Daredevils of the Clouds

Daredevils of the Clouds
Theatrical poster
Directed byGeorge Blair
Written byRonald Davidson (story)
Norman S. Hall (screenplay)
Produced byStephen Auer
StarringRobert Livingston
Mae Clarke
James Cardwell
CinematographyJohn MacBurnie
Edited byRichard L. Van Enger
Music byMorton Scott
Production
company
Distributed byRepublic Pictures
Release date
  • June 26, 1948 (1948-06-26)
Running time
60 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Daredevils of the Clouds (aka Daredevils of the Sky) is a 1948 American drama film directed by George Blair and produced by Republic Pictures. The film stars Robert Livingston, Mae Clarke and James Cardwell. Daredevils of the Clouds depicts bush pilot flying in northern Canada.[1]

Plot

Trans-Global Airlines president Douglas Harrison (Pierre Watkin) wants to force Terry O'Rourke (Robert Livingston), and his rival Polar Airways out of business. Harrison connives Kay Cameron (Mae Clarke) to infiltrate O'Rourke's Edmonton, Alberta headquarters. Sgt. Dixon (Hugh Prosser) of the Canadian Air Patrol discovers she and Harrison's company pilot, Johnny Martin (James Cardwell), were involved in a scheme to ruin O'Rourke.

Cast

Production

The Capelis XC-12 as a movie prop was used in numerous films including Daredevils of the Clouds.

Under the working title, Daredevils of the Sky, principal photography began in mid-February 1948 at the Republic Pictures Corp. studio and backlots, Los Angeles, California.[2][Note 1]

The Capelis XC-12 was featured as a prop,[3]

Reception

Daredevils of the Clouds, was primarily a B film.[4] Aviation film historian Stephen Pendo characterized the film as "tedious" with the flying scenes, "routine".[5]

Actor-comedian Chris Elliott kept a vintage Daredevils of the Clouds poster in his office when he was a writer on Late Night with David Letterman. It appears as a prop decoration in his first two appearances as "The Guy Under The Seats" on "Late Night" in early 1984.

References

Notes

  1. ^ Daredevils of the Clouds was likely filmed at the RKO Forty Acres backlot, but is not listed in the "known productions".

Citations

  1. ^ Carlson 2012, p. 193.
  2. ^ "Original print information: Daredevils of the Clouds (1948)." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: October 29, 2014.
  3. ^ Farmer 1984, p. 40.
  4. ^ Wynne 1987, p. 172.
  5. ^ Pendo 1985, p. 24.

Bibliography

  • Carlson, Mark. Flying on Film: A Century of Aviation in the Movies, 1912–2012. Duncan, Oklahoma: BearManor Media, 2012. ISBN 978-1-59393-219-0.
  • 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.
  • Hughes, Howard. When Eagles Dared: The Filmgoers' History of World War II. London: I. B. Tauris, 2012. ISBN 978-1-84885-650-9.
  • Pendo, Stephen. Aviation in the Cinema. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. ISBN 0-8-1081-746-2.
  • Wynne, H. Hugh. The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. ISBN 0-933126-85-9.