Wings Trivia Quiz

Answer: David

Sylvia Lewis was the local beauty in the small town where David and Jack lived. She prefered David (his money might have been a factor), but Jack thought he was her favorite. David knew the truth though. When Jack ended up with a picture locket that Sylvia had planned to give to David, she told David that she felt sorry for Jack but that he (David) was the one for her. Later when Jack showed the locket to David, the picture fell out, and David noticed that Sylvia had written a note to him on the back. Rather than give the picture back to Jack (and let him see the note), David tore it up.

Answer: Clara Bow

Bow was an established star in the silent film industry by the time she filmed "Wings", and the film was re-written to include her, although she didn't think much of the role, claiming that it was "a man's picture and I'm just the whipped cream on top of the pie".

In the film, Mary Preston was head-over-heels in love with Jack and did her best to get his attention, but he only had eyes for Sylvia.

Answer: World War I

The film took place in 1917, when the U.S. entered WWI. Both David and Jack ended up in the same flight training class. Although they were initially antagonistic towards each other because of Sylvia, they ended up becoming best friends after they fought it out. Following training, they were sent to France for duty.

Answer: Gary Cooper

Cooper started in silent films in the early 1920s, but most of his early performances were uncredited. His role in "Wings" was short as his character was killed in a training accident on the day that he met David and Jack. As one reviewer noted, he only had "a few lines and a great smile". Cooper went on to win two Academy Awards as Best Actor for "Sergeant York" and "High Noon".

Answer: Medical truck driver

She joined the Women's Motor Transport Corps and was assigned to drive a truck referred to as a "puddle-hopper" to deliver medical supplies to various sites around France. She was almost killed when the village she stopped in was bombed, and debris from a church fell on her truck while she was hiding under it at the time.

Answer: Changing clothes

Jack was passed out on a bed, and Mary was changing from a cocktail gown into her uniform behind a changing screen when a couple of soldiers opened the door. She was hidden from Jack but the soldiers got a full view, and they clearly assumed she was fooling around with Jack. "Put your clothes on! You can't get away with this sort of thing in the A.E.F.

It's back home for you, sister", she was told. When Jack read about her return in his copy of the hometown newspaper, the article tactfully said that she had resigned. Jack said it was odd that Mary would quit, but another airman pointed out that "resigned doesn't always mean quit..." Jack became angry with the man for making those comments about Mary. David then asked Jack if he was in love with Mary, which Jack initially denied but appeared to consider before telling David that he loved Sylvia.

Answer: He stole a German plane.

In a dog fight, David was targeted by Captain von Kellerman, a German flying ace, but after David's machine gun jammed, Kellerman let him go. When he was later shot down, David's plane crashed into a river where German troops ordered him to surrender.

He didn't, and they opened fire. He fell back into the water, appearing to be dead but instead swam into some reeds and escaped. He found his way to a German airfield and stole a plane that was getting ready for take-off. The Germans tried to shoot him down unsuccessfully, and he then circled around and knocked out the plane that was coming after him.

Answer: Jack shot him.

After David was shot down, a German pilot dropped a note to the American squadron telling them that David had been killed while trying to escape. Jack said, "I'll square things up for Dave or I won't come back". The squadron took off, but Jack left them and went behind enemy lines where he spotted a lone German plane.

He didn't realize that it was David flying the plane. David however recognized Jack's plane and desperately tried to get his attention, but Jack was just focused on shooting down the German plane. David was hit and knocked unconscious, and his plane crashed into a house in allied territory. Jack then landed to get a souvenir from the plane - the Iron Cross off the tail.

The woman who lived in the house told Jack that the pilot was almost dead and asked him to come see the pilot. That's when Jack realized what he had done.

Answer: Hedda Hopper

Although mainly known today as a gossip columnist, Hedda Hopper had over 100 screen credits, only playing herself on a few occasions. In "Wings", she was seen when Jack returned home triumphantly, and his parents met him at the train station. She gave/received a couple of kisses before Jack was dragged off to the parade.

Answer: Two men kissing

It was during David's death scene when Jack kissed him somewhat on the lips (part cheek, part lip). The scene itself was a bit passionate with each of them running his hands through the other's hair. In an earlier scene in the film, when a French general was presenting medals, there were also kisses, but these were short pecks on the neck.

The film also had brief nudity. The backsides of naked men could be seen during the enlistment physical exam scene, and we had a quick glimpse of Clara Bow's chest when the soldiers entered the room while she was changing.