The Lion Has Wings shot in 12 days, and completed in about four weeks, at a cost of just £30,000, a notable achievement in the times. Within days of its release, copies had been shipped to 60 countries. Although it is difficult to determine its actual impact on the public, "The Lion Has Wings" was considered a significant factor in persuading the British government to allow the film industry to continue to work, and the film was regarded as a model of how filmmakers could be an asset to the war effort. Like many propaganda films, "The Lion Has Wings" does not tell the
Only Angels Have Wings crash. Midway through the film, Paul Mantz flew a Boeing Model 100 biplane in a spirited aerobatic performance, reprising his earlier scene in "Flight From Glory". "Only Angels Have Wings" has become very popular among enthusiasts of the aircraft of the golden age of aviation. Twelve days after the film's final re-shoots were completed, "Only Angels Have Wings" premiered in Los Angeles at the Pantages Theater on May 10, 1939. Its official world premiere occurred the next day at Radio City Music Hall. It was heavily promoted by Columbia Studios and ended up making $143,000 on its initial two-week run