Central Airport (film)

Last updated

Central Airport
Central-airport-1933.jpg
Directed by William A. Wellman
Alfred E. Green (uncredited)
Written byJack Moffitt
Rian James
James Seymour
Produced by Hal B. Wallis
Starring Richard Barthelmess
Sally Eilers
Cinematography Sidney Hickox
Edited byJames B. Morley
Music by Leo F. Forbstein
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • April 15, 1933 (1933-04-15)
Running time
72 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$421,000 [1]
Box office$747,000 [1]

Central Airport is a 1933 American pre-Code aviation drama film directed by William A. Wellman (with Alfred E. Green, uncredited), based on the John C. "Jack" Moffitt story, "Hawk's Mate". [2] The film stars Richard Barthelmess and Sally Eilers. Central Airport was produced and released by Warner Bros., on April 15, 1933. [3] John Wayne had an uncredited part in the film, playing a co-pilot, and this film features his first on-screen death.

Contents

Plot

After his aircraft crashes in a thunderstorm, commercial pilot Jim Blaine is blackballed and unable to find a job flying. Depressed, he begins working as a bank teller until he meets beautiful Jill Collins, a barnstorming parachutist working with her daredevil pilot brother. Jim is immediately attracted to Jill, and when her brother is killed in a freak crash, he reveals his past and volunteers to replace her dead sibling in their act. As they tour throughout the Southwest, their affection turns physically intimate.

Jim, believes that his risky lifestyle precludes the luxury of a wife and family while Jill wants marriage. When Jim's brother Neil "Bud" joins them, he too is immediately attracted to Jill, but respects his brother's relationship; but after another freak accident puts Jim in the hospital for a prolonged convalescence, Jim returns to find them married and in bed together. Angry and bitter, he becomes a soldier of fortune and loses an eye and a leg flying for the Communist rebels in China and Chile.

After a prolonged estrangement, a chastened Jim goes to Cuba to rejoin Bud and Jill but finds his brother's aircraft has gone down in a storm in the Gulf of Mexico. With only a short window of opportunity to save Bud and his passengers, Jim volunteers to go into the storm to save his brother.

After finding the downed aircraft and saving all the passengers, he flies back but a heavy fog comes in and Jim cannot see well enough to land. All the cars in the city then line up in an old airfield, and with the help of their headlights and horns, Jim lands safely. Realizing how much Bud loves Jill, Jim leaves town again, but this time on better terms with his brother.

Cast

Production

Production on Central Airport took place at Wilson Airport and United Airport, Burbank, California. [4] The film showcased a number of contemporary aircraft, all gathered under the direction of noted Hollywood pilot Paul Mantz. [5] The aircraft included:

Aviation film historian Stephen Pendo in From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema (1995), considered that Central Airport "proved to be one of Paul Mantz's most dangerous films." Two crashes punctuated the action and in one of them, Mantz suffered a broken collar bone when he rolled out of a careening aircraft and was struck by the tailwheel. [7]

Reception

Mordaunt Hall in his review of Central Airport for The New York Times , did not see it more than "... a most obvious affair". The only redeeming aspect was an exciting final scene, "This closing sequence, which takes place in Havana waters, is moderately effective, with scores of automobiles all tooting their horns to direct the aviator lost in the supposedly thick fog. [8]

Aviation film historian Michael Paris in Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation (1984), considered Central Airport as "... the first feature to look seriously at civil aviation ... it does show something of the background of the development of air transport and the workings of a busy commercial airport." [9]

Box office

According to Warner Bros, Central Airport earned $393,000 domestically and $354,000 foreign. [1]

Preservation

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Dawn Patrol</i> (1930 film) 1930 film

The Dawn Patrol is a 1930 American pre-Code World War I film starring Richard Barthelmess and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. It was directed by Howard Hawks, a former World War I flight instructor, who even flew in the film as a German pilot in an uncredited role. The Dawn Patrol won the Academy Award for Best Story for John Monk Saunders. It was subsequently remade in 1938 with the same title, and the original was then renamed Flight Commander and released later as part of the Warner Bros. film catalog.

