MovieChat Forums > Wings (1929) Discussion > So, girls...

So, girls...

posted 18 years ago by dain_bramaged_926
23 replies | jump to latest

Who is the sexier man? Jack (Charles 'Buddy' Rogers) or David (Richard Arlen)?

I personally am gone on David, and Richard Arlen, in a big way. Has anyone ever seen a more beautiful man than him? And his character is so noble and forgiving. I love the fact that he completely forgives Jack for killing him.

Jack is also really cute, but I think that Buddy Rogers is much sexier in "My Best Girl". I almost melted when I first saw that one.

Anyways, what do all of you other girls think?

[–] beesting_12_dot 18 years ago

DAVID!!!

What a piece of man meat! I mean, LITERALLY! I think he could melt my nose off if he really tried. I love his nobleness!

BUT! I'm not forgetting that Buddy is very very very cute, too.

Buddy's got back.

The love impulse in man frequently reveals itself in terms of conflict.

"Bringing Up Baby"

[–] trace_of_trace 18 years ago

My vote goes to Buddy Rogers. Gary Cooper gets an honorable mention.
I shall have to watch this "My Best Girl". Thankee, dain_bramaged_926 for mentioning it.

They're all crazy except you and me. Sometimes I have my doubts about you.

[–] teepeewhy 18 years ago

I liked Buddy Rogers best. Absolutely nothing against David, but I didn't find him to be all that good looking. On another note, I thought Buddy had too much lipstick on in My Best Girl.

[–] dain_bramaged_926 18 years ago

*Snort*! Really? I didn't notice his overabundance of rouge in "My Best Girl". I'll have to watch that again.

As for Richard Arlen, his beauty really grows on you, I find. The first time I saw "Wings" I was more interested in Buddy, but I now think Richard is one of the most gorgeous men ever to set foot in front of a camera.

I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying.

[–] MystMoonstruck 17 years ago

It's Buddy for me. He's so darn BEAUTIFUL! I like pretty guys. Richard Arlen does have great eyes, but he's just not my type. Gary Cooper is amazing in just that bit of a scene.. No wonder he caused such a stir.

But, Buddy is absolutely adorable. The drunken bubbles bit is something I remembered when I saw "Wings" the first time. I'm watching it right now, and I haven't changed my mind about him.

Isn't it remarkable how this film can still affect us so much? What I find tremendously sad is that relatively few people recognize the names of these people. Heck! Many probably wouldn't know Gary Cooper! So many actors and actresses have slipped into obscurity because people don't want to watch black and white films and certainly not silents; many won't watch foreign language films because of subtitles. It's encouraging to come to IMDB forums and find honest to goodness film buffs. I've been one for more than 50 years.

~~MystMoonstruck~~

[–] twistedude 17 years ago

I seem to be partial to guys named jack: this one, Twist, and Jackie Robinson--and two of them were lieutenants,as was David...and all I got is a pair of captain's bars. Anyone want to trade a WW2 lieutenant's bar for some WW2 captain's bars?

Given David has a more noble soul, Jack's prettier--and I think maybe a better actor as well.

"Thus began our longest journey together." To Kill a Mockingbird

[–] sorrowfulkitten 17 years ago

Ive had a crush on David since I saw this movie for the first time, when I was 12 years old. I still get all giddy over him. He was the very definition of handsome and debonaire. Beautiful.

Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?

[–] twistedude 17 years ago

Jack is the more handsome, and I think Rogers is the better actor, except for a couple of scenes in which Arlen really comes to life. But the character Arlen plays has such a noble soul, I'd like to sock someone in the jaw.

Did you know Rogers lived to be over 90, and died in...1999, I think.

"Thus began our longest journey together." To Kill a Mockingbird

[–] ziegfeldgirl1941 16 years ago

I thought they were both very attractive in their own ways. Rogers had the boyisy, nice guy, All American kind of look and Arlen was the debonaire sexy one. I guess that was how it was supposed to be though, since Rogers was the boy next door and Arlen was the rich kid.

