Ace of Aces (1933 film)

Ace of Aces, also known as Bird of Prey, is a 1933 American preCode war film based on the story The Bird of Prey by World War I pilot John Monk Saunders that explores how war can turn a mans moral compass from pacifism to warmonger. Starring Richard Dix, it was similar to many of the period films that appeared to glorify the knights of the air, but was more complex, examining the motivations of those who choose to go to war.

While on furlough in Paris, Thorne, now the leading ace, runs into his former love, who is a nurse on the front lines. She has been impacted by her experiences and torn by guilt, agrees to spend the night with her former fianc. Returning to his squadron, Thorne suffers a head wound in a skirmish and as he reaches his base, he shoots down a German cadet on a mercy mission to drop a note over the airfield, telling the squadron of the whereabouts of one of their downed airmen.Thorne lands in the hospital, next to the German cadet who is dying, and gives in to the young mans pleas for a drink, giving him some wine, knowing it will speed his death. When he recuperates, unable to bear his guilt for killing an innocent flyer, Thorne asks to be relieved from combat to become an instructor. Before leaving his squadron, the realization that a young pilot has bettered his record of victories, leads him to one last mission, albeit unauthorized. Encountering the new German fighter aircraft that are the match for his fighter, he prepares to close in for a kill, but sees the face of the German cadet that he had needlessly shot down, and is unable to fire. In the fight, Thorne is wounded and crashes, but lives to return home and marry his sweetheart. ........

Source: Wikipedia