<i>The Last Flight</i> (1931 film) 1931 film

The Last Flight is a 1931 American pre-Code ensemble cast film, starring Richard Barthelmess, David Manners, John Mack Brown and Helen Chandler. It was directed by German filmmaker William Dieterle in his debut as an English-language film director.

<i>Going Wild</i> 1930 film

Going Wild is a 1930 Warner Brothers pre-Code comedy film based on the 1910 play The Aviator by James Montgomery and directed by William A. Seiter. The film stars many musical stars along with Joe E. Brown, Frank McHugh and Johnny Arthur.

<i>Danger Flight</i> 1939 film by Howard Bretherton

Danger Flight is a 1939 American film directed by Howard Bretherton and starring John Trent as Tailspin Tommy Tompkins, Marjorie Reynolds, Milburn Stone and Jason Robards Sr. The film featured young aviation enthusiasts in a model club.

<i>The Air Mail</i> 1925 film by Irvin Willat

The Air Mail is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Irvin Willat and starring Warner Baxter, Billie Dove, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. It was produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures. Filmed in Death Valley National Park and the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada, it was released in the United States on March 16, 1925.

<i>Flying Blind</i> (film) 1941 film by Frank McDonald

Flying Blind is a 1941 American action and comedy film directed by Frank McDonald and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was the second movie from Pine-Thomas Productions. That company's first three films formed an unofficial "aviation trilogy"; all starred Richard Arlen.

<i>Lilac Time</i> (film) 1928 film

Lilac Time is a 1928 American silent romantic war film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Colleen Moore and Gary Cooper. The film is about young American aviators fighting for Britain during World War I who are billeted in a field next to a farmhouse in France. The daughter who lives on the farm meets one of the new aviators who is attracted to her. As the flyers head off on a mission, the young aviator promises to return to her.

<i>Give Us Wings</i> 1940 film by Charles Lamont

Give Us Wings is a 1940 Universal comedic film starring the Dead End Kids and the Little Tough Guys. Several members of the casts of those series were also featured in "The East Side Kids" films.

<i>The Skywayman</i> 1920 film by James P. Hogan

The Skywayman was a 1920 American silent action drama film directed by James P. Hogan and produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. The film starred noted aerial stunt pilot Ormer Locklear and Louise Lovely. After having appeared in The Great Air Robbery (1919), a film that showcased his aerial talents, Locklear, considered the foremost "aviation stunt man in the world", was reluctant to return to the air show circuit. During the production, Locklear and his co-pilot Milton "Skeets" Elliot died after crashing during a night scene. The Skywayman was subsequently released shortly after, capitalizing on their deaths.

<i>The Lost Zeppelin</i> 1929 film

The Lost Zeppelin is a 1929 sound adventure film directed by Edward Sloman and produced and distributed by Tiffany-Stahl. The film stars Conway Tearle, Virginia Valli and Ricardo Cortez.

<i>The Sky Parade</i> 1936 film by Otho Lovering

The Sky Parade is a 1936 American aviation drama film directed by Otho Lovering and written by Arthur J. Beckhard, Robert M. Burtt, Brian Marlow, Wilfred G. Moore and Byron Morgan. Starring Jimmie Allen, William Gargan, Katherine DeMille, Kent Taylor, Grant Withers and Syd Saylor, it was released on April 17, 1936, by Paramount Pictures.

<i>A Hero for a Night</i> 1927 film by William James Craft

A Hero for a Night is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by William James Craft and produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, cashing in on the "Lindy craze", generated by Charles Lindbergh's famous ocean crossing flight. The film stars Glenn Tryon, Patsy Ruth Miller and Burr McIntosh.

<i>20,000 Men a Year</i> 1939 film by Alfred E. Green

20,000 Men a Year is a 1939 American action film directed by Alfred E. Green and written by Lou Breslow and Owen Francis. The film stars Randolph Scott, Preston Foster, Margaret Lindsay, Mary Healy, Robert Shaw, George Ernest, Jane Darwell, Kane Richmond and Maxie Rosenbloom. It was the fourth and last film produced by Cosmopolitan Pictures in its final year of operation.

