shot for ''Hell's Angels''. The advantage of having Ben Lyon as the lead actor in both features allowed for intercutting between previously shot footage and new scenes that were shot at Wilson Airport in

North Hollywood, California North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North H ...

, owned by aviators Roy and Tave Wilson, the only airport that was exclusively devoted to film work. Lyon was filmed in a

Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the fast ...

that had been seen in numerous films. ''Crimson Romance'' was only allotted a short period of time for new scenes to be shot, resulting in a frenzied production schedule. Lyon was constantly on demand for filming and complained that the production company wanted a "limousine for the price of a Model T."Wynne 1985, p. 138. One unusual scene in ''Crimson Romance'' blended together footage of Lyon in a British fighter bearing down on a German bomber. The scene showing the bomber was from ''Hell's Angels''. Lyon was also in the German aircraft, with the improbable scenario of Lyon shooting himself down.

Reception

In his review for ''

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 ...

'',

Frank Nugent Frank Stanley Nugent (May 27, 1908 – December 29, 1965) was an American screenwriter, journalist, and film reviewer, who wrote 21 film scripts, 11 for director John Ford. He wrote almost a thousand reviews for ''The New York Times'' before lea ...

, struggled with the unlikely choice of the film's title and its apparent romantic story, wrote: " There is more to 'Crimson Romance' ... It is the not always believable, but generally interesting, story of two friends, one an American, the other a German, who enlist in the German air force in 1916." F.S.N.br>"Movie review: War in the Skies."
''The New York Times'', October 13, 1934. Retrieved: March 12, 2017.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Beck, Simon D. ''The Aircraft-Spotter's Film and Television Companion''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company, 2016. . * Paris, Michael. ''From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema.'' Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1995. . * Pendo, Stephen. ''Aviation in the Cinema''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. . * Wynne, H. Hugh. ''The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies''. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. .

External links

* * * * {{David Howard 1934 films 1930s war drama films American war drama films American aviation films 1930s English-language films Films directed by David Howard Films set in Germany World War I aviation films Mascot Pictures films American black-and-white films Films produced by Nat Levine 1934 drama films 1930s American films