''Men of the Sky'' (aka ''Call of the East and ''Stolen Dreams'' ) is a 1931 all-talking American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the 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 censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

musical drama film, directed by

Albert E. Green Albert Edward Green (11 November 1912, London – 12 August 1999) was a British applied mathematician and research scientist in theoretical and applied mechanics. Biography Green studied mathematics at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he attended ...

which was produced by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

in 1930 and released in 1931. ''Men of the Sky'' stars Irene Delroy and Jack Whiting. Although aircraft were seen in the film, ''Men of the Sky'' was more of a spy drama.

Plot

In the years before

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 ...

, a love affair takes place between an American pilot named Jack Ames ( Jack Whiting) and a French spy named Madeleine Aubert ( Irene Delroy). Madeleine leaves her American fiancé to join her father (

John St. Polis John M. St. Polis (born John Marie Sainpolis; November 24, 1873 – October 8, 1946) was an American actor. Biography St. Polis was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Before starting his film career, he made a name for himself on the Broadway ...

), another French spy, at an estate in Germany. Her father instructs her to accept the invitation of a Prussian officer, Eric von Coburg (

Bramwell Fletcher Bramwell Fletcher (20 February 1904 – 22 June 1988) was an English stage, film, and television actor. Career Fletcher appeared on the stage in 1927 and made his Broadway debut in 1929. Hollywood and sound films soon beckoned. He made his ...

), to live at his estate for a month. Jack, believing that Madeleine no longer loves him, joins the

Lafayette Escadrille The La Fayette Escadrille (french: Escadrille de La Fayette) was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the ''Aéronautique Militaire'' was composed largely of Ameri ...

, a squadron of French and American flyers. His first duty is to take a French spy, dressed as a Prussian officer, over the lines. The spy is wounded during the crossing, however, and Jack must take his place. The French spy tells Jack that another French spy will signal him on the piano, playing a happy tune if danger threatens and sad music if the house is safe. Jack puts on the spy's uniform and arrives to find Madeleine at the piano. After Madeleine explains her mission, they continue to exchange messages. The Germans, however, become suspicious of Madeleine and on a night Jack is set to visit, she is entertaining officers of the German intelligence. One of them asks her to play sad music. Realizing that this will place Jack in danger, she signals Jack in Morse code with her left hand. The officers discover the trick, and Jack and Madeleine are captured, accompanying her father to the firing squad.

Cast

* Irene Delroy as Madeleine Aubert * Jack Whiting as Jack Ames *

as Eric von Coburg *

Otto A. Harbach Otto Abels Harbach, born Otto Abels Hauerbach (August 18, 1873 – January 24, 1963) was an American lyricist and librettist of nearly 50 musical comedies and operettas. Harbach collaborated as lyricist or librettist with many of the leading Broa ...

as French Major *

Armand Kaliz Armand Kali(s)z (October 23, 1882 or 1883 – February 1, 1941) was an American stage and film actor of the silent film and early sound period of the 1930s. Prior to that, he was an actor in vaudeville and on the legitimate stage. Career B ...

as Senor Mendoca * Edwin Maxwell as Count *

as Madeleine's Father

Production

The original story and music were written by

and

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

. The film was originally intended to be released, in the United States, early in 1931, but was shelved due to public apathy towards musicals. Despite waiting a number of months, the public proved obstinate and the Warner Bros. reluctantly released the film in June 1931 after making some cuts. The film was released outside the United States (since there was no backlash against musicals outside the United States) as a full musical early in 1931. ''Men of the Sky'' was originally intended to be photographed entirely in

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

, but this was dropped midway into production when the studio realized due to the public backlash against musicals. The film was originally titled ''Call of the East'' but was retitled twice more before release: first to ''Stolen Dreams'', then to ''Men of the Sky''. Much of the music was cut and the film began to be advertised as a spy war drama. As a cost-saving measure, it was decided to release the film in black and white as color had come to be associated with musicals.Barrios 1995, p. 332. The film was to have been the first of three of musicals to be written by

and

for Warner Bros. Due to the public apathy for musicals, however, Warner Bros. bought out their contract and the team returned to Broadway.

Songs

* "Ev'ry Little While" * "Cottage of Content" * "Stolen Dreams (Who Steals All My Dreams?)" * "All's Well with the World" * "I'll Share them All with You (Canzonetta)" * "Man in the Sky" *"Suzette" * "What's Become of Spring" * "You've Got To Meet Marguerite" * "Flying Field" * "Chamber Music and Boy's March" * "Choir"

Reception

''Men of the Sky'' was not widely released. Warner Bros. did not debut this film in the usual prestigious movie theaters. The film was immediately placed in general release with no fanfare. Very few reviewers had a chance to see the film, although ''Film Daily'' noted that there was a musical background. The surviving music does include a "conspicuous amount of music".Bradley 2004, p. 285.

Preservation status

''Men of the Sky'' is considered to be a

lost film A lost film is a feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing char ...

since no film elements are known to exist. The soundtrack, which was recorded on

Vitaphone Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one ...

disks, has survived in private hands.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Barrios, Richard. ''A Song in the Dark: The Birth of the Musical Film''. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1995. . * Bradley Edwin M. ''The First Hollywood Musicals: A Critical Filmography of 171 Features, 1927 Through 1932''. Jefferson, North Carolina: Mcfarland & Co Inc., 2004. . * Wynne, H. Hugh. ''The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies.'' Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. .

External links

* * * {{Alfred E. Green 1931 films American aviation films American black-and-white films Films directed by Alfred E. Green First National Pictures films Lost American films American musical drama films American World War I films 1930s musical drama films 1931 lost films 1931 drama films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films