Power Dive (1941)

Director:

James P. Hogan

Writers:

Maxwell Shane (screenplay), Edward Churchill (screenplay),

Stars:

Richard Arlen, Jean Parker, Helen Mack

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Arlen	...	Brad Farrell
Jean Parker	...	Carol Blake
Helen Mack	...	Betty Coles
Roger Pryor	...	Dan McMasters
Don Castle	...	Doug Farrell
Cliff Edwards	...	Squid Watkins
Billy Lee	...	Brad Coles
Thomas W. Ross	...	Professor Blake (as Thomas Ross)
Louis Jean Heydt	...	Johnny Coles
Ralph Byrd	...	Jackson--Draftsman
Helen Lynd	...	Mable--Giggly Blond
Tom Dugan	...	Waiter
Alan Baldwin	...	Young Reporter
Pat West	...	Burly Mechanic
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Hall	...	Army Sergeant (unconfirmed)

Storyline

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Taglines:

ON WINGS OF GLORY! (original print media ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 June 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Piloto de Arrojo

Filming Locations:

Metropolitan Airport - 6590 Hayvenhurst Avenue, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pine-Thomas Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The failure of the original copyright holder to renew the film's copyright resulted in it falling into public domain, meaning that virtually anyone could duplicate and sell a VHS/DVD copy of the film. Therefore, many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely (and usually badly) edited and/or of extremely poor quality, having been duped from second- or third-generation (or more) copies of the film.

User Reviews

Great for light aircraft buffs.

Standard aeroplane fare for the time: test pilot doesn't want younger brother to fly, terribly unfunny mechanic failing to provide laughs, race to build a new trainer for the Army, and will it work. Oh, and blind aircraft designer and beautiful daughter whom brothers fight over. As regards the plane, the choice is between laminates (which crash) and a geodetic construction made out of plastic. I had thought only Vickers used geodetic construction, but in this film there are shots of several fuselages of a two seat trainer of this type. I suspect the makers of the film used the idea as being an advanced technique to bafflegab the audience. Anyway, the plane works, despite the incompetence of the Army who nearly crash it. In the end, the right brother gets the girl. Acting honour's to her Piper Cub.

Interestingly when the laminated aircraft goes into its fatal vertical crash dive, the actual crash footage is famously of a GeeBee racer flying flat and low which goes out of control (the full sequence is available on YouTube).