Emergency Landing, a film I saw under the title Robot Pilot, is essentially a romantic comedy disguised by a story of war production of planes, an invention of a new navigational remote control system, and foreign spies and intrigue. Forrest Tucker , a very young Forrest Tucker, plays Jerry Barton, a pilot trying to convince a big airplane producer to see his friend's navigational remote control system. The test fails and Barton goes home with Doc - only to soon both become "wardens" to the pretty daughter of the fly tycoon and his sister Aunt Maude - for their complicity in stealing gasoline. You get then a bunch of scenes of the two- Tucker and the spoiled brat Carol Hughes fighting against each other only to fall in love and the same for Maude and the inventive Doc. As far as romantic comedies made on the real cheap, you could do far worse. Director William "One Shot" Beaudine has some skill with the camera and all of the actors are engaging - something you seldom see in these kind of movies. Tucker is amiable if nothing else, Hughes does a believable job, Emmett Vogan plays his part as Doc with great gusto, and Evelyn Brent does the best job as Aunt Maude with great style and a wonderful sense of humour. Even the worst actor, Thornton Edwards playing Pedro - a Mexican stereotype that would have every civil liberties group out against you today, has moments that are funny. The real problem with this film is that is is advertising to be what it is obviously not - a spy thriller or war picture or science fiction film even. It really is nothing close to any of those things. It is a simple little comedy that is cheaply made and has some good scenes working with the materials at hand. I was entertained at the very least although I was expecting something else. A minor bonus: Midget extraordinare Billy Curtis makes a brief cameo as a hard-dealing, justice-giving judge of the West. Funny and cute!
11 Reviews
Silly and Unbelievable
Hitchcoc10 April 2007
There is little to recommend this. It's a silly tale of some people trying to develop a remote control plane to be used in war. Most of it is a meaningless romance where spoiled people are holed up in the desert. One is trying to teach the others a lesson. Some gasoline is stolen, some bad guys come to mess things up, but mostly not a thing happens. There is a lot of screaming and pratfalls. The main character is pretty tiresome. The joke goes on and on and on. The plane, which should be the star of the show, is practically non-existent. It would be interesting to see what technology there was at the time. I'm sure the truth of that question would be much more interesting than anything that happens in this film.
Pretty craptastic....or is 'craptacular' the proper word for this film?!
planktonrules4 August 2011
While you cannot blame the original film makers, the DVD copy of "Emergency Landing" was VERY rough--with a lot of choppy scenes and a scratchy print. I sure that looks like it comes from a '20 Movie Pack' for $5 by Mill Creek--which it did.
A very young and inexperienced Forrest Tucker stars in this film. While he later became a good supporting character playing various tough or gruff roles, here he just looks young and lost. I think casting him as the handsome hero was a bit of a mistake and Tucker's personality in the film does nothing to sell the material.
The film is about a radio control device for airplanes. I loved the crappy special effects when they tried it out on a model plane, as the plane made completely impossible turns and it made it obvious that it was on a wire. Well, apparently the US Army Air Corps is not the only group who want this ridiculous machine and 'the enemy' have sent out spies to steal it. Since the film came out just before the US entered WWII and this studio was afraid to make waves, they just used generic baddies and made them neither German nor Japanese.
There is a guy named 'Pedro' in the film who superficially looks a lot like Leo Carillo's 'Pancho' from "The Cisco Kid"--but Pedro is played in a much broader and cheesier manner. He's like a walking bad stereotype of a 1940s Mexican. I am sure many will cringe when they watch his antics. And, they might cringe when a lady automatically calls Pedro by name. He is surprised she knows his name and she responds "...every Mexican is named Pedro...or Pancho". Wow...how enlightened! But unfortunately, the non-Mexican characters aren't a lot better. Women whine, act petulant and cry, guys stare as if they can't stand the studio lights and the actors look mostly like they're in a high school play.
The bottom line is that the film is bad--really bad. The script, editing, direction by William Beaudine and acting are all uniformly bad. And, unfortunately, while the film is about spies, it's amazingly stiff and dull.