<i>Captain Swagger</i> 1928 film

Captain Swagger is a 1928 American silent crime drama film directed by Edward H. Griffith and stars Rod La Rocque. The film was produced and distributed by the Pathé Exchange company. Utilizing the RCA Photophone sound-on-film sound system, the film was rereleased in the United States with talking sequences, synchronized music, and sound effects.

Frank Clarke (pilot) Hollywood stunt pilot, actor, and military officer

Frank Clarke was a Hollywood stunt pilot, actor, and military officer. His most prominent role was as Leutnant von Bruen in the 1930 production Hell's Angels, but he flew for the camera and performed stunts in more than a dozen films in the 1930s and 1940s. Clarke was killed in an aircraft crash near Isabella, California, in 1948.

<i>Flying Romeos</i> 1928 film

Flying Romeos is a 1928 American comedy adventure directed by Mervyn LeRoy and written by John McDermott, Sidney Lazarus, Gene Towne and John W. Conway. The film stars the comedy team of Charles Murray and George Sidney, stars of Universal's popular "The Cohens and Kellys" comedies, moonlighting at First National Pictures. Other sidekicks included Fritzi Ridgeway, Lester Bernard, Duke Martin, James Bradbury Jr. and Belle Mitchell. Flying Romeos was released on February 26, 1928, by First National Pictures, typically a B movie studio.

<i>Devils Squadron</i> 1936 film by Erle C. Kenton

Devil's Squadron is a 1936 American drama film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Richard Dix, Karen Morley and Lloyd Nolan. The following written prologue appears after the opening credits: "This picture is dedicated to the test pilots....those men who knowingly face death every time they leave the ground in an untried airplane. We never hear of these men, yet on their courage depends the future of aviation."

<i>War Correspondent</i> (film) 1932 film

War Correspondent is a 1932 American drama film directed by Paul Sloane. The film stars Jack Holt, Ralph Graves and Lila Lee. Although set in war-torn China, War Correspondent was entirely shot in California.

<i>Stunt Pilot</i> 1939 American film

Stunt Pilot is a 1939 American adventure film directed by George Waggner and written by Scott Darling and George Waggner. The film is based on the comic strip Tailspin Tommy by Hal Forrest and Glenn Chaffin. Stunt Pilot stars John Trent, Marjorie Reynolds, Milburn Stone, Jason Robards Sr., Pat O'Malley and George Meeker. Following the success of Mystery Plane (1939), Stunt Pilot, the second in the "Tailspin Tommy" series, was released on July 2, 1939, by Monogram Pictures.

<i>The Sky Spider</i> 1931 film

The Sky Spider is a 1931 American "youth-oriented" adventure film. Directed by Richard Thorpe, the film starred Glenn Tryon, Beryl Mercer, Blanche Mehaffey, Pat O'Malley and newcomer John Trent.

References

Notes

    Citations

    1. 1 2 3 Warner Bros financial information in The William Shaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 13 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551
    2. Farmer 1984, p. 298.
    3. "The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: 'Central Airport' (1933)." afi.com, 2019. Retrieved: June 2, 2019.
    4. Stafford, Jeff. "Articles: 'Central Airport' (1933)." TCM.com, 2019. Retrieved: June 2, 2019.
    5. Wynne 1987, pp. 131–132.
    6. Beck 2016, p. 28.
    7. Pendo 1985, p. 275.
    8. Hall, Mordaunt. "An aviation drama." The New York Times (NYTimes.com), May 4, 1933. Retrieved: June 2, 2019.
    9. Paris 1995, p. 71.
    10. "Catalog of Holdings." The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collection at The Library of Congress. Los Angeles: The American Film Institute, 1978, p. 28.

    Bibliography

    • Beck, Simon D. The Aircraft-Spotter's Film and Television Companion. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company, 2016. ISBN   978-1-4766-2293-4.
    • Farmer, James H. Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1984. ISBN   978-0-83062-374-7.
    • Paris, Michael. From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1995. ISBN   978-0-7190-4074-0.
    • Pendo, Stephen. Aviation in the Cinema. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. ISBN   0-8-1081-746-2.
    • Wynne, H. Hugh. The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. ISBN   0-933126-85-9.