The Dawn patrol

Errol Flynn and David Niven are daring, roustabout fighter pilot buddies, who whether quaffing down ales with their squadron or gunning down their German foes, unite in devil-may-care gallantry and a spirit of camaraderie that is easy to understand. They quickly snap-to as they come face to face with the harsh realities of war, learning a great deal about friendship, heroism and patriotism in the process. During the fateful months of 1915, the average life of combat pilots over the western front was only four and a half flying hours, as raw and hastily trained recruits were sent up in a constant deadly chain to almost certain death, as soon as they reported for duty. Basil Rathbone and Donald Crisp co-star as grounded commandants whose duty it is to send these fresh faced recruits to their flying deaths. A splendid remake of Howard Hawks’ 1930 Oscar winner, this film aptly captures the pervading tone of wartime camaraderie and the gruelling pressures of battlefront command, and remains at the top of Hollywood’s finest aviation epics.