A very young and inexperienced Forrest Tucker stars in this film. While he later became a good supporting character playing various tough or gruff roles, here he just looks young and lost. I think casting him as the handsome hero was a bit of a mistake and Tucker's personality in the film does nothing to sell the material.
The film is about a radio control device for airplanes. I loved the crappy special effects when they tried it out on a model plane, as the plane made completely impossible turns and it made it obvious that it was on a wire. Well, apparently the US Army Air Corps is not the only group who want this ridiculous machine and 'the enemy' have sent out spies to steal it. Since the film came out just before the US entered WWII and this studio was afraid to make waves, they just used generic baddies and made them neither German nor Japanese.
There is a guy named 'Pedro' in the film who superficially looks a lot like Leo Carillo's 'Pancho' from "The Cisco Kid"--but Pedro is played in a much broader and cheesier manner. He's like a walking bad stereotype of a 1940s Mexican. I am sure many will cringe when they watch his antics. And, they might cringe when a lady automatically calls Pedro by name. He is surprised she knows his name and she responds "...every Mexican is named Pedro...or Pancho". Wow...how enlightened! But unfortunately, the non-Mexican characters aren't a lot better. Women whine, act petulant and cry, guys stare as if they can't stand the studio lights and the actors look mostly like they're in a high school play.
The bottom line is that the film is bad--really bad. The script, editing, direction by William Beaudine and acting are all uniformly bad. And, unfortunately, while the film is about spies, it's amazingly stiff and dull.
Emmett Vogan has more frames in this one than in all his 800-other films combined.
horn-56 December 2005
Because of a back-log of war orders, the Lambert Airplane factory is unable to try-out the robot-controlled plane developed by test pilot Jerry Barton (Forrest Tucker) and weather bureau observer, "Doc" Williams (Emmett Vogan). The pair lie in wait for factory owner George B. Lambert (William Halligan)while he is playing golf with his spoiled débutant daughter, Betty (Carol Hughes), and send up their radio-controlled model where Lambert cannot fail to notice it. But Jerry sets the model down in a pool of water and douses Betty, in a P.R.C. version of a "cute meeting." Hey, M-G-M has some cute meetings worse than this one, none which provided a lobby card showing skin-up-past the skivvies. In the scene, Carol Hughes is playing golf wearing a short white skirt---real, real short---and Forrest Tucker has picked her up...and the skirt has risen and there is a shot showing most of the bottom half of Miss Hughes' fancy panties and very shapely rear end. The still photographer caught it, and it was used as in inset on the one-sheet poster, the press book cover and on the Title Card of the 12x14 lobby card set, and also as a full scene on the 8th card of the set. The Breen Office also caught it, and P.R.C. had to hire an artist to come in and draw a white skirt extending well past Miss Hughes knees, and that is what is currently shown on the one-sheet, the press book cover and the 12x14 title card. But the Breen censor must have missed seeing lobby card number eight in the set, and Miss Hughes is still shown on it in all of her well-dimpled glory. And a mighty nice card it is. No, of course it's not for sale.
Anyway, old dad Lambert authorizes Jerry and Doc to test their remote-controlled robot pilot on one of his planes for the Army. Jerry flies the plane up, bails out and Doc is to land the plane using his remote control box. But foreign agents, wishing to hamper the development of the robot pilot, have tampered with the controls, and Doc is unable to pull the plane out of a spin, and it crashes. Lambert fires Jerry and he and Doc return to the remote weather outpost to do more work on their invention.
Cute Meeting number Two occurs when Betty, on her way to Hollywood to be a movie star, is driving across the desert with her Aunt Maude (Evelyn Brent) and runs out of gas,and Betty borrows some gas belonging to the U.S. government, and is caught by Jerry. He decides to place her under arrest, pending the arrival, in a week's time, of the U.S. Marshal. But, alas, nothing happens in this scene to incur the wrath of the Breen office, unless they made Martin Mooney write in Aunt Maude to ensure Betty and Jerry would have a full-time chaperon for the week, although Evelyn Brent is not the run-of-the-mill chaperon type. Patsy Kelly or Mary Treen must have been unavailable...thank goodness.
