Wings of the Morning (1937)

This is the first full-length Three-Color Technicolor films made in the British Isles. Because of this, you might have imagined that it would be a particularly good film. Well, like the first full-length American film made using this process, Becky Sharpe (1935), it's no classic. Three-Color looks like true color (more or less), as previous attempts (such as the company's Two-Color process) were less than terrific."Wings of the Morning" starts with a completely ridiculous and improbable prologue. A group of gypsies are camping out on the land belonging to an Irish lord. Instead of throwing them off the land, though, the lord is swell and lets them stay. He also soon falls in love with one of the gypsies and marries her. Sadly, however, he dies in an accident shortly after the wedding and she is subsequently forced by his family to leave the country for Spain.The story picks up half a century later. The Spanish Civil War is raging and the widow now decides to return to Ireland with her granddaughter (Annabella--who, oddly, has a French accent). There, Annabella meets Henry Fonda in one of the most annoying 'meeting' scenes I can recall (ooo, it's bad). He thinks she is a boy--I just think she was behaving in a boorish manner. It's supposed to be cute and funny...it isn't. Regardless, the cliché says that after such an inauspicious meeting that they'll soon fall in love. And, speaking of clichés, Annabella seems to be a walking cliché--headstrong, unreasonable and yet waiting to be tamed by Fonda (oh, brother). Much of the rest of the film consists of Fonda repeatedly about to take off his clothes in front of the prudish Annabella until he ultimately figures out she's a girl and they fall in love.Of course, since it's only halfway through the film, you KNOW that some glitches must come to threaten their love. First, Don Diego, who was pledges to the Gypsy years ago now returns. Second, there is the 'big race'--neither of which is particularly interesting since you have known for most of the film what would ultimately happen by the end. Overall, despite some nice scenery, a clichéd film that didn't do much for me. The characters seemed clichéd and predictable from start to finish.By the way, Henry Fonda should NOT sing in films. A fine actor, yes. A singer, good grief, no! As for Annabella, well, perhaps she could act but given this sort of drivel, it's sure not apparent in this film.

This movie sets out to have much for many - and succeeds in a wacky, just relax and enjoy the utterly mixed bag way:the first Technicolor movie made in Britain (well, Ireland actually) a tale of gypsies and their generations-long curses all the sentiment and memories of the Auld Sod in Ireland three songs sung complete by John McCormack, the great Irish tenor horse racing tale - mixing in news footage of Derby Day in England love story between Henry Fonda and beautiful French sensation AnnabellaThere are odd moments - e.g., Henry Fonda forcefully removing all Annabella's clothes (behind a willow tree) until apparently repulsed, he realizes she's a girl and tosses her undergarments back to her - disgustedStrange scenes of "is she alive or is she dead" about an ancient gypsy woman. We're asked to accept that a living woman may easily life to see a fourth generation of her family -- in 50 years. In this movie, they apparently have an entirely new generation of gypsy children every sixteen years! (In contrast, I hope to marry next year and have children in future - yet my own grandparents were born in the 1890s, 110-120 years ago - without a fourth generation yet!). It's fun - and light, and romantic (annabella is really cute!) and it IS interesting to see John McCormack and the spectacular/sentimental scenes of Killarney - and to see a horse race at Ascot.Don't expect a classic - but it's a big fun jumble of stuff designed to appeal to many. Often a quite beautiful movie visually too.

Shot partially on location in Killarney, Ireland in Glorious Three-Strip Tecnicolor, "Wings of the Morning" can claim to be the first film shot in that process on the British Isles. Iconic cinematographer Jack Cardiff gets his first Technicolor credit as the film's camera operator and would go on to one of the most illustrious careers in film history. However, although it was financially successful during its initial release, fans of John McCormack and Henry Fonda will be disappointed with it today. John McCormack, the pride of Athlone, County Westmeath and arguably the greatest Irish tenor of all time, failed in several attempts to break into the movies. That's not surprising when one views his stiff acting and singing in this film. Although he sings three songs here, he evidently didn't even bother to memorize the lyrics and sings while looking at a notebook he carries with him. It's no wonder that the film editor decided to cut away from him to inserts of the idyllic Irish countryside during his performance rather than keep the overweight and unphotogenic singer on screen.Fonda supposedly played a Canadian in this British movie shot partially in Ireland but clearly didn't have a competent dialogue coach because he plays his early scenes with a decidedly Southern drawl. He later lapses into his singularly un-Canadian Midwestern twang. At this point in his career Fonda was a free-lancer and didn't have to do this film, which was designed as a showcase for French beauty Annabella in her English-speaking debut. After he did sign a long-term contract at Fox in 1940 as a condition of getting the role of Tom Joad in "The Grapes of Wrath," the respected actor chafed when required to play support for films designed to showcase other Fox stars. His unhappy experience on the Alice Faye vehicle "Lillian Russell" is a prime example. Why did Fonda agree to do the film? A good guess would be that the trip to Englasnd and Ireland, rather than the script, was enough motivation.

The first British Technicolor film, it has a script that is somehow from another world; a sentimental world where gypsies travel in wooden horse-drawn caravans and dance round camp fires; and where gentlemen train horses and live only for victory at the racecourse.Maria, played by Annabelle, is dressed as a boy to escape the hostilities of the Spanish civil war, and becomes involved with Kerry (played by a young Henry Fonda). Kerry doesn't realise it's a girl, of course, until later when she reveals herself, when it's love at first sight.The climax of the film is at the Derby, the year's main race for the whole of Britain, and we get a glimpse there of the real world through the mist of the obscure direction (Harold D Schuster's first film).The Irish tenor John McCormack sings at a ball, and champion jockey Steve Donaghue appears as himself.