I was just really surprised to find such attractive men in a silent film! Not saying that Valentino and others are not attractive, but you know how sometimes the men have too much make up or whatever to show up. I was certainly pleasantly surprised.

[–] twistedude 16 years ago

I was just watching (I mean, someone in my HOUSE was watching, and I got semi-sucked in) "Pearl Harbour" last night. One of probably 1000 scenes of one buddy saying goodbye to a dying one---very convincing. Why is it that this "Wings" one is also sexy? Or am I out of my bloomin' mind?

"Thus began our longest journey together." To Kill a Mockingbird

[–] mackjay2 16 years ago

I was just really surprised to find such attractive men in a silent film! Not saying that Valentino and others are not attractive, but you know how sometimes the men have too much make up or whatever to show up. I was certainly pleasantly surprised.

I agree about Arlen, Rogers and Cooper in WINGS--as handsome as any actor today.

Look for extremely handsome Charles Farrell in SEVENTH HEAVEN and other silent films and George O'Obrien in SUNRISE to see some more high-quality handsomosity!

[–] blue-7 13 years ago

Not to change the subject girls, but as I guy which one would you fall for? Clara Bow or Jobyna Ralston?
Clara is cute as can be but I for one would have gone for Jobyna. She was wonderful in six of Harold Lloyd's best features including THE FRESHMAN, GIRL SHY and THE KID BROTHER. WINGS is a great film.

[–] Cue-ball 10 years ago

I'd say Arlette Marchal.

The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.

[–] Claddagh_Lass 15 years ago

Tough choice.

I saw clips of this movie when I was a young girl learning about silent films in grade school. My first crush was Buddy Rogers so I'd have to say him.

They were both handsome men.

[–] beesting_12_dot 13 years ago

Gotta agree with the person who mentioned Gary Cooper. I quite forgot about him in this movie. I don't know how, seeing as he was so damn good-looking!

[–] snsurone 13 years ago

How about a threesome with BOTH boys?
LOL

[–] Fenris_89 13 years ago

Buddy Rogers. He has a beautiful smile. All over perfect, that one.

[–] PoppyTransfusion 11 years ago

I think Charles Rogers was prettier than Richard Arlen and the more typically handsome of the pair. But his character annoyed me and seemed gormless. Richard Arlen had unusual eyes and smouldered at points on screen. His character seemed to have more depth and to know how to suffer. So ... Richard Arlen for me. I kept wishing for Mary to meet David in Paris and fall in love with him. Alas 'twas not to be ...

Movement ends, intent continues;
Intent ends, spirit continues

[–] ljspin 11 years ago

To address the questions in this thread:

The big question: Richard Arlen or Charles "Buddy" Rogers -- Grandma was an avid movie-goer when she was young, and she saw "Wings" when it first came out. She and my grandfather had a marriage of 50 plus years, and she couldn't wait to go and join PupPup. Even so, until she passed, Grandma had a major crush on Charles "Buddy" Rogers -- and it's rather weird to hear your grandmother talk about men she finds attractive.

The lesser question -- Mary or Sylvia? All I can say is that, for me, it's Mary Preston all the way!

[–] ilahilda 10 years ago

As a teen in the 40's, my mom wrote a letter to Buddy Rogers due to his band, and he wrote back. I heard he was a nice guy. Not to mention a devoted husband, he was married to Mary Pickford for over 40 years I think. I recall he lived to be past 90 and died a couple of years ago. I once saw him in an interview on ET back in the 90's reading a letter Mary wrote him years ago.

[–] marinoe-pl 10 years ago

About the girls: for me Jobyna Ralston is more pretty but I prefer Clara Bow's charm. She's so adorable. About the guys: Richard Arlen.

[–] hamlet-16 10 years ago

sorry girls Richard was stolen by Sylvia... aka Jobyna ...she got him in real life

[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 8 years ago

As a relatively straight man, can I answer too?

I thought Richard Arlen was the sexier one, but Rogers had a more easygoing boyish charm to him.

And as for the girls, Bow is easily the better looking one, but I actually thought she was cutest in her uniform and not when she changes into the dancers clothes.

Poorly Lived and Poorly Died, Poorly Buried and No One Cried