The Lion Has Wings
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| The Lion Has Wings | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Michael Powell Brian Desmond Hurst Adrian Brunel Alexander Korda (uncredited) |
| Produced by | Alexander Korda Ian Dalrymple |
| Written by | Adrian Brunel Ian Dalrymple E.V.H. Emmett |
| Starring | Merle Oberon Ralph Richardson June Duprez |
| Music by | Richard Addinsell |
| Cinematography | Osmond Borradaile Bernard Browne Harry Stradling Sr. |
| Editing by | Henry Cornelius Charles Frend Hugh Stewart Derek N. Twist |
| Release date(s) | November 3, 1939 UK |
| Running time | 76 min |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The Lion Has Wings (1939) is a documentary style British propaganda film. Made at the outbreak of World War II it was made and released to cinemas very quickly and helped convince the government of the value of film in the propaganda battle as well as in spreading information.
Contents |
[edit] The Story
The film is in various "chapters" with a linking story showing Ralph Richardson as a senior R.A.F. officer and his wife and family.
It opens with a newsreel style documentary comparing life in Britain to life in Nazi Germany. Narrated by E.V.H. Emmett in the jokey style common with such newsreels in Britain. This mainly uses existing newsreel footage with some additional footage shot especially for this film. It includes scenes from Fire Over England with Queen Elizabeth I giving her speech to the troops at Tilbury about repelling invaders.
The second chapter shows an early bombing raid on German Warships in the Kiel Canal. Mainly recreated in the studio and with special effects it also includes some footage of the real bombers and their crews returning from the raid.
The third chapter shows an attack by Luftwaffe bombers and how that is repelled by the R.A.F. with assistance from the Observer Corps and the barrage balloons.
[edit] The Production
At the outbreak of war, there were fears that all film production would be halted and cinemas closed, like they were in World War I. Alexander Korda was close friends with Winston Churchill and was very aware of current events. As soon as war was declared, Korda pulled staff from other productions to fulfill his promise to Churchill that he would have a feature propaganda film ready within one month of the outbreak of war.
The speed of production and the multiple directors does show, it's not the most elegant of films. But it is effective. It was all shot in 12 days and completed in about 4 weeks and cost just £30,000.
Like many propaganda films, it doesn't tell the whole truth but there are many elements of truth in it. They couldn't mention radar as a defensive measure, it was still a secret. So they show the bombing raids as first being reported by spies then confirmed by the Observer Corps. It shows the Luftwaffe bombers trying to attack London but being completely turned back by the barrage balloons. It shows R.A.F. fighters attacking the bombers at night. It claims that Britain had plenty of planes and were quite ready to fight. All of these things are exaggerations.
As it was made before the attacks on Britain had started it all had to be put together with existing footage of fighter planes, many of which were obsolete by 1939. The footage of a German bomber taking off is actually a German airliner, but at least it has the correct markings.
[edit] External links
- The Lion Has Wings reviews and articles at the Powell & Pressburger Pages
- The Lion Has Wings at the Internet Movie Database
- The Lion Has Wings at the BFI's Screenonline. Full synopsis and film stills (and clips viewable from UK libraries).
[edit] DVD versions
This film is available on DVD from:
- DD Home Entertainment coded for Region 2 (UK & Europe)
- Magna Pacific coded for Region 4 (Australasia)
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Powell and Pressburger The films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger |
|---|---|
| 1930s | The Spy in Black | The Lion Has Wings |
| 1940s | Contraband | An Airman's Letter to His Mother | Forty-Ninth Parallel | One of Our Aircraft is Missing | The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp | The Volunteer | A Canterbury Tale | I Know Where I'm Going! | A Matter of Life and Death | Black Narcissus | The Red Shoes | The Small Back Room |
| 1950s | The Elusive Pimpernel | Gone to Earth | The Tales of Hoffmann | Oh... Rosalinda!! | The Battle of the River Plate | Ill Met by Moonlight |
| 1960s | Peeping Tom (not Pressburger) | They're a Weird Mob | Age of Consent |
| 1970s | The Boy Who Turned Yellow |
