''The Airmail Mystery'' is a 1932

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

Pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

movie serial A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, gene ...

directed by Ray Taylor, written by

Ella O'Neill Mary Ellen Quinlan; known as Ella O'Neill (August 13, 1857 – February 28, 1922) was the mother of playwright Eugene O'Neill and wife of actor James O'Neill. She was the inspiration for many of Eugene O'Neill's stories. Life She was born in Ne ...

, starring James Flavin and Wheeler Oakman, and featuring ( Al Wilson) doing the aerial stunts. ''The Airmail Mystery'' was Universal's first aviation serial that set the pattern for the aviation serials and feature films to follow. The film also marks the film debut of

James Flavin James William Flavin Jr. (May 14, 1906 – April 23, 1976) was an American character actor whose career lasted for nearly half a century. Early life The son of a hotel waiter of Canadian-English descent,Flavin's obituary, distributed by United ...

. ''The Airmail Mystery'' is considered a lost film.

Plot

Airmail pilot Bob Lee (

), owner of a gold mine, faces off against "The Black Hawk" (

Wheeler Oakman Wheeler Oakman (born Vivian Eichelberger; February 21, 1890 – March 19, 1949) was an American film actor. Early years Oakman was born as Vivian Eichelberger in Washington, D.C., and educated in that city's schools. He grew up in Fairfax, Vir ...

) who has kidnapped Jimmy Ross ( Al Wilson), Bob's best friend. The Black Hawk carries out a series of attacks on Bob's ore shipments by air, using an unusual catapult device that launches aircraft into the sky to intercept Bob's aircraft. With his sweetheart, Mary Ross ( Lucile Browne), Bob constantly battles against his enemy, and eventually is able to defeat him.

Chapter titles

# Pirates of the Air # Hovering Death # A Leap for Life # A Fatal Crash # The Hawk Strikes # The Bridge of Destruction # The Hawk's Treachery # The Aerial Third Degree # The Attack on the Mine # The Hawk's Lair # The Law Strikes # The Mail Must Go Through _Source:

Cast

as Bob Lee * Lucile Browne as Mary Ross *

as Judson Ward ("The Black Hawk") *

Frank Hagney Frank Sidney Hagney (20 March 1884 – 25 June 1973) was an Australian actor. He is known for his work on '' It's a Wonderful Life'' (1946), ''Ride Him, Cowboy'' (1932) and '' The Sea Beast'' (1926). Early and career Born in Sydney, New So ...

as Moran *

Sidney Bracey Sidney Bracey (born Sidney Bracy; 18 December 1877 – 5 August 1942) was an Australian-born American actor. After a stage career in Australia, on Broadway and in Britain, he performed in more than 320 films between 1909 and 1942. Early li ...

as Driscoll *

Nelson McDowell Nelson McDowell (August 14, 1870 – November 3, 1947) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 170 films between 1917 and 1945. McDowell was born in Greenville, Missouri. His parents were N. B. McDowell and Anne Hampton. He attend ...

as "Silent" Simms *

Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in '' Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky'' (1938), and '' The Westerner ...

as Holly * Al Wilson as Jimmy Ross * Bruce Mitchell as Capt. Grant * Jack Holley as Andy

Production

Al Wilson (who played the hero's sidekick Jimmy Ross in the serial) worked together with stuntmen like Frank Clarke and Wally Timm and also for movie companies, including

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

. After numerous appearances in stunt roles, he started his actor career in 1923, with the serial, ''The Eagle's Talons''.Wynne 1987, pp. 5–17. He produced his own movies until 1927, when he went back to work with Universal. Wilson was also one of the pilots 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 movies, although he continued to work as an actor."Stunt Pilots."
''Silents are Golden.'' Retrieved: January 16, 2011. Wilson's last role was in ''The Airmail Mystery''. After production was complete, during the National Air Races in Cleveland in 1932, Wilson's aircraft crashed and he died a few days later in hospital due to the injuries he suffered.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Cline, William C. "3. The Six Faces of Adventure";"Filmography". ''In the Nick of Time''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1984. . * Farmer, James H. ''Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation'' (1st ed.). Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB Books 1984. . * Harmon, Jim and Donald F. Glut. ''The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury''. London: Routledge, 1973. . * Weiss, Ken and Ed Goodgold. ''To be Continued ...: A Complete Guide to Motion Picture Serials''. New York: Bonanza Books, 1973. . * Wynne, H. Hugh. ''The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies.'' Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Airmail Mystery, The 1932 films 1932 adventure films 1930s mystery films Universal Pictures film serials American aviation films American mystery films American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Ray Taylor American adventure films Lost adventure films Lost American films 1932 lost films Films with screenplays by George H. Plympton 1930s American films