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sick, but once Elinor convinces him that Lefty never betrayed him, he flies his own solo rescue mission. At the crash site, Roberts dies of his injuries and is cremated by Lefty using their aircraft as a funeral pyre. Panama finds Lefty but is wounded by bandits led by
General Lobo, after his landing. Lefty kills the attacking bandits, takes off, and brings the pair back, putting on an impressive flying display over the base that includes safely landing the aircraft after it loses a wheel. Sometime later, Lefty has won his wings and is now an instructor at the school, married to Elinor. When his wife arrives in their new car, Lefty accidentally pulls away in reverse.
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principal aerial photographer, Elmer Dyer, who filmed from a camera-equipped aircraft, Capra flew alongside in a director's aircraft to coordinate the aerial scenes. Jack Holt who was an accomplished pilot, flew in the film but crashed during one scene. Capra pushed for aerial close-ups and in one scene, wanted Holt to stand up in the cockpit but his parachute had deployed, and he remained seated, causing the scene to be abandoned. Noted Marine Corps exhibition pilots Lts. Bill
Williams and Jerry Jerome were also involved in the production.
490:: "During those all too brief moments when the producer skips away from melodramatic flubdub, tedious romantic passages and slapstick comedy and turns to scenes of airplanes in formation and flying stunts, 'Flight,' a talking film presented last night by Columbia Pictures Corporation at the George M. Cohan and dedicated to the United States Marines, is well worth watching." In a later day review, Alun Evans lumped the film in with similar
288:, Panama arranges for Lefty to accompany him as his mechanic. Panama shows Lefty a photograph of Elinor, the love of his life, not knowing Lefty is in love with her too. When Elinor is sent to Nicaragua, she does not understand the guilt-stricken Lefty's cool reception. When the girl-shy Panama asks Lefty to propose to Elinor on his behalf, Elinor confesses her love for him instead, after which Panama accuses Lefty of betrayal.
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An urgent call for help by a Marine outpost under bandit attack stops any confrontation. Lefty flies as gunner for Steve
Roberts, who makes fun of him about shooting in the right direction. During the mission, their aircraft is shot down in a swamp. Unwilling to join in the rescue, Panama reports in
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A total of 28 aircraft were at Capra's disposal and with the benefit of using actual aircraft, Capra did not have to rely on "process shots" or special effects which was the standard of the day, although dangerous crash scenes and a mass night takeoff were staged using studio miniatures. Along with
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At the time of production, Jack Holt's career with
Columbia Pictures was as a leading man. Capra specifically asked for him to star as the laconic pilot and with the acquiescence of studio head
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Capra also shot on location in La Mesa and
Fallbrook, California, used for the Nicaragua scenes. Although a fictional treatment, the military action depicted in Nicaragua was based on the
273:), and cannot take off, resulting in a crash. Panama rescues Lefty from the burning aircraft, suffering burns to his hands. Lefty is "washed out" by his squadron commander, Major Rowell (
513:(1931) as a trio of military-themed productions. Now available in home video, the film is rarely broadcast as it is considered a minor work in the Capra filmology.
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Holt had asked the prop manager to test the ants' ability to bite and witnessed the alarm when the ants attacked the man. Capra revised the scene accordingly.
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After a famous feud with studio head, Harry Cohn, Holt's career with
Columbia Pictures took a dramatic downturn, as he was reduced to taking secondary roles.
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428:(VMA-231) were featured in the aerial combat sequences. The squadron, along with VO-10M (Marine Observation Squadron 10), also prominently appeared in
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The opening scene where the football star takes off in the wrong direction was based on Capra's recalling a notable incident he witnessed, along with
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On landing, Capra had stormed over to Holt, but realized that the actor would have been in peril if he had followed the direction to stand up.
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was tackled by his own team after picking up a fumble and running toward his own goal line. Footage from the actual game is used.
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Capra readily utilized the machine gun in a fighter-bomber, along with "trippable" bombs that were offered to the production.
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garnered a lukewarm response from critics and did well at the box office. Typical of the reviews was the one appearing in
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On his first attempt at solo flight, however, Lefty is taunted about the football game by fellow recruit Steve
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for the swamp scene became controversial as the ants were capable of biting through the actors' clothing.
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fighter, with Holt stepping from the cockpit. { The flight training sequences were staged using
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The 1929 Rose Bowl is coincidentally notable for having a publicity overflight and
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Lefty is taken to the base hospital, where he falls for Navy nurse Elinor Murray (
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The film's tagline was: "The first all-talking drama of the air will thrill you!"
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is representative of Capra's early period and fits in well with the silent
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Harwick, Jack and Ed
Schnepf. "A Viewer's Guide to Aviation Movies".
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793:. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky, 1992. I
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Columbia
Pictures Movie Series, 1926-1955: The Harry Cohn Years
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763:. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2011.
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Frank Capra, The Name Above the Title: An Autobiography
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on July 16, 1927 when the Marines battled hundreds of
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603:on the first day of its week-long non-stop flight.
863:. Secaucus, New Jersey: The Citadel Press, 1977.
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420:trainers based at San Diego. Nine Marine Corps
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523:List of early sound feature films (1926–1929)
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778:. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1971.
254:. After being treated decently by gruff
838:General Aviation Series, Volume 2, 1989.
