Death Flies East

Last updated
Death Flies East
Death Flies East -- poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Phil Rosen
Written by
Produced by Sid Rogell
Starring
CinematographyAllen G. Siegler
Edited by John Rawlins
Production
company
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
February 28, 1935
Running time
65 minutes
CountryUnited States
Language English

Death Flies East is a 1935 American mystery film directed by Phil Rosen and starring Conrad Nagel, Florence Rice and Raymond Walburn. [1] The action takes place on an airline flight with a murderer aboard. [2] The film was an early example of the aviation "disaster film" genre. [3]

Contents

Plot

On a transcontinental flight from California to New York, a police detective (Fred Kelsey), found slumped in his seat is, dead, poisoned. The passengers include Evelyn Vail (Florence Rice), a nurse on parole for a murder she did not commit. The victim had also died of poisoning. The elderly doctor she worked for is still in prison. Evelyn is attempting to clear her name and bring the real killer to trial, a convict on death row at Sing Sing who can confess to the killing, if only she can get there in time.

Another passenger is John Robinson Gordon (Conrad Nagel), a college instructor who becomes involved in Evelyn's plight. He is carrying a secret armament formula to deliver to the Secretary of the Navy in Washington, D.C. He protects the valuable secret formula, clutching a briefcase at all times. John begins to suspect Evelyn but other passengers appear suspicious; who, among the other passengers, is the real murderer?

Cast

Douglas DC-2 De Uiver (1984).jpg
Douglas DC-2

Production

Principal photography on Death Flies East took place from December 27, 1934 to January 15, 1935. [4] American Airlines loaned a Douglas DC-2 airliner that was featured in . Interiors and flight-deck scenes, however, were shot in a studio using a mock-up. [5] [N 1]

Reception

Aviation historian Michael Paris equated Death Flies East as a progenitor of the "disaster film". He wrote, "... the stereotyped collection of passengers, essential in the disaster movie, were first created in the 1930s in films such as Thirteen Hours by Air and Death Flies East. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Julie</i> (1956 film) 1956 film by Andrew L. Stone

Julie is a 1956 American thriller starring Doris Day, Louis Jourdan, Barry Sullivan, and Frank Lovejoy. Produced by Day's own Arwin Productions, it is one of the earliest recognized stalker films. Both written and directed by Andrew L. Stone, the picture received two Academy Award nominations, for Best Original Screenplay and Best Song.

<i>Central Airport</i> (film) 1933 film

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

<i>Sky Patrol</i> 1939 American film

Sky Patrol is a 1939 American film directed by Howard Bretherton and starring John Trent, along with Marjorie Reynolds, Milburn Stone and Jason Robards Sr. The film also featured actor and comedian Jackie Coogan, who began his film career as a child actor in silent films.

<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>The Flight That Disappeared</i> 1961 film by Reginald Le Borg

The Flight That Disappeared is a 1961 American science fiction film, produced by Robert E. Kent, directed by Reginald Le Borg, that stars Craig Hill, Paula Raymond, and Dayton Lummis. The film was released by United Artists.

<i>The Air Legion</i> 1929 film by Bert Glennon

The Air Legion is a 1929 aviation silent film about airmail produced and distributed by Film Booking Offices of America(FBO) and was released just as FBO was being turned into RKO Pictures. In Canada, the film was distributed by the Alliance Communications Corporation. Aviation historian Michael Paris considered the film as "virtually the last silent film" on the topic of airmail flying.

<i>Yukon Flight</i> 1940 film by Ralph Staub

Yukon Flight is a 1940 American Western film directed by Ralph Staub and starring James Newill, Louise Stanley, Dave O'Brien and William Pawley. Released by Monogram Pictures, the film uses a musical/action formula, similar to the format of the "singing cowboy" films of the era.

<i>Little Women</i> (1918 film) 1918 American film

Little Women is a lost 1918 American silent drama film directed by Harley Knoles and written by Anne Maxwell based upon the 1868-69 two-volume novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. The film stars Isabel Lamon, Dorothy Bernard, Lillian Hall, Florence Flinn, and Conrad Nagel. The film was released on November 10, 1918, by Paramount Pictures.

<i>The Doomsday Flight</i> 1966 American TV series or program

The Doomsday Flight is a 1966 American thriller television film written by Rod Serling and directed by William Graham. The cast includes Jack Lord, Edmond O'Brien, Van Johnson, Katherine Crawford, John Saxon, Richard Carlson and Ed Asner. It aired on NBC on December 13, 1966.

