# 2 early Oscar Winners: Wings/Broadway Melody of 1929 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-early-oscar-winners-wings-broadway-melody-of-1929/569866 "2011-02-02T05:38:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-early-oscar-winners-wings-broadway-melody-of-1929/569866/1 "2011-02-02T05:38:34Z")
\*\*Wings \*\*, the first best picture Oscar winner isn’t available on DVD. I’m almost certain I recorded this on VHS at one time from either AMC or maybe TCM. Unfortunately, I don’t remember anything at all about the movie. Is there a reason the film hasn’t been released on dvd? Besides historical significance, is there any reason to watch it again in the 21st century. I did rent **Broadway Melody of 1929** , which I will watch tomorrow. I have no idea what to expect except that it seems to be an early musical made in the very early sound picture era. I’m not really expecting much, but I always like to watch some past Oscar winners during this time of year. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-early-oscar-winners-wings-broadway-melody-of-1929/569866/2 "2011-02-02T05:43:16Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > \*\*Wings \*\*, the first best picture Oscar winner isn’t available on DVD. I’m almost certain I recorded this on VHS at one time from either AMC or maybe TCM. Unfortunately, I don’t remember anything at all about the movie. Is there a reason the film hasn’t been released on dvd? Besides historical significance, is there any reason to watch it again in the 21st century. I haven’t seen it, but my wife did in a theater with an orchestral accompaniment, and she said it was great. So, that’s one vote for. ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-early-oscar-winners-wings-broadway-melody-of-1929/569866/3 "2011-02-02T05:49:17Z")
I saw it in a theater with live organ accompaniment a few years ago. The stunt flying is a good reason to see it today. Also a small role for a young Gary Cooper, and a surprising (to me) all-male kiss. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-early-oscar-winners-wings-broadway-melody-of-1929/569866/4 "2011-02-02T05:56:58Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > \*\*Wings \*\*, the first best picture Oscar winner isn’t available on DVD. I got a copy on eBay a few years ago. Doing a search on wings dvd 1927, I see a couple different cover designs. Mine is the first one that comes up on the search. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-early-oscar-winners-wings-broadway-melody-of-1929/569866/5 "2011-02-02T06:30:57Z")
I know it came out fairly early on VHS because I remember buying it as a Christmas gift for my father. With studios releasing films on DVD, who knows what logic they use. Sometimes they hold things back so they have something to release in the future. They could also figure the audience for such a film has largely died off. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-early-oscar-winners-wings-broadway-melody-of-1929/569866/6 "2011-02-02T07:07:46Z")
FYI, **Wings** (noteworthy for its aerial sequences plus an early role for Gary Cooper) is playing this Sunday on TCM. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-early-oscar-winners-wings-broadway-melody-of-1929/569866/7 "2011-02-02T13:02:44Z")
The dancing girls in _Broadway Melody_ make me feel a lot better about my thighs. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-early-oscar-winners-wings-broadway-melody-of-1929/569866/8 "2011-02-02T23:00:27Z")
There’s an early pre-code gay character in _Broadway Melody_. Other than that, I got nothin’. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-early-oscar-winners-wings-broadway-melody-of-1929/569866/9 "2011-02-03T02:46:00Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > FYI, **Wings** (noteworthy for its aerial sequences plus an early role for Gary Cooper) is playing this Sunday on TCM. Thank you, Archive Guy - I’ve been waiting for this forever. (Every time I do a DVR search for ‘Wings’, I get page after page of the TV sitcom). mmm