Dirigible (1931)

Director:

Frank Capra

Writers:

Frank Wead (story)
Jo Swerling (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

4 April 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Plot:

A French explorer enlists the help of the US Navy in an expedition to the South Pole. There is competition...

Plot Keywords:

Expedition | Dirigible | South Pole | U.S. Navy | Pilot

Cast

Jack Holt	...	Jack Bradon
Ralph Graves	...	'Frisky' Pierce
Fay Wray	...	Helen Pierce
Hobart Bosworth	...	Louis Rondelle
Roscoe Karns	...	Sock McGuire
Harold Goodwin	...	Hansen
Clarence Muse	...	Clarence
Emmett Corrigan	...	Rear Adm. John S. Martin (as Emmet Corrigan)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Alexander	...	Radio Operator (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Parade Official (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	...	Admiral's Aide (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson	...	Lt. Rowland (uncredited)
Eddie Kane	...	Lakehurst Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Kenneth MacDonald	...	Lt. Fogarty (uncredited)
Adrian Morris	...	Dirigible 'Los Angeles' Crewman (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Broderick O'Farrell	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Alan Roscoe	...	Commander of U.S.S. Lexington (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Naval Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Frank Capra		(as Frank R. Capra)

Writing credits
Frank Wead		(story) (as Commander Frank Wilber Wead U.S.N.)
Jo Swerling		(adaptation and dialogue)
Dorothy Howell		(continuity)

Produced by
Frank Capra	....	producer (as Frank R. Capra)
Harry Cohn	....	producer (uncredited)
Frank Fouce	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Irving Bibo		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Joseph Walker		(photography)
André Barlatier		(photography) (uncredited)
St. Elmo Boyce		(photography) (uncredited)
Charles Levine		(photography) (uncredited)
George Meehan		(photography) (uncredited)
Victor Scheurich		(photography) (uncredited)
Albert Wetzel		(photography) (uncredited)
Frank Zucker		(photography) (uncredited)

Film Editing by
Maurice Wright
Harry L. Decker		(uncredited)

Production Management
Joe Cooke	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Nelson	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Edward C. Jewell	....	sets (uncredited)
Edward Shulter	....	sets (uncredited)

Sound Department
Edward C. Hahn	....	sound
Edward Bernds	....	sound assistant (uncredited)
John P. Livadary	....	chief sound engineer (uncredited)
Dan Milner	....	sound (uncredited)
Edward Wetzel	....	sound (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
William J. Butler	....	technical effects (as W.J. Butler)
Ned Mann	....	technical effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Elmer Dyer	....	aerial photographer
George Hager	....	assistant grip (uncredited)
Denver Harmon	....	chief electrician (uncredited)

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical arrangement (uncredited)
David Broekman	....	musical arrangement (uncredited)

Other crew
Samuel J. Briskin	....	general studio manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1931) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia Pictures Television Distribution (????) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• U.S. Navy, The  dedicatee: without whose cooperation the production of this picture would not have been possible (as United States Navy)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #1327-R: 29 August 1935 for re-release) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Naval Air Base, Lakehurst, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

This was the first Columbia film to open at the Grauman's Chinese theater in Hollywood, California, a sign that Columbia Pictures was becoming a major studio, mostly due to Frank Capra.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Round About Hollywood (1931)

Soundtrack:

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Standard Storyline But Great Footage for Zeppelin Enthusiasts

A reasonably decent motion picture for its time, the one attribute that makes this film stand out from its standard storyline, is its footage and scenes regarding dirigibles. When this film was released in 1931, it was the golden age of zeppelin travel, and the crash of the Hindenburg, which doomed this type of transportation, was still five years in the future. There were numerous scenes shot at Lakehurst Naval Air station, where ironically the Hindenburg crashed, that was the center of dirigible activity at the time for the U.S. Navy. As someone who is interested in this subject, I found this part of the movie fascinating as well as the part of the story that took you behind the scenes of airship travel and how much danger could be involved. The riveting scene dealing with the crash of a dirigible in a violent storm brought to mind the U.S. Navy zeppelin Akron, launched the same year as this film, which was destroyed in a similar storm only two years later. It was also interesting to see actress Fay Wray two years before she would gain fame with her role in King Kong. I had the opportunity to catch this film recently during an airing on the TCM cable channel and would recommend it for anyone with a similar interest.