‘The Artist’’ is widely expected to be the first silent film in more than eight decades to be nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award on Tuesday — the very same day the only non-talkie to ever win that prize premieres on Blu-ray.
Not available on video since the VHS era because it required extensive restoration, the World War I aviation epic “Wings’’ premiered in May 1927 — six months before “The Jazz Singer’’ started the sound craze — and won the Best Picture prize at the very first Oscar ceremony, covering films released in 1927 and 1928, held in January 1929.
Budgeted at a then-enormous $2 million, “Wings’’ gives top billing to original “It Girl’’ Clara Bow — then the world’s biggest box office draw — as a young woman who volunteers as a wartime ambulance driver in France and serves as a romantic interest for its heroes.
The story actually centers on a pair of her beaus — childhood pals Richard Arlen and Charles “Buddy’’ Rogers — who train as Army pilots and face the horrors of what was then known as the War to End All Wars.
Director William Wellman staged what are still some of the most famous and exciting fighter pilot sequences of all time, employing a squadron of stunt pilots as well as real-life military fliers provided by the Army. Even Arlen (who, like Wellman, had flown in World War I) and Rogers (who had to take flying lessons) were sent up to be photographed during air battles — the first time this was done with a movie’s stars.
A damaged duplicate negative from the Paramount vaults was used for the Blu-ray restoration. State-of-the-art technology was used to remove scratches and nitrate damage, enhance previously murky images — and to re-create the film’s original color tints.
The long-unheard original score was also reconstructed and re-recorded by an orchestra. Sound expert Ben Burtt (“Star Wars’’) devised period-authentic sound effects like the ones used for the movie’s first theatrical run.
The stunningly restored “Wings,’’ will also kick off an extensive Wellman retrospective at Film Forum beginning on Feb. 10.
“ ‘Wings’ will really be the star of the show,’’ says Andrea Kalas, Paramount’s vice-president for archives. “It’s fun to see how ‘The Artist’ shows that people are still interested in silent films like this.’’