Central Airport (1933)

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Jack Moffitt (story)
Rian James (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 April 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Aviator Jim Blaine and his brother Neil are rivals not only as daredevil flyers, but also for the love of parachutist Jill Collins. |

Plot Keywords:

Fight | Fog | Air Show | Parachuting | Pilot

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Richard Barthelmess	...	James 'Jim' Blaine
Sally Eilers	...	Jill Collins
Tom Brown	...	Neil 'Bud' Blaine
Grant Mitchell	...	Mr. Blaine
James Murray	...	Eddie Hughes
Claire McDowell	...	Mrs. Blaine
Willard Robertson	...	Havana Airport Manager
Arthur Vinton	...	Amarillo Airport Manager
Charles Sellon	...	Man in Wreck (scenes deleted)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert W. Craig	...	Chef (scenes deleted)
Harold Huber	...	Swarthy Man (scenes deleted)
Milton Kibbee	...	Undetermined Role (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

A note on file in the AMPAS library says that John Vosper replaced Charles Sellon, J. Carrol Naish replaced Harold Huber and Russ Powell replaced Robert W. Craig.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Neil's plane goes down en route from Havana to Mexico City and the radio announcer gives his estimated position as 22°N 88°W. This would be off the Yucatán Peninsula about 400 miles west of Havana, which makes sense. But when Jim and Jill get to the airport, the position marked on the map is south of the Dry Tortugas. This would be about 24°30'N 83°W or about 100 miles north of Havana, and Jim's compass shows him flying north to reach the site.

Soundtrack:

Taps

Airborne Soap

The only real evidence of the directorial touch (often a fist) of Wild Bill Wellman here are the well-done aviation scenes and the sexual tension. As a pre-code entry, Central Airport has a handful of scenes that would undoubtedly be axed a year later--- Dick and Sally canoodle in adjoining hotel rooms without the dubious benefit of marriage and the plot would've probably been reworked. As it goes, it's pure soap involving lost love and a few assorted body parts. Richard Barthemless's career was on the wane by 1933 and it's not hard to tell why. He's stiff and his acting style is far more suitable for silents. With the novelty of talkies wearing off, Central Airport had to be one of Warner's biggest budgeted pictures of the year. It boasts some decent special effects and the crash scenes (and there's more than one) must've been spectacular for depression-era audiences who treated pilots back then like we saw astronauts in the 1960's. Whines: John Wayne's part defines the term 'bit'--- he's barely in the movie and you practically have to keep your eyes peeled to spot him (his other notable 1933 walk-on was in Warner's Babyface, but at least he's given some lines)--- back to the Warner's Lone Star low-budget oaters for him until John Ford decides he deserves another A-picture shot after a decade as a sometimes singin' cowboy. I also spotted WB chorus girl Pat Wing (Gill)(not credited by IMDb) in a crowd sequence standing horrified behind an announcer--- her ravishing sister, Toby is credited as originally being cast but apparently became an editing room casualty. Look for the still-breathing Charles Lane as a radio operator early on (happy 100th Mr. Lane!). I love pre-code talkies... Central Airport is by no means the best of the lot but it has just enough ingredients thrown in to hold your interest. If you want to see a better example of 1933 Wellman, see Wild Boys of the Road.