The Lion Has Wings (1939)

While this movie is certainly a propaganda piece, Britain was most assuredly NOT "beaten down" and "cowering in their cellars". As I recall they won the Battle of Britain alone that very year of 1940. In fact, at the time , they were the only ones standing up to the Nazis. Visit the Museum of London and the section where you get to relive the Blitz. As we all know, the Nazis were ultimately defeated by the Red Army; the United states and the British Empire only helped relieve the pressure by attacking in the west, bombing their cities and winning the war against the U-boats. This movie was just about the same as all the other propaganda films made by all sides during the war.

I really wasn't expecting to see a documentary when I saw the names Merle Oberon and Ralph Richardson, but a documentary it was. "The Lion Has Wings" is a propaganda film produced by Alexander Korda, showing the world as the Nazis begin to take over Europe.If you know about England at this time in history, and I do, you perhaps won't be as interested in this as others. The British really wanted to fight, but they were afraid that America wouldn't join them, and they really didn't know how they could stave off the Germans without the U.S.Whether they could withstand the Germans or not, the Brits wanted to show that they were ready to fight. Some interesting actual footage. Oberon and Richardson were just there to get people into the theaters. This is pretty dry stuff, although back then, a film of this type was important for morale.

Was funny watching this movie .It is so full of crap.Anyone who knows anything about WWII knows the Brits got beat down by the German blitz.But by watching this movie they make it seem like the RAF repealed every attack the Germans threw at them.When in reality history records a far different story such as the Brits hiding in there basements while there cities are being destroyed and buildings left burning.I would of loved to seen how they would portray the American revaluation.They would probably have Gen Washington surrendering after 1 day.This move was one of the worst propaganda films i have ever seen and i have seen some Nazi films of the same era.

This is by no means a good movie but it does have substantial curiosity value being the first British movie to be wholly completed after the start of the Second World War .It was completed in 5 weeks and released to cinemas in November 1939 . Costing just £ 30,000 it was financed by its producer ,the renowned Alexander Korda , cashing in his life insurance policy and is a flag waving slice of patriotism aimed at stiffening British resolve in the early days of the war .It was shot in 12 days and is a curious hybrid of a picture .It opens with an illustrated lecture ,delivered by the newsreel commentator ,E V H Emmett charting the rise of Nazism and contrasting the militaristic stance of Germany with the more sporting and pacifist pursuits of the British .This is simple stuff but true -and those morons carping at action in Iraq would be well advised to study this period of history to learn (always assuming their blinkered minds are capable of learning ) what appeasement leads to .It makes copious use of footage from the Elizabethan themed Fire Over England ,with Flora Robson as Queen Bess rallying the troops before they sailed out to deal with the Spanish Armada . Its main theme is the contrast between militarism and the virtues it deems England stands for -virtues articulated by Merle Oberon in a scene with Ralph Richardson " We must keep our land ,darling ..we must keep our freedom .We must fight for the things we believe in ...Truth and Beauty ..and Kindness "One especially compelling piece of documentary footage contrasts the bombastic Nuremeberg rallies with shots of the shy and diffident King George at a Boy Scout rally singing "Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree"The staged scenes of the attack on the Kiel canal are a bit phoney but overall the movie does a neat job of pointing out the contrast between militarism and democracyThe emphasis is too socially restricted with scenes of English life being confined to suburbia and the landed gentry but as a social document this has value .As a movie drama it is negligible