<i>Murder in the Air</i> (film) 1940 American film

Murder in the Air is a 1940 American drama film with science fiction elements directed by Lewis Seiler and written by Raymond L. Schrock. The film stars Ronald Reagan, John Litel, Lya Lys, James Stephenson, Eddie Foy, Jr., Robert Warwick and Victor Zimmerman. Murder in the Air was released by Warner Bros. on June 1, 1940.

<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>Fugitive in the Sky</i> 1936 film by Nick Grinde

Fugitive in the Sky is a 1936 American aviation drama film directed by Nick Grinde and written by George Bricker. The stars are Jean Muir, Warren Hull, Gordon Oliver, Carlyle Moore Jr., Howard Phillips, Winifred Shaw and Mary Treen. Fugitive in the Sky was released by Warner Bros. on November 28, 1936, a mere six months after the Paramount Pictures feature, 13 Hours by Air, considered by aviation film historian Michael Paris in From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema (1995), as a virtual "remake" of the earlier film.

<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>The Phantom Flyer</i> 1928 film

The Phantom Flyer is a 1928 American silent Western and aviation film directed by Bruce M. Mitchell and starring Al Wilson, Lillian Gilmore and Buck Connors. The film was produced and distributed by the Universal Pictures. The Phantom Flyer was one of a series of films that showcased the exploits of the stunt pilots in Hollywood.

<i>Thundering Jets</i> 1958 film by Helmut Dantine

Thundering Jets is a 1958 American drama film directed by Helmut Dantine, written by James Landis, and starring Rex Reason, Dick Foran, Audrey Dalton, Barry Coe, and Robert Dix.

<i>Flight Into Nowhere</i> 1938 film directed by Lewis D. Collins

Flight Into Nowhere is a 1938 American adventure film directed by Lewis D. Collins, and produced by Larry Darmour for Columbia Pictures. The film stars Jack Holt, Jacqueline Wells and Dick Purcell. In the low-budget action film, the locale of South America jungles provides an exciting venue for "flyboy" Jack Holt, who is trying to establish a new route for an American airline.

<i>Legion of Lost Flyers</i> 1939 film directed by Christy Cabanne

Legion of Lost Flyers is a 1939 American B movie drama film directed by Christy Cabanne. It stars Richard Arlen, Andy Devine, and Anne Nagel. Legion of Lost Flyers was released by Universal Pictures on November 3, 1939.

<i>Love Takes Flight</i> 1937 film directed by Conrad Nagel

Love Takes Flight is a 1937 American drama film directed by Conrad Nagel and written by Lionel Houser and Mervin J. Houser. The film stars Bruce Cabot, Beatrice Roberts, John Sheehan, Astrid Allwyn, Elliot Fisher and Wild Bill Elliott. The film was released on November 5, 1937, by Grand National Films Inc.

<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>Trapped in the Sky</i> (film) 1939 American film

Trapped in the Sky is a 1939 American thriller film directed by Lewis D. Collins and produced by Larry Darmour for Columbia Pictures. The film stars Jack Holt, Ralph Morgan and Katherine DeMille. Holt is the "flyboy" who is trying to find the saboteurs of a "silent" aircraft. The plot device of a "noiseless" or stealthy aircraft is a familiar theme in aviation films of the period, including The Sky Ranger (1921), The Silent Flier (1926) and Eagle of the Night (1928).

References

Notes

  1. ↑ The Douglas DC-2-120 s/n 1316 (NC14283) was delivered in December 1934, later sold to Indian Airlines and eventually used by the RAF as DG470. [5]

Citations

  1. ↑ Parish 1978, p. 270.
  2. ↑ Details" 'Death Flies East'." AFI (afi.com). Retrieved: May 21, 2019.
  3. ↑ Pendo 1985, p. 15.
  4. ↑ "Original film information: 'Death Flies East'." TCM . Retrieved: May 21. 2019.
  5. 1 2 Beck 2016, p. 73.
  6. ↑ Paris 1995, p. 198.

Bibliography

  • Beck, Simon D. The Aircraft-Spotter's Film and Television Companion. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2016. ISBN   9-781476-663494.
  • 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.
  • Parish, James Robert. Hollywood Character Actors. New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1978. ISBN   978-0-870-00384-4.
  • Pendo, Stephen. Aviation in the Cinema. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. ISBN   0-8-1081-746-2.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.