Stunt Pilot

Stunt Pilot is a 1939 American adventure film directed by George Waggner and written by Scott Darling and George Waggner.[1] The film is based on the comic strip Tailspin Tommy by Hal Forrest and Glenn Chaffin.[2] Stunt Pilot stars John Trent, Marjorie Reynolds, Milburn Stone, Jason Robards Sr., Pat O'Malley and George Meeker.[3] 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.[4]

For general usage of the term "stunt pilot", see Stunt flying.
Stunt Pilot
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGeorge Waggner
Screenplay byScott Darling
George Waggner
Based on
Tailspin Tommy
by
Produced byPaul Malvern
StarringJohn Trent
Marjorie Reynolds
Milburn Stone
Jason Robards Sr.
Pat O'Malley
George Meeker
CinematographyFred Jackman Jr.
Edited byCarl Pierson
Music byFrank Sanucci
Production
company
Distributed byMonogram Pictures
Release date
  • July 2, 1939 (1939-07-02)
Running time
61 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

While working as a stunt pilot for Hollywood director Sheehan, Tailspin Tommy suspects that his aircraft was sabotaged to get authentic crash footage. He quits his job, and Earl Martin, a reckless pilot, replaces Tommy.

After Martin crashes his aircraft while flying with Tommy's sweetheart, Betty Lou Barnes, Tommy becomes enraged. Sheehan, needing a pilot to perform a dangerous dogfight with Martin, convinces Tommy's pal Skeeter to take the job. Skeeter is desperate to raise money to pay for his sister's operation.

Tommy, afraid for his friend's life, kidnaps Skeeter and flies in his place. During the dog fight, Tommy's machine gun is loaded with real bullets, and he shoots down Martin before realizing his gun is not shooting blanks. He is arrested on the charge of murder. Tommy remembers an argument he overheard between Martin and Sheehan, and is sure that the director is behind the murder. He takes off after Sheehan's train.

Meanwhile, the sheriff is after Tommy, until Skeeter finds photographs that show Sheehan replacing the bullets in Tommy's machine gun. Sheehan's train is stopped and the sheriff obtains Sheehan's confession that he killed Martin because the pilot had stolen the affections of his wife and then deserted her.

Cast

Production

Monogram Pictures, with the assistance of Paul Mantz, lined up an impressive number of aircraft to be used in Stunt Pilot:[5]

Principal photography on Stunt Pilot, with stunt flying by Wally West, began on May 20, 1939, at the Metropolitan Airport, Los Angeles.[7] Additional stock footage was obtained from Hell's Angels (1930).[8][N 1]

Reception

Aviation film historian Michael Paris in From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema recognized many "film within a film" elements in Stunt Pilot that would later appear in modern classics such as The Great Waldo Pepper (1975).[10]

References

Notes
  1. John Trent, as LaVerne Browne was a pilot for TWA flying Douglas DC-2s.[9]

Citations
  1. "Catalog: 'Stunt Pilot'." Catalog.afi.com, 2019. Retrieved: July 15, 2019.
  2. Wynne 1987, p. 172.
  3. "Overview: 'Stunt Pilot' (1939)." TCM.com, 2019. Retrieved: July 15, 2019.
  4. Erickson, Hal. "Review: 'Stunt Pilot' (1939)." AllMovie, 2019. Retrieved: July 15, 2019.
  5. Farmer 1984, p. 329.
  6. Santoir, Christian. "Review: 'Stunt Pilot'." Aeromovies, October 22, 2010. Retrieved: July 15, 2019.
  7. "Original print information: 'Stunt Pilot'." TCM, 2019. Retrieved: July 15, 2019.
  8. Pendo 1985, p. 19.
  9. Farmer 1984, p. 130.
  10. Paris 1995, p. 60.

Bibliography
  • 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.
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