During World War I, American pilot Jerry Young and his aviation unit are transferred to France. Henry Crocker, who is not a proficient pilot, is left behind on Jerry’s advice. On arrival in France, Jerry and his buddy Mike Richards report to British Major Dunham who assigns them to fly reconnaissance missions over enemy territory while their tailgunner photographs the area. Time passes and all of Jerry’s observers are killed. The growing number of deaths greatly affects Jerry, despite the fact that he is hailed as a hero. Henry arrives to serve as Jerry’s new observer, and although there is animosity between them, they successfully complete many missions and are decorated. After a bomb drops on the officers’ bar and kills several new arrivals, the major gives Jerry ten days leave because he is exhibiting signs of exhaustion. Jerry goes to England and meets a beautiful woman, who consoles him. Meanwhile, Henry has been reassigned temporarily as Mike’s tailgunner. Jerry returns to base just as Mike and Henry land, and Mike, who was hit during the flight, dies a few minutes later. Jerry blames Mike’s death on Henry and asks to be assigned a new observer. Jerry and his young observer, John, shoot down a famous German pilot during their mission, but John is shot and falls out of the plane. That night Jerry is toasted as a hero for killing the German but he can only think about the loss of life and, consequently, commits suicide. Henry finds Jerry’s body and, in an effort to maintain Jerry’s hero status, surreptitiously takes the body up in the plane the next morning and riddles him and the plane with bullets. Jerry is honored in death, but Henry’s sacrifice has taken its toll. While visiting Jerry’s memorial, he appears downtrodden and is shooed away by passersby as though he were a bum. More on Wikipedia
Watch The Eagle and the Hawk (1933)