Anyway, Jerry makes Betty and Aunt Maude do housework and chores, and seeing any character played by Evelyn Brent doing housework is, if not cute, unique. And the spies steal a plane, crash in the desert, show up and make some trouble, and try to get away in a car in which Betty and Aunt Maude are hiding in the trunk and some more stuff.
Anyway, old dad Lambert authorizes Jerry and Doc to test their remote-controlled robot pilot on one of his planes for the Army. Jerry flies the plane up, bails out and Doc is to land the plane using his remote control box. But foreign agents, wishing to hamper the development of the robot pilot, have tampered with the controls, and Doc is unable to pull the plane out of a spin, and it crashes. Lambert fires Jerry and he and Doc return to the remote weather outpost to do more work on their invention.
Cute Meeting number Two occurs when Betty, on her way to Hollywood to be a movie star, is driving across the desert with her Aunt Maude (Evelyn Brent) and runs out of gas,and Betty borrows some gas belonging to the U.S. government, and is caught by Jerry. He decides to place her under arrest, pending the arrival, in a week's time, of the U.S. Marshal. But, alas, nothing happens in this scene to incur the wrath of the Breen office, unless they made Martin Mooney write in Aunt Maude to ensure Betty and Jerry would have a full-time chaperon for the week, although Evelyn Brent is not the run-of-the-mill chaperon type. Patsy Kelly or Mary Treen must have been unavailable...thank goodness.
Anyway, Jerry makes Betty and Aunt Maude do housework and chores, and seeing any character played by Evelyn Brent doing housework is, if not cute, unique. And the spies steal a plane, crash in the desert, show up and make some trouble, and try to get away in a car in which Betty and Aunt Maude are hiding in the trunk and some more stuff.
"Aw, now don't tell me you fell out of that little old plane this time."
classicsoncall25 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
"Robot Pilot" starts out like it might be positioning itself as an espionage thriller, but unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your disposition), never even comes close. There are probably more comic elements present than might have been originally intended, so if you approach the flick as a romantic comedy, you might be more pleasantly surprised. Even so, you'll have to endure some pretty stiff acting from then newcomer Forrest Tucker in the lead role of Jerry Barton, a pilot who's half of a team that's developed a remote control device for guiding aircraft. The first attempt at showcasing the new technology for the Lambert Aircraft Company ends in a nosedive, so with Jerry and Doc Williams (Emmett Vogan) sent off packing, they arrive at their desert cabin to start all over again.
Most of the rest of the story consists of Barton teaching the women a lesson after catching them with some gasoline taken from a government fuel shed. Make that teaching Betty Lambert (Carol Hughes) a lesson, as her Aunt Maude (Evelyn Brent) eventually learns that Barton is in cahoots with Betty's father to take the wind out of her sails. Throughout the story, it appears that Aunt Maude is having the best time of it all, while casting a romantic eye in the direction of good old Doc.
The espionage angle is brought back to the forefront when a Lambert test bomber is hijacked by veteran character actor I. Stanford Jolley. That plane crashes, but it brings Jolley hobbling along until he arrives at Doc's remote cabin. Think about it for a moment, and I know these old films relied on this kind of coincidence, but how is it that Betty and Maude, and then Lambert employee Karl (Jolley), make their way clear across the country from 'back East', and wind up virtually within a mile or two of a remote cabin in a desert, which just happens to be where former Lambert employee Barton is holed up with his partner. Sort of defies all the laws of probability, yet it happens all the time in flicks of the era.
I guess that's why the presence of Billy Curtis in the finale is so surprising and bewildering. As the traveling midget circuit Judge, Curtis slaps the girls with a twenty dollar fine for 'stealing' twenty gallons of gasoline, prompting Aunt Maude to directly deadpan the camera - "Did you see what I saw?" I think it might have been just another way of asking the viewer what they thought of the picture.
Most of the rest of the story consists of Barton teaching the women a lesson after catching them with some gasoline taken from a government fuel shed. Make that teaching Betty Lambert (Carol Hughes) a lesson, as her Aunt Maude (Evelyn Brent) eventually learns that Barton is in cahoots with Betty's father to take the wind out of her sails. Throughout the story, it appears that Aunt Maude is having the best time of it all, while casting a romantic eye in the direction of good old Doc.
