Movie of the Week: Hell Divers (1931)

This week, Clark Gable is at odds with Wallace Beery (again) and plays a fearless pilot (again) in Hell Divers (1931).

Clark is Steve Nelson, a budding Navy pilot constantly at odds with Windy Riker (Beery), who has been in the service for years and has no patience for newbies. When Windy stages a farce that makes Steve’s girl Ann (Dorothy Jordan) leave him, their relationship becomes hostile. After a drunken brawl, Wally ends up in jail and misses the boat, causing Clark to be promoted to his position.

This film is not one of Clark’s best, but it’s interesting to see a young Clark in uniform, battling it out with Beery and getting some action scenes. Clark gets some meaty scenes–being hurt by his girl, enduring a broken leg being set with no anesthesia, and even pushes out some tears at the end of the film. But really Beery is more the lead here.

Dorothy Jordan would not appear anywhere near a list of best Gable leading ladies. She’s rather plain vanilla and you want to shake her when she pushes him away and then blows him off at the drop of a hat. Her few scenes aren’t very memorable.

Clark is really at his best here when he’s locking horns with Beery…something they did on and off screen!

The film’s direction is shaky…literally. There are some awkward pans and jumpy zooms which are distracting. It is one of those films that was certainly impressive for 1931 moviegoers, with all the exciting fires and explosions and aerial scenes. To modern audiences it tends to lag.

Although probably not in many people’s Gable Top 5, Clark is young, gorgeous, there’s some romance and action…what’s not to like?

Nutshell review is here

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