Flight for Freedom
| Flight for Freedom | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Lothar Mendes |
| Produced by | David Hempstead |
| Written by | Horace McCoy Jane Murfin Oliver H. P. Garrett S. K. Lauren |
| Starring | Rosalind Russell |
| Cinematography | Lee Garmes |
| Editing by | Roland Gross |
| Distributed by | RKO |
| Release date(s) | April 15, 1943 |
| Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Flight for Freedom is a 1943 American drama film directed by Lothar Mendes. Film historians and Earhart scholars consider Flight for Freedom an "a clef" version of the Amelia Earhart life story concentrating on the sensational aspects of her disappearance during her 1937 world flight.[1] The film's ending speculated that the main character's disappearance was connected to a secret mission to aid the U.S. government.[2]
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[edit] Plot
Tonie Carter (Russell) is a well-known aviatrix who is fighting the entrenched aviation establishment of the 1930s which has a built-in prejudice against women pilots. After setting flight records, she embarks on a top-secret mission. Although she is in love with fellow aviator Randy Britton (MacMurray), he does not approve of the flight, nor does her flight instructor, Paul Turner (Marshall), as it involves flying over Japanese held territory in the Pacific. Carter vanishes during the latter part of the world flight, triggering a massive search which proves fruitless.
[edit] Cast
As appearing in screen credits (main roles identified):[3]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Rosalind Russell | Tonie Carter |
| Fred MacMurray | Randy Britton |
| Herbert Marshall | Paul Turner |
| Eduardo Ciannelli | Johnny Salvini |
| Walter Kingsford | Admiral Graves |
| Damlan O'Flynn | Pete |
| Jack Carr | Bill |
| Matt McHugh | Mac |
| Richard Loo | Mr. Yokohata |
| Charles Lung | Flyer |
[edit] Production
Reportedly based on a screenplay submitted by Amelia Earhart's husband, George P. Putnam,[4] Rosalind Russell's characterization of the Earhart-like aviatrix Tonie Carter, shows Carter establishing a reputation as "the Lady Lindbergh" and setting numerous aviation records. Other characters are loosely drawn from real life, such as Earhart confidant and instructor, Paul Mantz as well as Fred Noonan, albeit in the role of pilot Randy Britton.
Flight for Freedom was produced for RKO by Floyd Odlum, whose wife Jacqueline Cochran, one of Earhart's close friends, was a renowned aviatrix, in her own right.
[edit] Reception
Bosley Crowther of The New York Times in his contemporary review, echoed the popular notion that the film was based on the life of Amelia Earhart. His lukewarm review touched on the central theme as being tacitly untenable. [5]
[edit] Awards
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction (Albert S. D'Agostino, Carroll Clark, Darrell Silvera and Harley Miller).[6]
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ Goldstein and Dillon 1997, pp. 273–274.
- ^ Butler 1997, p. 416.
- ^ "Flight for Freedom Full credits." imdb. Retrieved: September 4, 2010.
- ^ Lovell 1989, p. 421.
- ^ Crowther, Bosley. "Flight for Freedom (1943): 'Flight for Freedom,' a Film Speculation on Fate of Woman Flier, With Rosalind Russell in Lead, at the Music Hall." The New York Times, April 16, 1943. Retrieved: September 4, 2010.
- ^ "Flight for Freedom (1943)." The New York Times. Retrieved: September 4, 2010.
- Bibliography
- Butler, Susan. East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley, 1997. ISBN 0-306-80887-0.
- Goldstein, Donald M. and Katherine V. Dillon. Amelia: The Centennial Biography of an Aviation Pioneer. Washington, DC: Brassey's, 1997. ISBN 1-57488-134-5.
- Lovell, Mary S. The Sound of Wings. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. ISBN 0-312-03431-8.
- Rich, Doris L. Amelia Earhart: A Biography. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989. ISBN 1-56098-725-1.
