Night Flight (1933) in Color — Starring John Barrymore & Helen Hayes

Night Flight (1933) — Buy This Classic in Color

Night Flight (1933) is a star-studded aviation drama featuring John Barrymore, Helen Hayes, Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore, Robert Montgomery, and Myrna Loy, directed by Clarence Brown. Based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s celebrated novel, this professionally colorized version brings the dangerous world of early airmail pilots to vivid life. Boasting one of the most extraordinary ensemble casts ever assembled for a single production, Night Flight is a powerful meditation on duty, sacrifice, and the relentless march of progress. Buy your colorized copy today for €15.00 and own this thrilling classic movie in color.

Plot Summary

In the early days of commercial aviation in South America, the ruthlessly dedicated operations chief Rivière (John Barrymore) runs a demanding airmail service where pilots fly perilous night routes through violent storms and treacherous Andean mountain passes that claim lives with terrifying regularity. Rivière believes with absolute conviction that aviation progress demands sacrifice, even human life, and that any show of weakness or sentiment would undermine the discipline needed to keep the mail flying through conditions that would ground more cautious men. Pilot Auguste Fabien (Clark Gable) sets off on a perilous night flight through deteriorating weather while his devoted wife (Helen Hayes) waits desperately at home for any news, pacing their modest apartment as the hours stretch on and the storm intensifies. Another pilot, Daurat (Robert Montgomery), faces his own dangerous assignment on a parallel route, battling mechanical difficulties and mountain turbulence. As a massive storm of unprecedented fury closes in over the Andes, Rivière’s iron discipline is tested to its breaking point when Fabien’s plane becomes lost in the darkness above the mountains, fuel running low, with no radio contact and no visible landmarks to guide him. Meanwhile, the inspector Robineau (Lionel Barrymore) questions whether Rivière’s uncompromising methods and willingness to send men to their deaths in the name of progress are truly justified, forcing a philosophical confrontation between duty and compassion. The film explores the terrible cost of progress and the extraordinary courage of the pilots who risk everything flying through the darkness above the world’s most dangerous mountain range.

Cast & Crew

Director: Clarence Brown

Stars: John Barrymore, Helen Hayes, Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore, Robert Montgomery, Myrna Loy, William Gargan, C. Henry Gordon, Leslie Fenton, Harry Beresford

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

This colorized version of Night Flight transforms the aerial sequences and dramatic ground scenes into a breathtaking visual experience. The vast South American landscapes, from sun-baked airfields to the snow-capped peaks of the Andes towering above the clouds, gain spectacular depth and majesty in color. The original black and white film captured the danger and beauty of early aviation effectively, but the professionally colorized restoration reveals the weathered leather of cockpit interiors, the ominous purple-black of approaching storm fronts, the warm glow of control room instruments, and the storm-tossed skies that threaten to swallow the tiny aircraft with frame-by-frame precision. Helen Hayes’s waiting scenes gain particular emotional power as the warm domestic colors of her apartment contrast sharply with the cold, dangerous darkness through which her husband flies. Watch this restored classic film in spectacular, vivid color. Now also available in colour.

Buy Night Flight in color today for just €15.00. Your DRM-free MP4 download is available for instant access.

Historical Significance

Night Flight boasts one of the most remarkable casts ever assembled for a single film, bringing together five major stars at the height of their powers — John Barrymore, Clark Gable, Helen Hayes, Lionel Barrymore, and Robert Montgomery — along with the luminous Myrna Loy. Based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s acclaimed novel Vol de nuit, written from his own harrowing experiences as an airmail pilot in South America, the film was directed by the distinguished Clarence Brown during the golden age of MGM when the studio could afford to fill even supporting roles with major stars. The novel had won the prestigious Prix Femina in France, establishing Saint-Exupéry as one of the most important literary voices of the aviation age. Despite its stellar cast and pedigree, the film was pulled from general circulation for decades due to complex rights issues, becoming one of Hollywood’s great lost treasures until its eventual restoration. The colorization gives this rare Hollywood treasure stunning new visual life, allowing modern audiences to finally appreciate one of the most ambitious productions of early 1930s cinema.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD restored
• Colorized: Professionally colorized from original black and white
• Audio: Original mono restored
• Runtime: Approximately 84 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Is this based on the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry novel?
A: Yes, Night Flight is adapted from Saint-Exupéry’s 1931 novel Vol de nuit, which drew on his own dangerous experiences as an airmail pilot in South America and won the prestigious Prix Femina literary award in France.

Q: Is this the complete version with all the stars?
A: Yes, this is the full 1933 MGM production featuring John Barrymore, Clark Gable, Helen Hayes, Lionel Barrymore, Robert Montgomery, and Myrna Loy in its professionally colorized version with all scenes intact.

Q: Why was this film so hard to see for so many years?
A: Night Flight was withdrawn from circulation for decades due to complex rights issues, making it one of the rarest films in the MGM library despite its extraordinary cast. It has since been restored and is now available in this stunning colorized version.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: DRM-free MP4, compatible with virtually any device or media player.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: €15.00 for instant download. The colorization process ensures every scene looks stunning in color.

Q: Can I watch on multiple devices?
A: Absolutely. The file is DRM-free, so you can watch on your TV, tablet, phone, or computer.

Related Colorized Classics

• The Bride Wore Red (1937)
• City for Conquest (1940)
• The Champ (1931)
• Out of the Fog (1962)
• June Night (1940)