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846:Frank Capra: The Catastrophe of Success
836:The Making of the Great Aviation Films,
823:Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books, 2000.
791:Columbia Pictures: Portrait of a Studio
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246:College football player Lefty Phelps (
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304:as Gunnery Sergeant "Panama" Williams
848:. New York: Touchstone Books, 1992.
341:as "Lobo" Sandino, the bandit leader
465:studio boss Harry Cohn, during the
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859:Scherle, Victor and William Levy.
595:demonstration by the experimental
325:as Marine Sergeant, Panama's buddy
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709:Scherle and Levy 1977, pp. 79–80.
631:Scherle and Levy 1977, pp. 78–81.
144:Woolf & Freedman Film Service
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359:as Marine Colonel in Nicaragua
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1535:Films directed by Frank Capra
1151:The Bitter Tea of General Yen
821:Brassey's Guide to War Films.
808:. London: Bison Books, 1985.
640:Scherle and Levy 1977, p. 80.
622:Scherle and Levy 1977, p. 79.
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1550:1920s English-language films
1207:Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
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258:Sergeant "Panama" Williams (
159:September 13, 1929
58:Howard J. Green (uncredited)
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264:Naval Air Station Pensacola
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1199:You Can't Take It with You
426:Marine Attack Squadron 231
316:as Corporal "Lefty" Phelps
236:United States Marine Corps
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861:The Films of Frank Capra
718:Capra 1971, pp. 111–112.
652:Capra 1971, pp. 108–109.
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368:as Major James D. Rowell
1530:Columbia Pictures films
1520:American aviation films
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1390:Two Down and One to Go
1362:Know Your Enemy: Japan
1183:Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1071:The Younger Generation
1055:The Power of the Press
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141:Columbia Pictures (US)
56:Frank Capra (dialogue)
1468:Frank Capra Jr. (son)
1319:The Battle of Britain
1271:Pocketful of Miracles
1231:It's a Wonderful Life
1167:It Happened One Night
1039:The Way of the Strong
806:Hollywood Goes to War
700:McBride 1992, p. 205.
431:Devil Dogs of the Air
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1555:1920s American films
1515:1929 adventure films
1432:Hemo the Magnificent
1343:War Comes to America
1327:The Battle of Russia
1255:Here Comes the Groom
1223:Arsenic and Old Lace
1007:For the Love of Mike
804:Dolan Edward F. Jr.
670:Blottner 2011, p. 7.
406:Naval Base San Diego
167: (New York City)
1441:Rendezvous in Space
1411:The Fallbrook Story
1383:Your Job in Germany
1335:The Battle of China
734:September 14, 1929.
732:The New York Times,
686:Capra 1971, p. 109.
599:aircraft nicknamed
442:Historical accuracy
207:is a 1929 American
1484:(2023 documentary)
1476:(2017 documentary)
1311:Divide and Conquer
1263:A Hole in the Head
1239:State of the Union
1079:The Donovan Affair
1047:Say It with Sables
1015:That Certain Thing
920:at Virtual History
900:TCM Movie Database
746:Evans 2000, p. 71.
487:The New York Times
454:rebels. Importing
418:Consolidated NY-1B
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393:in flight, c. 1929
252:runs the wrong way
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1397:The Negro Soldier
1119:The Miracle Woman
1095:Ladies of Leisure
799:978-0-8131-3019-4
789:Dick, Bernard F.
769:978-0-7864-3353-7
729:"Review: Flight."
661:Dick 1992, p. 78.
507:(1928) and later
337:Jimmy De La Cruze
334:as Football Coach
256:U.S. Marine Corps
222:. The film stars
218:film directed by
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176:Running time
152:Release date
117:Gene Milford
82:Ralph Graves
52:Ralph Graves
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1425:Our Mr. Sun
1354:Other works
1247:Riding High
966:Filmography
955:Frank Capra
471:Roy Riegels
363:Alan Roscoe
275:Alan Roscoe
220:Frank Capra
180:110 minutes
70:Frank Capra
63:Produced by
42:Frank Capra
38:Directed by
1510:1929 films
1504:Categories
999:Long Pants
529:References
452:Sandinista
399:Harry Cohn
382:Production
377:uncredited
163:1929-09-13
123:Production
103:Elmer Dyer
99:Paul Perry
67:Harry Cohn
48:Written by
1135:Forbidden
1111:Dirigible
1063:Submarine
611:Citations
597:Air Corps
510:Dirigible
504:Submarine
477:Reception
456:fire ants
302:Jack Holt
286:Nicaragua
260:Jack Holt
224:Jack Holt
212:adventure
113:Ben Pivar
110:Edited by
79:Jack Holt
16:1929 film
911:AllMovie
517:See also
463:Columbia
434:(1935).
308:Lila Lee
282:Lila Lee
228:Lila Lee
216:aviation
209:pre-Code
193:Language
105:(aerial)
85:Lila Lee
75:Starring
1451:Related
898:at the
196:English
185:Country
161: (
125:company
54:(story)
1346:(1945)
1338:(1944)
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1287:series
1274:(1961)
1266:(1959)
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1087:Flight
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534:Notes
469:when
889:IMDb
865:ISBN
850:ISBN
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780:ISBN
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414:FB-1
408:and
296:Cast
242:Plot
230:and
214:and
146:(UK)
909:at
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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