''Flying Blind'' is a 1941 American

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

and

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Frank McDonald"Credits: 'Flying Blind!"
''

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasti ...

'' (

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(

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), September 14, 2016. and distributed by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

. The film was the second movie from

Pine-Thomas Productions Pine-Thomas Productions was a prolific B-picture unit of Paramount Pictures from 1940–1957, producing 81 films. Co-producers William H. Pine (February 15, 1896 – April 29, 1955) and William C. Thomas (August 11, 1903 – April 2, 1984) were kno ...

. That company's first three films formed an unofficial "aviation trilogy"; all starred

Richard Arlen Richard Arlen (born Sylvanus Richard Mattimore, September 1, 1899 – March 28, 1976) was an American actor of film and television. Biography Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Arlen attended the University of Pennsylvania. He served in Canada as a ...

Plot

After being fired for taking the blame for his co-pilot's incompetence, airline pilot Jim Clark (

) starts his own airline, Honeymoon Air, flying for weddings and divorces between Los Angeles and Las Vegas/Reno. He brings stewardess Shirley Brooks (

Jean Parker Jean Parker (born Lois May Green; August 11, 1915 – November 30, 2005) was an American film and stage actress. A native of Montana, indigent during the Great Depression, she was adopted by a family in Pasadena, California at age ten. She in ...

) with him as a partner. Jim is in love with Shirley, but has not asked her yet because of all the work in starting the new business. Shirley mistakes this for a lack of interest. Tired of waiting, she becomes engaged to another pilot, Bob Fuller (Dick Purcell). Jim is upset and arranges for Bob to go to Hackensack, New Jersey, for a phoney job just to get him out of the way and prevent Shirley from marrying him. Next, Jim and Shirley fly to Las Vegas with two newlywed couples: Veronica (Marie Wilson) and Chester Gimble (

Grady Sutton Grady Harwell Sutton (April 5, 1906 – September 17, 1995) was an American film and television character actor from the 1920s to the 1970s. He appeared in more than 180 films. Early years Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sutton was raised ...

), and Danila (

Kay Sutton Katherine Warburton "Kay" Sutton (June 14, 1915 – March 1, 1988) was an American actress. Personal life Sutton was married four times, Frederick Moulton Alger, Dan Topping (his fourth marriage), Clifton Stokes Weaver and Edward Cronjager. ...

) and Eric Karolek (

Nils Asther Nils Anton Alfhild Asther (17 January 1897 – 19 October 1981)Swedi ...

) (in reality, a spy named Colonel Boro). Joining them is their mechanic, Riley (

Eddie Quillan Edward Quillan (March 31, 1907 – July 19, 1990) was an American film actor and singer whose career began as a child on the vaudeville stages and silent film and continued through the age of television in the 1980s. Vaudeville and silent fi ...

), who is expecting to become a father any day. Jim is unaware that the Karolek couple are spies who work for Rocky Drake (

Roger Pryor Roger Atkinson Pryor (July 19, 1828 – March 14, 1919) was a Virginian newspaper editor and politician who became known for his fiery oratory in favor of secession; he was elected both to national and Confederate office, and served as a gen ...

), attempting to steal a transformer used for a top-secret XB-62 bomber prototype. While the others are off celebrating, Drake meets his contact, gets the transformer and kills the man delivering it. Drake talks his way onto Jim's aircraft, flying back to Los Angeles. When Jim learns from the tower that Drake is wanted, he tries to turn the aircraft back to turn him into the police, but Drake forces him to continue. They fight over control of the aircraft. Shirley, not realizing it is for real, gives Drake's gun to Eric Karolek, who forces Jim to fly towards Mexico. On the way, the aircraft passes through a storm and starts shaking violently, causing an Allison V-12 engine block Drake brought aboard, to break loose, smashing instruments and engine controls inside the cockpit. Even with his engines shut down, Jim manages to land in the mountains. While Jim and Drake try to repair the aircraft, Chester Gimble starts a signal fire, but in the dry brush it leads to a larger, uncontrolled fire. The fire comes closer and threatens them all, but soon the aircraft is ready to fly. Drake and the Karoleks try to commandeer the flight and a struggle ensues. In the end, Riley shoots and kills Drake. They all board the aircraft and Jim is able to take off. Jim flies back to Las Vegas just in time to get the transformer back in place in the bomber before its test flight. Jim is the hero of the day, and he and Shirley go back to Los Angeles. When Bob comes back from New Jersey, upset because of the stunt Jim pulled on him, Shirley informs him that their engagement is off and that she instead plans to marry Jim.

