Unless you have really good genes, you obviously have no original memory of the film wingBut if you’ve ever taken a film class or just enjoy a silent film classic, you’re familiar with this romantic action war epic that hit New York theaters on this day in 1927.

wingstarring Clara Bow, Charles “Buddy” Rogers, and Richard Arlen, was the first Oscar winner for Best Picture (and one of only two silent films to win the statuette in that category). Directed by William A. Wellman, it told the ambitious story of two fighter pilots (Rogers and Arlen) locked in a romantic rivalry over a woman (Bow).

After his debut in front of a not exactly enthusiastic audience, wing was quickly re-released in 1928 with synchronized sound, which was groundbreaking at the time. While the sound version of the film has no audible dialogue, it was released with a synchronized score with sound effects.

wing was shot and completed in nine months on a budget of $2 million at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas. $2 million in 1927 is comparable to over $36 million today. To increase authenticity, the budget allowed Wellman to hire hundreds of extras for the film, and another 300 or so pilots were available for various scenes.

Other notable facts about wing contain:

1) Clara Bow At the time of its release, it was considered one of the biggest box office hits of wingShe appeared in 46 silent films and made the transition into the then new era of talkies by adding 11 more films to her resume.

2) wing will be remembered for its technical mastery and became an important benchmark for the future of technical aerial combat sequences. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Technical Effects.

3) Future film legend Gary Cooper had a small role in wingwhich helped him launch his career in Hollywood.

4) At the height of his popularity in the late 1920s, Charles “Buddy” Rogers was known as “America’s Friend.”

5) Richard Arlen served as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps in Canada during World War I, making him the ideal choice for wing.

6) Historically wing was one of the first widely released Hollywood films to feature on-screen nudity, and it also captured two of the earliest elements of LGBTQ cinema: scenes of a gay couple in the Café de Paris and a kiss on the cheek between Buddy Rogers as Jack and Richard Arlen as David.

7) In 1968, Rogers and Arlen appeared in the CBS sitcom Petticoat crossing in the episode entitled “Wings”. In this episode, the two arrived 40 years late for the premiere of wing at a local theater in fictional Hooterville.

“The cinematography of this film represents perhaps one of the most iconic turning points in the history of cinema,” wrote one fan in a review on IMBd.

“This film is a historical treasure!” wrote another.wing may have won the first Oscar, but the real honor goes to the men of World War I, the achievements of the Luftwaffe and the studio that produced this film. wing is a fantastic historical depiction of World War I from the air. I was captivated throughout the entire film.”

97 years later we celebrate the milestone wingwhich remains an essential part of cinema history.