The first film ever to receive the Academy Award for Best Picture, William Wellman’s epic aviation drama WINGS (1927) is an iconic starring vehicle for legendary “It Girl” Clara Bow – and features an early supporting performance from Hollywood stalwart Gary Cooper, named by the American Film Institute among the greatest American screen stars. After film’s opening credits, its prologue reads: “On June 12, 1927, in Washington, Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh paid simple tribute to those who fell in War. ‘In that time,’ he said, ‘feats were performed and deeds accomplished which were far greater than any peace accomplishments of aviation.’ For those young warriors of the sky, whose wings are folded about them forever, this picture is dedicated.”
Visit the AFI Catalog to learn more about WINGS.
