Wings, 1927

This silent film classic, with its incredible aerial combat scenes, is among the most important films ever made.  In 1929 it won the first-ever Academy Award presented for Best Picture, and an additional one for Best Effects.  Wings set the standard for all aviation films that followed.  Director William Wellman was an actual WWI fighter pilot, giving the film a skillful hand with the subject matter.  Gary Cooper, who went on to be one Hollywood’s major box office stars, had his first feature role in Wings.

“What Were the Women Doing?” Join us before the film from 6:00 to 7:00 pm for complimentary refreshments with cash bar and a short talk at 6:30 pm with Margaret Vining, curator of Armed Forces History at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.  Margaret will talk about some of the lesser-known and surprising roles women played during World War I.

Request free tickets for the Wings screening at our location in Washington, DC, using the ticket form below.

This film will also be shown at the same time at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.  Request tickets for the Wings screening at the Udvar-Hazy Center. 

About the Film Series

Movies have always shaped our cultural memory of historical events, and World War I has been a rich subject for filmmakers. Hollywood Goes to War: World War I on the Big Screen, a year-long film series, presents the most visually striking and engaging dramas set during the First World War ever made. Once a month, join us as we screen Hollywood’s finest feature films on World War I and explore how the war and its far-reaching effects have been represented and interpreted on the big screen.

This film series is part of the National Air and Space Museum’s observance of the hundredth anniversary of the First World War.