The Spirit of St. Louis (film)

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The Spirit of St. Louis

Directed by	Billy Wilder
Produced by	Leland Hayward
Written by	Charles Lederer Wendell Mayes Billy Wilder
Starring	James Stewart
Music by	Franz Waxman
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	April 20, 1957
Running time	103 min.
Language	English
Budget	$6 M (US, est.)
IMDb profile

The Spirit of St. Louis is a 1957 biographical film directed by Billy Wilder and starring James Stewart and adapted by Charles Lederer from Charles Lindbergh’s autobiography. The film follows the life and career of Lindbergh, specifically his historic trans-Atlantic flight, and is named for the plane Lindbergh flew.

1 Plot
2 Reception
3 Trivia
4 Cast

[edit] Plot

The film is a biography of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh (based on his autobiography), and follows Lindbergh (James Stewart) through the early days of aviation, when he worked as a mail carrier through his flight to fame. The film especially focuses on his 1927 trans-Atlantic flight from New York to Paris.

[edit] Reception

When released in April 1957, the film was a critical and box-office failure. However, the film was commended for its special effects and James Stewart’s competent performance. At the 1958 Academy Awards, Louis Lichtenfield earned a nomination for Best Effects.

[edit] Trivia

James Dean was scheduled to play the role of Charles Lindbergh but he died in an auto accident before filming began. Dean was 25 years old, the same as Lindbergh was when he made the famous flight across the Atlantic.