Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Eagle and the Hawk Blu-ray Movie Review

A compelling production with a great performance by Cary Grant

An outstanding production that fans of classic war films will want to see, The Eagle and the Hawk is a worthwhile pre-code war drama which is based on a story by John Monk Saunders (Wings). Produced by Bayard Veiller (Within the Law, The Trial of Mary Dugan), the film stars Frederic March, Cary Grant, and Carole Lombard. Filled with aerial action, The Eagle and the Hawk is worth a watch.

Jerry Young (Frederic March) and Henry Crocker (Cary Grant) are competitive pilots who are part of the Royal Flying Corps of the British Army. The storyline also involves the beautiful lady (Carole Lombard), a sweet-charmer who enters their lives in a surprising manner. As the storyline unfolds, tensions arise between Jerry and Henry (as their opposing views cause problems behind-the-scenes). Throughout The Eagle and the Hawk, danger looms on the horizon. The pilots must face down their dangerous enemy and attempt to survive the oncoming onslaught. Will these fighter pilots survive to see another day?

The best element of the production is the impressive performance by Cary Grant. While the entire ensemble manages to make a solid impression during the feature-film, Grant gives the story his undeniable charm as a lead performer. The actor delves in to his part with the same type of class Grant consistently brought to his roles. There is a sense of enthusiasm from Grant that makes the role much more engaging. Lombard is also excellent in her supporting part (and she manages to play well off of the other actors). The performances certainly provide the film with some much-needed gravitas. While March is effective in the role of Jerry Young, Grant steals the show with his suave charm making the biggest impression.

The costumes by Travis Banton (Never a Dull Moment, Trouble in Paradise) are impressive and make the film more enjoyable. The gowns worn by Lombard are especially remarkable. The classy attire is well-designed and fits the characters well. The costumes seem authentic to the roles and to the time period as well. There is a sense that Banton wanted to strive for the most believable and genuine style appropriate to the story: the end results were highly effective.

Training for Galaga.

The Eagle and the Hawk is a well mounted production with classy art direction by Robert Odell (Unmarried, Coronado). The historical elements of the production were handled with a sense of genuine care. The story is more effective due to the well stylized art direction. The art direction is matched by the impressive visuals by cinematographer Harry Fischbeck (Bulldog Drummond's Bride, Mystery Sea Raider). The film showcases a lot of aerial shots which were well-staged. The stunning cinematography enhances these moments and makes the experience more exciting: some of the air fighting scenes will have viewers on the edge- of-their-seat.

There are some other areas where the film could have used some improvement. The music score composed by John Leipold (Two Yanks in Trinidad, The Big Wheel) is not as memorable as one might expect. The score is perfunctory but feels a little less effective at enhancing the action scenes as a better composer might have offered audiences. This was one area where the film could have used some extra gusto.

The editing by James Smith (The Birth of a Nation, The Magnificent Fraud) is also somewhat uneven and the film seems a bit short: at only 73 minutes long, the film could have used an extended-cut to expand the storyline a bit more (and make the events at hand a bit more convicing). Nonetheless, The Eagle and the Hawk is never a bore to watch and the editing is fast-paced: a positive attribute (even if the film could have used a slightly tighter cut).

The screenplay by Seton I. Miller (The Adventures of Robin Hood, Here Comes Mr. Jordan) and Bogart Rogers (The Man From Down Under, 13 Hours by Air) is entertaining (if a little thin on plot). Even so, the experience is worthwhile. With director Stuart Walker (Seventeen, Mystery of Edwin Drood) at the helm, The Eagle and the Hawk is an impressive production that has many more positive attributes than negative ones. The experience is exciting and memorable. And with an exceptional performance by the great Cary Grant, The Eagle and the Hawk is solidified as a classic worth checking out.

The Eagle and the Hawk Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, The Eagle and the Hawk is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the theatrical aspect ratio of 1.35:1 full frame. The release has a generally solid presentation (though it suffers from some drawbacks as well). The scan is a little bit on the soft side and black levels were imperfect (with a more gray-ish tone to them). Even though the scan is not as crisp and clean as a 4K scan might have offered, the print quality was decent enough that I was never "taken out" of my viewing by print deficiencies.

There are some issues with tiny scratches and some dirt on the print from time to time (especially during war footage spliced in to the film) but for the most part the footage is clean enough and no terrible scratches mar the presentation. While The Eagle and the Hawk might not have a top-notch transfer, viewers will find it an acceptable high-definition presentation and one that is still worth watching. The encode quality is commendable and stands as another decent effort by Kino.

The Eagle and the Hawk Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release of The Eagle and the Hawk includes a DTS HD Master Audio mono soundtrack. The track is generally solid and satisfying to listen to. Dialogue reproduction is excellent: crisp, clear, and easy to understand from start to finish. The film sounds pretty impressive overall and the lossless audio encoding gets the job done. There were no egregious issues with hiss, crackle, pops, or clicks to report.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

The Eagle and the Hawk Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by author/film historian Lee Gambin

The Eagle and the Hawk Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1:40)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: Wake Island (SD, 2:08) and Fixed Bayonets! (HD, 2:37).

The Eagle and the Hawk Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Eagle and the Hawk is not a perfect film but it is an entertaining one which is highlighted by a great performance by Cary Grant. The production is terrific and has a number of impressive merits. Throughout the film, I was impressed by how tense the aerial sequences were. Some of these scenes were downright breathtaking. The action is truly fantastic at times. The Blu-ray features a decent video-audio presentation and comes recommended.