''The Mysterious Pilot'' is a 15-episode 1937
Columbia movie serial based on the book by William Byron Mowery and starring the record-breaking aviator
Frank Hawks. This was the second serial produced by Columbia. In the serial, Hawks plays a flying
"mountie".
Plot
Carter Snowden (
Kenneth Harlan) about to marry Jean McNain (
Dorothy Sebastian), is accused of murder. When his accuser is killed, Jean flees the train she is on, and heads into the Canadian woods. Snowden sends a bodyguard to find Jean, who appeals to
RCMP
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...
Captain Jim Dorn (Frank Hawks) for help. With his friend "Kansas" (
Rex Lease
Rex Lloyd Lease (February 11, 1903 – January 3, 1966) was an American actor. He appeared in over 300 films, mainly in Poverty Row Westerns.
Biography
Rex Lease arrived in Hollywood in 1924. He found bit and supporting parts at Film Booki ...
) and Indian Luke (
Yakima Canutt), Jim hides Jean.
Snowden tracks down Jean and tries to lure her to his aircraft by telling her that Jim is injured and needs her. As soon as they realize what has happened, Jim and Kansas take to the air and force Snowden's aircraft down. Jean is unhurt but Snowden dies in the crash. Trying to get down to Jean, Jim's parachute gets tangled in the trees and Jean ends up rescuing him.
Chapter titles
# The Howl of the Wolf
# The Web Tangles
# Enemies of the Air
# In the Hands of the Law
# The Crack-up
# The Dark Hour
# Wings of Destiny
# Battle in the Sky
# The Great Flight
# Whirlpool of Death
# The Haunted Mill
# The Lost Trail
# The Net Tightens
# Vengeance Rides the Airways
# Retribution
Source:
Cast
*
Frank Hawks as Captain Jim Dorn
*
Dorothy Sebastian as Jean McNain
*
Esther Ralston
Esther Ralston (born Esther Louise Worth, September 17, 1902 – January 14, 1994) was an American silent films, silent film star. Her most prominent sound picture was ''To the Last Man (1933 film), To the Last Man'' in 1933.
Early life and c ...
as Vivian McNain
*
Rex Lease
Rex Lloyd Lease (February 11, 1903 – January 3, 1966) was an American actor. He appeared in over 300 films, mainly in Poverty Row Westerns.
Biography
Rex Lease arrived in Hollywood in 1924. He found bit and supporting parts at Film Booki ...
as
RCAF Sergeant "Kansas" Eby
*
Guy Bates Post as "Papa" Bergelot
*
Kenneth Harlan as Carter Snowden
*
Yakima Canutt as Indian Luke
*
George Rosener as Fritz
*
Clara Kimball Young as Martha, Fritz's Wife
*
Frank Lackteen as Yoroslaff, a henchman
*
Harry Harvey as "Soft Shoe" Cardigan, a henchman
*
Tom London
Tom London (born Leonard T. Clapman; August 24, 1889 – December 5, 1963) was an American actor who played frequently in B-Westerns. According to ''The Guinness Book of Movie Records'', London is credited with appearing in the most films in ...
as Kilgour, a henchman
*
Bob Walker as Boyer, a lumberjack henchman
*
Ted Adams as Carlson, a henchman
Production
''Mysterious Pilot'' was adapted from the novel "The Silver Hawk" by William Byron Mowery.
[Cline 1984, p. 11.] Frank Hawks was billed in ''Mysterious Pilot'' as the "Fastest airman in the world."
[Harmon and Glut 1973, p. 109.] After each episode, Hawks appeared to deliver a "flying lesson". A
Sikorsky S-39 amphibian was featured in the serial.
[Farmer 1984, p. 321.]
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
* Cline, William C. "In Search of Ammunition." ''In the Nick of Time''. New York: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1984. .
* Farmer, James H. ''Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation''. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1984. .
* Harmon, Jim and Donald F. Glut. "Real Life Heroes: Just Strangle the Lion in Your Usual Way". ''The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury''. New York: Routledge Publishing, 1973. .
* Pendo, Stephen. ''Aviation in the Cinema''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. .
* Weiss, Ken and Ed Goodgold. ''To be Continued ...: A Complete Guide to Motion Picture Serials''. New York: Bonanza Books, 1973. .
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mysterious Pilot, The
1937 films
American aviation films
Northern (genre) films
American black-and-white films
1930s English-language films
Columbia Pictures film serials
Films based on American novels
Films directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
1937 adventure films
American adventure films
Films about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
1930s American films
English-language adventure films