The Air Hawk
The Air Hawk is a 1924 silent aviation-drama film directed by Bruce M. Mitchell and starring real life aviator Al Wilson.[1] The action adventure film was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures.[2]
| The Air Hawk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Bruce M. Mitchell |
| Produced by | Carl Laemmle |
| Written by | Della M. King (titles) George W. Pyper (novel) |
| Starring | Al Wilson Virginia Brown Faire |
| Cinematography | Bert Longenecker |
| Edited by | Della M. King |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 5 reels; 45 minutes (per AFI) |
| Country | USA |
| Language | Silent English intertitles |
Like many actors in the silent film era, Wilson did not survive the transition to "talkies", with The Air Hawk, an example of his early work. [3][4]
Plot
Al Parker (Al Wilson), an aviator and Secret Service agent, is assigned to investigate a gang of bandits who have been robbing a platinum mine on the Mexican-American border. The superintendent of the mine John Ames (Emmett King), is killed when he discovers a secret passage used by the bandits. His daughter, Edith (Virginia Brown Faire) and Al's love interest, assumes the running of the mine.
Edith is kidnapped by the gang's leader, McLeod (Lee Shumway), who makes his escape in a waiting aircraft.
Al, "The Air Hawk," gives chase, leaping between the aircraft in flight and overcoming McLeod in a desperate struggle on the wings of the aircraft. Al is then happily reunited Edith, with whom he has fallen in love.
Cast
- Al Wilson as Al Parker/The Air Hawk (only cast member who is credited)
- Rest of cast listed alphabetically
- Virginia Brown Faire as Edith
- Emmett King as John Ames (credited as Emmett C. King)
- Tom London as Kellar (credited as Leonard Clapham)
- Frank Rice as Hank
- Lee Shumway as Hobert McLeod
- Frank Tomick as Maj. Falles
Production
Al Wilson was not only the star of The Air Hawk but also flew as a "stunt pilot" in the film. After becoming a flying instructor and a short period as manager of the Mercury Aviation Company, founded by one of his students, Cecil B. DeMille, Wilson became more and more skilled in performing stunts, including wing-walking, and left the company to become a professional stunt pilot, specializing in Hollywood aviation films.[5]
Wilson worked together with stuntmen like Frank Clarke and Wally Timm and also for film companies, including Universal Pictures. After numerous appearances in stunt roles, he started his career as an actor in 1923 with the serial The Eagle's Talons.[6] In The Air Hawk, another pilot/actor was Frank Tomick who flew one of the two Curtiss JN-4 aircraft that were involved in the mid-air battles.[7]
Wilson produced his own movies until 1927, when he went back to work with Universal.[N 1]
Reception
Aviation film historian Stephen Pendo, in Aviation in the Cinema (1985) said The Air Hawk was only one of a long list of aviation films that showcased Wilson's talents. He alternately wrote, acted and flew in a career that "spanned more than 10 years, and he acted in more films than any other professional pilot." In The Air Hawk, Pendo noted the aerial stunts featured "a mid-air leap between planes."[3]
References
Notes
- Wilson was one of the pilots flying in Hell's Angels (1930) and during filming, he was involved in an accident where the mechanic Phil Jones died. This episode marked the end of his career as stunt pilot in Hollywood.[8]
Citations
- