Flyin' Thru

Flyin' Thru (aka Flying Through) is a 1925 American silent Western and aviation film directed by Bruce M. Mitchell and starring Al Wilson, Elinor Fair, and George B. French. The film was written and produced by Al Wilson.[2] Flyin' Thru was one of a series of films that showcased the exploits of the stunt pilots in Hollywood.[1]

Flyin' Thru
Directed byBruce M. Mitchell
Written byGeorge W. Pyper
Al Wilson (story)
Produced byAl Wilson
StarringAl Wilson
Elinor Fair
George B. French
Production
company
Aywon Film Corporation (Al Wilson Productions)
Distributed bydistributed on State Rights basis by Davis Distributing Division[1]
Release date
  • December 0, 1925 (1925-12-00)
Running time
5 reels
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Plot

Aviator Lt. Al Wilson returns home from World War I combat duty in France to find his father, a cotton farmer, in jail for the murder of neighbour Jud Blair (George B. French). This was a crime actually committed by dancehall proprietor Melvin Parker (Clarence Burton). Al becomes partners with an ex-sergeant he knew in France, and they buy an aircraft with which they go barnstorming around the country, all the while looking for clues to reveal the real murderer.

At a bullfight across the border, Sybil (Fontaine La Rue), Parker's dancehall sweetheart, becomes infatuated with Al and betrays Parker. Parker flees in an automobile, but Al flies after him, leaps from his aircraft into the speeding automobile, and overcomes Parker. His father is set free, and Al weds Ann (Elinor Fair), Blair's daughter, in an aircraft far above the clouds.

Cast

Production

Al Wilson was not only the star of Flyin' Thru but he also wrote and produced as well as flying as a "stunt pilot" in the film.[3] After Wilson became a flying instructor and a short period as manager of the Mercury Aviation Company, founded by one of his students, Cecil B. DeMille, Wilson became more and more skilled in performing stunts, including wing-walking, and left the company to become a professional stunt pilot, specializing in Hollywood aviation films.[4]

Wilson worked together with stuntmen like Frank Tomick, Frank Clarke and Wally Timm and also worked independently for film companies. After numerous appearances in stunt roles, he started his career as an actor in 1923 with the serial The Eagle's Talons.Later in his film career, Wilson worked exclusively with Universal Pictures.[5]

Wilson produced his own movies until 1927, when he went back to work with Universal.[N 1]

Reception

Aviation film historian Stephen Pendo, in Aviation in the Cinema (1985) said Flyin' Thru was only one of a long list of aviation films that showcased Wilson's talents. He alternately wrote, acted and flew in a career that "spanned more than 10 years, and he acted in more films than any other professional pilot."[7]

References

Notes
  1. Wilson was one of the pilots flying in Hell's Angels (1930) and during filming, he was involved in an accident where the mechanic Phil Jones died. This episode marked the end of his career as stunt pilot in Hollywood.[6]

Citations
  1. "Data: 'Flyin' Thru'." silentera.com, 2019. Retrieved: June 21, 2019.
  2. "Overview:'Flyin' Thru'." TCM, 2019. Retrieved: June 21, 2019.
  3. Wynne 1987, p. 39.
  4. Wynne 1987, pp. 16–17.
  5. Wynne 1987, pp. 5–17.
  6. "Stunt Pilots." Silents are Golden. Retrieved: June 21, 2019.
  7. Pendo 1985, p. 7.

Bibliography
  • 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 978-0-93312-685-5.
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