Conquest of the Air (1936)

This documentary traces man's attempts to fly from ancient times through the 1930s.

Directors:

Alexander Esway, Zoltan Korda,

Writers:

Peter Bezencenet (commentary), Hugh Gray (commentary),

Stars:

Frederick Culley, Laurence Olivier, Franklin Dyall

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Frederick Culley	...	Roger Bacon
Laurence Olivier	...	Vincent Lunardi
Franklin Dyall	...	Jerome de Ascoli
Henry Victor	...	Otto Lilienthal
Hay Petrie	...	Tiberius Cavallo
John Turnbull	...	Von Zeppelin
Charles Lefeaux	...	Louis Bleriot
Bryan Powley	...	Sir George Cayley
Alan Wheatley	...	Borelli
John Abbott	...	Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier

Storyline

This drama follows man's attempts to fly from ancient times through the first balloons, the Wright Brothers, and other pioneers, using dramatic re-enactment and working models of early flying machines. Beginning with World War I, archival footage is used. Much on mid-1930s commercial aircraft and experimental planes including early helicopters. In conclusion, some sword-rattling appropriate to the opening months of World War II.

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Plot Keywords:

aviation | leonardo da vinci

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 May 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

La conquista dell'aria

Filming Locations:

Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

London Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First Film of Alan Wheatley.

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Goofs

Lilenthal is still breathing when he is discovered 'dead' by his assistant.

User Reviews

A real mixed bag...

NOTE: While the release date on IMDb says it's 1936, there is a problem with this date. The film version I saw went up to 1938. Perhaps more material was added and I watched a re-release. Or, what's more likely is that the 1936 date is an error.

"Conquest of the Air" is a strange film in that there is a lot to admire and a lot to dislike. On the plus side, it's a nice and rather comprehensive review of the history of flight--with a strong emphasis on the botched attempts to fly from the middle ages up to about 1800. There also is a nice bit about ballooning and dirigibles. So, historically speaking, it's a nice educational overview. HOWEVER, while I admire the film in recreating so many nice tableaux, the narration is dreadfully boring and the film often comes off as an awful educational film--the sort they used to bore kids with in the good old days. Surely this could have been made in a more interesting fashion--this coming from a guy who LOVES airplanes and historical films. In addition, there were some curious omissions--such as the deaths of many of the famous people (such as Wilbur Wright during one of his flights). Worth seeing if you adore planes and balloons but not for the easily bored.

By the way, I think if the film had featured less aviators and spent more time on the most important the overall film would have been more interesting and far less episodic.