The espionage angle is brought back to the forefront when a Lambert test bomber is hijacked by veteran character actor I. Stanford Jolley. That plane crashes, but it brings Jolley hobbling along until he arrives at Doc's remote cabin. Think about it for a moment, and I know these old films relied on this kind of coincidence, but how is it that Betty and Maude, and then Lambert employee Karl (Jolley), make their way clear across the country from 'back East', and wind up virtually within a mile or two of a remote cabin in a desert, which just happens to be where former Lambert employee Barton is holed up with his partner. Sort of defies all the laws of probability, yet it happens all the time in flicks of the era.
I guess that's why the presence of Billy Curtis in the finale is so surprising and bewildering. As the traveling midget circuit Judge, Curtis slaps the girls with a twenty dollar fine for 'stealing' twenty gallons of gasoline, prompting Aunt Maude to directly deadpan the camera - "Did you see what I saw?" I think it might have been just another way of asking the viewer what they thought of the picture.
Steer Clear
wes-connors28 June 2008
"A test pilot and his weather observer partner are trying to develop a robot-controlled plane they hope their employer can sell to the army. Foreign agents learn of their work and sabotage the plane, hoping to stop the inventors and allowing the spies to steal the invention. Our inventors hope to thwart the plans of the spies and deliver the robot plane to the army, thus saving the country," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.
After making an impression in 1940's popular "The Westerner", young Forrest Tucker (as Jerry Barton) is piloted into a starring programmer role. "Emergency Landing" (inappropriately re-titled "Robot Pilot") is an unimpressive vehicle for Mr. Tucker, who would find later success in television's "F Troop". Listen for an amusing exchange between leading lady Carol Hughes (as Betty Lambert) and aunt Evelyn Brent (as Maude Marshall): on their way to tinsel town, Ms. Brent wonders what she will do in Hollywood. Ms. Hughes replies, "Barrymore is single again." Brent appeared with John Barrymore in "Raffles" (1917) and "Night Club Scandal" (1937); indeed, he had just received his fourth divorce.
After making an impression in 1940's popular "The Westerner", young Forrest Tucker (as Jerry Barton) is piloted into a starring programmer role. "Emergency Landing" (inappropriately re-titled "Robot Pilot") is an unimpressive vehicle for Mr. Tucker, who would find later success in television's "F Troop". Listen for an amusing exchange between leading lady Carol Hughes (as Betty Lambert) and aunt Evelyn Brent (as Maude Marshall): on their way to tinsel town, Ms. Brent wonders what she will do in Hollywood. Ms. Hughes replies, "Barrymore is single again." Brent appeared with John Barrymore in "Raffles" (1917) and "Night Club Scandal" (1937); indeed, he had just received his fourth divorce.
Jesus Christ!
Bezenby22 October 2014
Let's not beat around the bush here. This film is chronic. Basically an inventor has invented a plane that can be controlled remotely and wants to sell it to some big wig with the help of his eight foot tall buddy, probably named buddy.
Basically, there's a point in this when you realise that absolutely nothing is going to happen for the duration of this film except romantic misunderstandings, a crappy battle of the sexes, some slapstick and a healthy dose of racism. Not much action until the last few minutes.
Jesus. Only saved from getting a one from the random appearance of Jimmy Krankie at the end.
Basically, there's a point in this when you realise that absolutely nothing is going to happen for the duration of this film except romantic misunderstandings, a crappy battle of the sexes, some slapstick and a healthy dose of racism. Not much action until the last few minutes.
Jesus. Only saved from getting a one from the random appearance of Jimmy Krankie at the end.
AKA Robot Pilot
BandSAboutMovies17 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
William Beaudine made movies in almost every genre and not only that, he made tons of them. His career started in 1909 and ended in 1966 with Billy the Kid Versus Dracula and Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter. He made 75 movies in the forties and Emergency Landing also known as Robot Pilot is one of seven he made in 1941. His nickname? "One Shot" because that's all he ever used, hurrying to get movies finished and out of the way.
