Original Vintage Aviation Movie Film Theater Classic Posters Memorabilia Collectibles For Sale
The Dawn Patrol, 1930
Original Vintage Lobby Card Movie Poster (11x14")

Very RARE Vintage Loby Card for this 1930 aviation war classic.   * See enlargeable image above

Note: While there are several of the 1938 remake lobby cards to appear on the market, only about two or three original 1930 lobby cards for this original 1930 First National release have ever surfaced.  And based on our research THIS particular card  has never been seen, until now.   Hence, unless another ever appears, this is the ONLY one in existence. 

The original version of John Monk Saunders' story of death, responsibility and redemption among WWI British pilots stars Richard Barthelmess and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.    Richard Barthelmess and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. star as two ace pilots in a Royal Flying Corps squadron dealing with the stress of combat in France during World War I. John Monk Saunders’ Oscar-winning story was directed by Howard Hawks, a former World War I flight instructor, who flew in the film as a German pilot in an uncredited role. When the 1938 remake directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Errol Flynn was released, the 1930 film was retitled Flight Commander. Many of the flying sequences from the 1930 film, expertly shot by Ernest Haller, were edited verbatim into the 1938 remake movie as well as the 1940 film, British Intelligence. 

Principal photography began in February 1930 with exteriors shot at the Metropolitan Airport in Van Nuys, Newhall, and Sherwood Forrest in Southern California. In the midst of production, the studio was sued by Howard Hughes, through the Caddo Company and the Gainsborough Corporation. The suit alleged that The Dawn Patrol plagiarized his Hell's Angels (1930) production, also in production. The lawsuit resulted in The Dawn Patrol being rushed through post-production in order to be in theaters before Hughes' competing film. In late 1930, Warner Bros., owners of First National Pictures, won the suit. Another contentious issue later arose when both Howard Hawks and John Monk Saunders claimed ownership of the original idea behind the film. Hawks claimed he based the film on his own recollections while Saunders insisted that the screenplay was derived from the interviews of other veterans of World War I. In a deposition, Saunders said it was based on stories from pilots known by himself (during his time as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford) and by writer Irvin S. Cobb.

The Dawn Patrol (First National, 1930). Very Fine. Lobby Card (11" X 14"). 
Legendary film director Howard Hawks was a true craftsman of his art. "Dawn Patrol" was Hawks' first aviation film, and he drew upon first hand knowledge, having been a professional airplane racer and a pilot for the Army Air Corps during WWI. The film portrays the pressures and pitfalls of authority that a British Royal Flying Corp squadron commander faced when forced to send out planes against hopeless odds. The film featured Richard Barthelmess and a young Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Beautiful stone litho displays wonderful early aviation art. Excellent + Fine.
Starring Richard Barthelmess, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Neil Hamilton, James Finlayson, Gardner James, and William Janney. Directed by Howard Hawks. An unrestored lobby card with bright color and a clean overall appearance. It may have general signs of use, such as slight edge wear, soft corner bumps, pinholes, and light smudges.

Note: Cvtreasures stamp Not on original