The Mysterious Pilot

The Mysterious Pilot

Chapter One poster
Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
Produced by Louis Weiss
Written by George M. Merrick
George Rosener (screenplay)
Based in the novel The Silver Hawk, by William Byron Mowery
Starring Frank Hawks
Music by Abe Meyer (musical director/uncredited)
Cinematography Edward Linden
Herman Schopp B&W
Edited by Earl Turner (film editor)
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release dates
  • December 9, 1937
Running time
 15 chapters (300 min)
Country United States
Language English

The Mysterious Pilot is a 15-episode 1937 Columbia movie serial based on the book by William Byron Mowery and starring the record-breaking aviator Frank Hawks. This was the second serial produced by Columbia.[1]

Plot

Carter Snowden (Kenneth Harlan) about to marry Jean McNain (Dorothy Sebastian), is accused of murder. When his accuser is killed, Jean flees the train she is on, and heads into the Canadian woods. Snowden sends a bodyguard to find Jean, who appeals to Captain Jim Down (Frank Hawks) for help. With his friend "Kansas" (Rex Lease) and Indian Luke (Yakima Canutt), Jim hides Jean.

Snowden tracks down Jean and tries to lure her to his aircraft by telling her that Jim is injured and needs her. As soon as they realize what has happened, Jim and Kansas take to the air and force Snowden's aircraft down. Jean is unhurt but Snowden dies in the crash. Trying to get down to Jean, Jim's parachute gets tangled in the trees and Jean ends up rescuing him.

Chapter titles

  1. The Howl of the Wolf
  2. The Web Tangles
  3. Enemies of the Air
  4. In the Hands of the Law
  5. The Crack-up
  6. The Dark Hour
  7. Wings of Destiny
  8. Battle in the Sky
  1. The Great Flight
  2. Whirlpool of Death
  3. The Haunted Mill
  4. The Lost Trail
  5. The Net Tightens
  6. Vengeance Rides the Airways
  7. Retribution

Source:[2]

Cast

Production

Mysterious Pilot was adapted from the novel "The Silver Hawk" by William Byron Mowery.[3][4] Frank Hawks was billed in Mysterious Pilot as the "Fastest airman in the world."[3] After each episode, Hawks appeared to deliver a "flying lesson". A Sikorsky S-39 amphibian was featured in the serial. [5]

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Weiss and Goodgold 1973, pp. 110–111.
  2. ↑ Cline 1984, p. 213.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harmon and Glut 1973, p. 109.
  4. ↑ Cline 1984, p. 11.
  5. ↑ Farmer 1984, p. 321.

Bibliography

  • Cline, William C. "In Search of Ammunition." In the Nick of Time. New York: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1984. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
  • 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.
  • Harmon, Jim and Donald F. Glut. "Real Life Heroes: Just Strangle the Lion in Your Usual Way". The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury. New York: Routledge Publishing, 1973. ISBN 978-0-7130-0097-9.
  • Weiss, Ken and Ed Goodgold. To be Continued ...: A Complete Guide to Motion Picture Serials. New York: Bonanza Books, 1973. ISBN 0-517-166259.

External links