Wings (1927/1928)

It took Netflix quite some time to get the very first Best Picture winner as a part of their DVD collection. Alas, they have it now and I have been able to see the film that started it all.

2011 has a silent film nominated for Best Picture. Wings is also a silent picture with full organ music through the entire thing.

The film follows the plot that Pearl Harbor stole many years later. There are two pilots in love with the same woman. While Ben Affleck's "masterpiece" took place during the Second World War, Wings took place during WWI. The fighting sequences are spectacular. I cannot even imagine how they filmed such scenes in the 1920s.

Perhaps one of the saddest stories in Oscar associated history is that of Clara Bow. Her secretary was stealing from her so she took her to court. The secretary made up lies about Clara's sex life and the lies ultimately ruined the actress. She suffered a mental breakdown and died at the age of 60. Knowing rumors could ruin a career during those early years of film is ironic when you acknowledge that now it would make a career bigger.