"Doc" Williams (Emmett Vogan) has invented a wireless remote control airplane, but he and his pilot friend Jerry Barton (Forrest Tucker) have difficulty selling it, even to Jerry's aircraft industry boss George Lambert (William Halligan). Meanwhile, two enemy agents plan on stealing that invention and oh yeah, don't forget the screwball comedy with George's spoiled daughter Betty (Carol Hughes, who plays Dale Arden in the Flash Gordon serials).
There's also a role for Billy Curtis as Judge Gildersleeve. Curtis was the Muchkin city father in The Wizard of Oz, as well as roles in Gorilla at Large, Gog, High Plains Drifter and Eating Raoul over his fifty year career.
This played on TV as early as 1945, making it one of the first films to play on that new at the time invention.
"Doc" Williams (Emmett Vogan) has invented a wireless remote control airplane, but he and his pilot friend Jerry Barton (Forrest Tucker) have difficulty selling it, even to Jerry's aircraft industry boss George Lambert (William Halligan). Meanwhile, two enemy agents plan on stealing that invention and oh yeah, don't forget the screwball comedy with George's spoiled daughter Betty (Carol Hughes, who plays Dale Arden in the Flash Gordon serials).
There's also a role for Billy Curtis as Judge Gildersleeve. Curtis was the Muchkin city father in The Wizard of Oz, as well as roles in Gorilla at Large, Gog, High Plains Drifter and Eating Raoul over his fifty year career.
This played on TV as early as 1945, making it one of the first films to play on that new at the time invention.
Overcomes its slow start to be a very satisfying, albeit dated, action-comedy!
talisencrw14 April 2016
Though I greatly dislike dogs (I'm a cat person), I have always admired their loyalty--definitely an underrated trait in the fickle, Johnny-come-lately environment of 2016 society. This film (which was titled 'Robot Pilot' in my Mill Creek 50-pack called 'Nightmare Worlds') started rather slowly, and I didn't think I was going to end up liking it. Though director Beaudine had made a ton of films (he has over 370 directing credits on IMDb), I had only previously seen his 'The Old Fashioned Way', from 1934 and starring W.C. Fields, which I had absolutely loved. So I was patient with it, even though Thornton Edwards' character 'Pedro' was crassly demeaning to Mexicans, and many early sequences that featured him were glaringly awful. I had also loved Evelyn Brent, who had IMHO been an outstandingly sexy and provocative presence in two of Josef von Sternberg's silent masterpieces ('Underworld' and 'The Last Command'), and it intrigued me to see her this much after those glory days.
I am glad that I stuck with the film. The last two-thirds more than made up for the picture's slow start, and ended up combining a then-topical plot line of enemy foreign agents stealing an experimental plane with a fun, enjoyable and entertainingly comical subplot 'morality tale' of the airplane manufacturer's spoiled daughter being made a prisoner for stealing gasoline and getting her comeuppance. Beaudine's taut direction cleverly brought together the disparate threads into a satisfying whole--and the hilarious ending made my belly ache from laughter. If you can handle B-pictures from the 30's and 40's and the aforementioned slow start, it's well worth your time and you won't be disappointed.
I am glad that I stuck with the film. The last two-thirds more than made up for the picture's slow start, and ended up combining a then-topical plot line of enemy foreign agents stealing an experimental plane with a fun, enjoyable and entertainingly comical subplot 'morality tale' of the airplane manufacturer's spoiled daughter being made a prisoner for stealing gasoline and getting her comeuppance. Beaudine's taut direction cleverly brought together the disparate threads into a satisfying whole--and the hilarious ending made my belly ache from laughter. If you can handle B-pictures from the 30's and 40's and the aforementioned slow start, it's well worth your time and you won't be disappointed.
Tuck in with Tucker!
