Public Domain Movies

Wings is a 1927 American silent and synchronized sound war film which won the first Academy Award for Best Picture. While the sound version of the film has no audible dialogue, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects.

Jack Powell and David Armstrong are rivals in the same small American town, both vying for the attentions of pretty Sylvia Lewis. Jack fails to realize that "the girl next door", Mary Preston, is desperately in love with him. The two young men both enlist to become combat pilots in the Army Air Service. When they leave for training camp, Jack mistakenly believes Sylvia prefers him, but she actually prefers David and lets him know about her feelings, but is too kindhearted to turn down Jack's affection.

The two men endure a rigorous training period, where they are enemies. But during a bloody boxing match, they realize each other's courage and become best friends. Upon graduating, they are sent to France to fight against Imperial Germany.

Jack and David are billeted together. Their tent mate is Cadet White, but their acquaintance is all too brief; White is killed in an air crash the same day.

Mary joins the war effort by becoming an ambulance driver. She later learns of Jack's reputation as the ace known as "The Shooting Star" and encounters him while on leave in Paris. She finds him, but he is too drunk to recognize her. She takes him back to his room and puts him to bed, but when two military police barge-in while she is innocently changing from a borrowed dress back into her uniform in the same room, she is forced to resign and return to the United States.

The climax of the story comes with the epic Battle of Saint-Mihiel. David is shot down and presumed dead. However, he survives the crash landing, steals a German biplane, and heads for the Allied lines. By a tragic stroke of bad luck, Jack spots the enemy aircraft and, bent on avenging his friend, begins an attack. He is successful in downing the aircraft and lands to retrieve a souvenir of his victory. The owner of the land where David's aircraft crashed urges Jack to come to the dying man's side. He agrees and becomes distraught when he realizes what he has done. David consoles him, and before he dies, forgives his comrade.

At the war's end, Jack returns home to a hero's welcome. He visits David's grieving parents to return his friend's effects. During the visit, he begs their forgiveness for causing David's death. Mrs. Armstrong says it is not Jack who is responsible for her son's death, but the war. Then, Jack is reunited with Mary and realizes he loves her.

Cast
Clara Bow as Mary Preston
Charles "Buddy" Rogers as Jack Powell
Richard Arlen as David Armstrong
Jobyna Ralston as Sylvia Lewis
El Brendel as Herman Schwimpf
Richard Tucker as Air Commander
Gary Cooper as Cadet White
Gunboat Smith as Sergeant
Henry B. Walthall as Mr. Armstrong
Roscoe Karns as Lieutenant Cameron
Julia Swayne Gordon as Mrs. Armstrong
Arlette Marchal as Celeste