''Crack-Up'' is a

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

American film directed by Malcolm St. Clair.

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...

plays a harmless, half-addled aircraft enthusiast who is actually a ruthless spy desperate to get his hands on the blueprints for an experimental aircraft. He faces off against Ace Martin, played by

Brian Donlevy Waldo Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 6, 1972) was an American actor, noted for playing dangerous tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He usually appeared in supporting roles. Among his best-known films are '' Beau Geste'' (19 ...

, the pilot of the aircraft, whose motives are spurred by feeling cheated by his own company. The supporting cast includes Helen Wood,

Ralph Morgan Raphael Kuhner Wuppermann (July 6, 1883 – June 11, 1956), known professionally as Ralph Morgan, was a Hollywood stage and film character actor, and the older brother of Frank Morgan. Early life Morgan was born in New York City, the eig ...

and Thomas Beck.

Plot

At the christening of the "Wild Goose," an experimental aircraft designed for transatlantic flights, a number of significant industry figures from the Fleming-Grant Airways Corporation are present. President John R. Fleming (

) introduces the test pilots, Ace Martin (Brian Donlevy) and Joe Randall (Thomas Beck), along with Joe's fiancée, Ruth Franklin (Helen Wood). The eccentric Colonel Gimpy (Peter Lorre) convinces company people that he loves aviation and joins the group. He is really Baron Rudolph Maximilian Tagger, the head of a foreign spy ring, who plans to steal plans for the company's new secret "D.O.X." bomber design. Gimpy seeks out a disgruntled Ace Martin and offers him money to betray his employer. Ace uses Joe, his young protégé, to obtain the plans, telling him he had made the blueprints. The Baron's Operative #77 ( J. Carrol Naish), secretly working for another spy organization, attempts to get the plans, offering Ace three times more money. The meeting between the two is watched by the baron, forcing Ace to kill the spy and keep the plans to bargain directly with the baron. On the maiden flight of the "Wild Goose", Ace and Joe are flying to Berlin with the company president on board. When they are in the air, Colonel Gimpy reveals that he has stowed away to accompany them. A gas cap comes loose, jeopardizing the flight. Ace volunteers to climb out onto the wing and secure the gas cap. At the War Department, officials tell Ruth that Joe has been unwittingly drawn into a spy operation. She radios the aircraft, now far off course over the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

, convincing Joe to turn Ace in. Reacting angrily, he tries to shake Ace off the wing, but is restrained by the others. When Ace returns, a struggle over the controls leads to a burst of steam spraying over Ace's face, blinding him and the aircraft being forced to ditch in the ocean. With death imminent, as water fills the cabin, Ace shoots the baron and gives Joe the only life jacket, along with the bomber blueprints, so that he will be rescued by a nearby steamer. The three doomed men left on board smoke a last cigarette as the "Wild Goose" sinks.

Cast

as Colonel Gimpy (aka "The Chief", Baron Rudolph Maximilian Tagger) *

as Ace Martin * Helen Wood as Ruth Franklin *

as John R. Fleming * Thomas Beck as Joe Randall *

Kay Linaker Mary Katherine Linaker (July 19, 1913 – April 18, 2008) was an American actress and screenwriter who appeared in many B movies during the 1930s and 1940s, most notably ''Kitty Foyle'' (1940) starring Ginger Rogers. Linaker used her married nam ...

as Mrs. Fleming *

Lester Matthews Arthur Lester Matthews (6 June 1900 – 5 June 1975) was an English actor. In his career, the handsome Englishman made more than 180 appearances in film and on television. He was erroneously credited in later years as Les Matthews. Matthews pla ...

as Sidney Grant * Earle Foxe as Operative #30 * J. Carrol Naish as Operative #77 *

Gloria Roy Dolores Rousse (August 17, 1901 – December 16, 1985)California, Death Index. 1940-1997 atabase on-line Via Ancestry.com. Provo, Utah. was an American film actress who performed under the name Gloria Roy later in her career. Career In May 1922 ...

as Operative #16 *

Oscar Apfel Oscar C. Apfel (January 17, 1878 – March 21, 1938) was an American film actor, director, screenwriter and producer. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1913 and 1939, and also directed 94 films between 1911 and 1927. Biography Apf ...

as Alfred Knuxton * Paul Stanton as Daniel D. Harrington * Howard C. Hickman as Major White

Production

Principal photography for ''Crack-Up'' took place from late September to late October 1936, primarily at the

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

studios. A Lockheed Electra, from the nearby Lockheed Aircraft plant, stood in for the experimental "Wild Goose" research aircraft.

Reception

''Crack-Up'' was a low-budget B movie that was enhanced by the sinister presence of Lorre who "... plays his limited role with a refreshing sense of sardonic humor."

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fi ...

's review opined, "Not-bad espionage tale, with Lorre highly amusing as a spy trying to secure plans for experimental airplane; Donlevy's the test pilot he tries to bribe." On the DVD release of ''Crack-Up'', the reviewer for ''DVD Talk'' gave a positive recommendation: "A lot of 'Crack-Up' doesn't make a lick of real-world sense, but in its own crazy way, the film is quite entertaining."Reimer, Justin
"Crack-Up."
''DVD Talk'', July 4, 2014. Retrieved: September 12, 2014.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Wynne, H. Hugh. ''The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies''. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. .

External links

* * {{Malcolm St. Clair 1936 films 1930s spy drama films American spy drama films American aviation films American black-and-white films Films directed by Malcolm St. Clair 20th Century Fox films 1936 drama films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films