JohnHowardReid14 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Forrest Tucker (Jerry Barton), Carol Hughes (Betty Lambert), Evelyn Brent (Maude Lambert), Emmett Vogan (Doc Hughes), William Halligan (George P. Lambert), George Sherwood (Jones), Thornton Edwards (Pedro), I. Stanford Jolley (Karl), Stanley Price (Otto), Budd Buster (Pappy Clayton), Paul Scott (Colonel Lemon), Jack Lescoulie (Captain North), Billy Curtis (Judge Gildersleeve), Joe Hartman (would-be helper).
Director: WILLIAM BEAUDINE. Original screenplay: Martin Mooney. Photography: Jack Greenhalgh. Film editor: Robert Crandall. Production manager: Peter Jones. Assistant director: Edward Montford. Sound recording: Buddy Myers. Producer: Jed Buell. Executive producer: George R. Batcheller.
Copyright 23 May 1941 by Producers Releasing Corp. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 9 May 1941. 7 reels. 64 minutes.
Television title: ROBOT PILOT.
SYNOPSIS: The inventor of a remote-controlled airplane tries to sell his device to a big manufacturer.
COMMENT: Aside from a long and extremely boring scene with Thornton Edwards giving exhaustively stupid directions to our hapless heroines, this little "B" emerges as a surprisingly pleasant romantic comedy (leavened by an extraneous bit of action drama right near the end).
Martin Mooney has concocted a reasonably novel, clever story-line, peopled by attractive characters (including the inventor — a pleasingly sizable role for Emmett Vogan) who can handle dialogue with a bit of sparkle.
By P.R.C. standards, production values are high. Beaudine's direction is at his most competent level. He draws interesting performances from all his players (except over-hammy Mr. Edwards) and makes good use of real locations.
Director: WILLIAM BEAUDINE. Original screenplay: Martin Mooney. Photography: Jack Greenhalgh. Film editor: Robert Crandall. Production manager: Peter Jones. Assistant director: Edward Montford. Sound recording: Buddy Myers. Producer: Jed Buell. Executive producer: George R. Batcheller.
Copyright 23 May 1941 by Producers Releasing Corp. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 9 May 1941. 7 reels. 64 minutes.
Television title: ROBOT PILOT.
SYNOPSIS: The inventor of a remote-controlled airplane tries to sell his device to a big manufacturer.
COMMENT: Aside from a long and extremely boring scene with Thornton Edwards giving exhaustively stupid directions to our hapless heroines, this little "B" emerges as a surprisingly pleasant romantic comedy (leavened by an extraneous bit of action drama right near the end).
Martin Mooney has concocted a reasonably novel, clever story-line, peopled by attractive characters (including the inventor — a pleasingly sizable role for Emmett Vogan) who can handle dialogue with a bit of sparkle.
By P.R.C. standards, production values are high. Beaudine's direction is at his most competent level. He draws interesting performances from all his players (except over-hammy Mr. Edwards) and makes good use of real locations.
Don't expect too much here.
oscar-3511 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
*Spoiler/plot- Emergency Landing ('Robot Pilot'), 1941. A wartime test pilot and his scientist weather observer partner are tying to develop a robot controlled plane in hopes their employer can sell it to the military. Foreign agents learn of their work and sabotage the plane, hoping to stop the inventors and allowing the spies to steal the aircraft. Partnering with their boss's daughter and her aunt, our inventor hope to stop the plot and save the company.
*Special Stars- Forrest Tucker, Carole Hughes.
*Theme- Americanism can save the world.
*Trivia/location/goofs- Black & White, filmed in the ole Iverson Movie Ranch Chatsworth Ca. Now public domain intellectual property.
*Emotion- Barely watchable even with a top B-movie cast of actors. Fun to see these actors performing in their first roles or their last rolls before getting famous on TV. Some comedy in the plot.
*Based On- WW2 aviation pulp stories.
*Special Stars- Forrest Tucker, Carole Hughes.
*Theme- Americanism can save the world.
*Trivia/location/goofs- Black & White, filmed in the ole Iverson Movie Ranch Chatsworth Ca. Now public domain intellectual property.
*Emotion- Barely watchable even with a top B-movie cast of actors. Fun to see these actors performing in their first roles or their last rolls before getting famous on TV. Some comedy in the plot.
*Based On- WW2 aviation pulp stories.
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