China Clipper (1936)

Inspired by Lindbergh's flight, Dave Logan sets out with a Washington-Philadelphia airline but suffers financial problems. With flying ace Hap Stuart he tries clipper ships on the Caribbean... See full summary »

Director:

Ray Enright

Writer:

Frank Wead (screen play)

Stars:

Pat O'Brien, Beverly Roberts, Ross Alexander

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pat O'Brien	...	Dave Logan
Beverly Roberts	...	Jean Logan
Ross Alexander	...	Tom Collins
Humphrey Bogart	...	Hap Stuart
Marie Wilson	...	Sunny Avery
Joseph Crehan	...	Jim Horn
Joe King	...	Mr. Pierson (as Joseph King)
Addison Richards	...	Mr. B.C. Hill
Ruth Robinson	...	Mother Brunn
Henry B. Walthall	...	Dad Brunn
Carlyle Moore Jr.	...	Radio Operator on Clipper
Lyle Moraine	...	Co-pilot on Clipper
Dennis Moore	...	Engineer on Clipper
Wayne Morris	...	Navigator on Clipper
Alexander Cross	...	Bill Andrews

Storyline

Inspired by Lindbergh's flight, Dave Logan sets out with a Washington-Philadelphia airline but suffers financial problems. With flying ace Hap Stuart he tries clipper ships on the Caribbean, then aims for the trans-Pacific route. His relentless ambition forces those closest to him to abandon him.

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Plot Keywords:

caribbean | ship | marriage | friendship | florida keys | 

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Taglines:

THRILL TO A NEW TRIUMPH! LOVE SPANS THE PERILOUS PACIFIC! (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Courrier de Chine

Company Credits

Production Co:

First National Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Henry B. Walthall collapsed on the set while filming and died shortly thereafter. The script of the unfinished film was rewritten so that his character would die off-screen, a heart condition having already been established in a previously filmed scene.

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Goofs

The character names of Lyle Moraine and Dennis Moore are switched in the end credits. Moore was the Co-pilot and Moraine the engineer.

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Soundtracks

"The Stars and Stripes Forever"
(1896) (uncredited)
Written by John Philip Sousa
Played at the ceremony before the China Clipper's initial Pacific flight

User Reviews

Enjoyable flight movie

This is basically a thinly disguised bio of Juan Trippe and his early days after founding Pan American Airways. Yet the credits at the beginning disclaim any attachment to a true life story. Well what can you say? Hollywood's been putting those disclaimers on movies since the beginning of films. But the public can, and always does, figure it out. An aviation buff will have a field day pointing out some of the planes that appear in this movie,... a Fokker Trimotor and much stock newsreel footage of the actual Martin Flying Boat "China Clipper" to name a few. The Martin China Clippers of which there were about 4 or 5 ever built flew those pioneering trips to the Orient and an awful long journey it was. This movie re-creates those pioneering days with some great stock footage & some darn good acting. Warners did a number of these aviation flicks in the 30s, 'Devil Dogs of the Air' starring James Cagney comes to mind. But I enjoyed Pat O'Brien(with his wonderful excellerated speech as usual), Humphrey Bogart(marvelous and before all those classics), Marie Wilson, Ross Alexander, Henry B Walthall and silent star Kenneth Harlan who appears early in the film as an airline inspector.