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 star-studded cast, "Mr. Hawks has staged his flying sequences brilliantly ... He has made proper use of the amiable performing talents of Mr. Grant, Miss Arthur, Thomas Mitchell, Mr. Barthelmess, Sig Rumann and the rest." "Only Angels have Wings" was later selected as one of 12 films representing the U.S. at the first Cannes Film Festival. However, the festival was canceled due to events leading up to World War II. On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 86 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "universal acclaim." Two weeks after the film's premiere, "Only Angels Have Wings" was