Cast

as Jim Clark *

as Shirley Brooks *

Nils Asther Nils Anton Alfhild Asther (17 January 1897 – 19 October 1981)Swedi ...

as Eric Karolek/Colonel Boro * Marie Wilson as Veronica Gimble *

as Rocky Drake *

as Riley *

Dick Purcell Richard Gerold Purcell Jr. (August 6, 1905 – April 10, 1944) was an American actor best known for playing Marvel Comics' Captain America in the 1943 film serial, co-starring with Lorna Gray and Lionel Atwill. Purcell also appeared in fil ...

as Bob Fuller *

as Chester Gimble *

as Miss Danila *

Charlotte Henry Charlotte Virginia Henry (March 3, 1914 – April 11, 1980) was an American actress who is best remembered for her roles in '' Alice in Wonderland'' (1933) and '' Babes in Toyland'' (1934). She also starred in the Frank Buck serial ''Jun ...

as Corenson's Secretary * William Hall as Lew West *

Dwight Frye Dwight Iliff Frye (born Fry; February 22, 1899 – November 7, 1943) was an American character actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his portrayals of neurotic, murderous villains in several classic Universal horror films, such as R ...

as Leo Qualen *

James Seay James Seay (September 9, 1914 – October 10, 1992) was an American character actor who often played minor supporting roles as government officials. Early years Seay demonstrated an interest in acting at an early age, as he and his mothe ...

as Dispatcher

Production

''Flying Blind'' was the third film from William Pine and William C. Thomas, former press agents turned movie producers. They wanted to make lower-budgeted action films and teamed with Richard Arlen, who was known for aviation movies and who ran an aviation school. Pine and Thomas selected three titles, '' Power Dive'', ''Forced Landing'' and ''Flying Blind'', and wrote scripts around them. They went to Paramount and said they had a star and three scripts and asked for a distribution deal. Paramount agreed, enabling Pine and Thomas to get loans from the bank to finance the films, all of which starred Arlen and were written by Maxwell Shane.Van Atta, Burr. "William Thomas, 80; Producer of low-budget '40s action films." ''Philadelphia Inquirer'', April 6, 1984, p. E.2. The female lead, Jean Parker, was in ''Power Dive'' and would be in many Pine-Thomas Films. Casting was set in May1941. Principal photography for ''Flying Blind'' took place from mid-June to early July 1941 at the Fine Arts Studios, Hollywood, California, and the Alhambra and Rosemead, California airports.Farmer 1984, p. 136. Stock footage was used of a

Boeing 247 The Boeing Model 247 is an early United States airliner, and one of the first such aircraft to incorporate advances such as all-metal (Anodizing#Anodized aluminium, anodized aluminum) semimonocoque construction, a fully Cantilever#Aircraft, cant ...

and a

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...

airliner with other flying scenes using a Lockheed 12A Junior Electra. Various light aircraft, including Arlen's Luscombe, were visible in the airport scenes, while

Northrop A-17 The Northrop A-17, a development of the Northrop Gamma 2F model, was a two-seat, single-engine, monoplane, attack bomber built in 1935 by the Northrop Corporation for the United States Army Air Corps. When in British Commonwealth service during W ...

bombers are at the military airport.

Reception

All three films including ''Flying Blind'' cost under $90,000 and returned six times its negative cost. Paramount was so pleased with these results that it offered to finance the duo's films from then on."Those two Bills, Pine and Thomas, turn short-coin pix into bonanzas."
''Variety'', July 7, 1943, p. 2. ''Flying Blind'' was another in the series of

B film A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

s churned out by the Pine-Thomas team. Along with flying scenes, the use of zany characters and slapstick efforts were juxtaposed with a spy story, as evidenced by the original tagline: "A plane-load of thrills ... as two lovers battle spies in the skies!" The film's villain was Swedish-born Nils Asther, who was featured in three war adventures put out by William H. Pine and William C. Thomas. The review in ''Los Angeles Times'' of ''Flying Blind'' said, "it trips over its own frenzy.""Two Pell-Mellerdramas and revue hit Paramount." ''Los Angeles Times'', September 19, 1941, p. A12.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Dwiggins, Don. ''Hollywood Pilot: The Biography of Paul Mantz'' (1st ed.). New York: Doubleday 1967. ASIN B0006BQD22. * Farmer, James H. ''Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation'' (1st ed.). Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB Books 1984. . * Wynne, H. Hugh. ''The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies''. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. .

External links

* * *
Review of movie
at ''Variety'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Flying Blind 1941 films 1941 comedy-drama films American spy comedy films American aviation films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films Films scored by Dimitri Tiomkin Films directed by Frank McDonald Films set in the Las Vegas Valley Paramount Pictures films American action drama films American action comedy films 1940s action comedy films 1940s spy comedy films 1940s American films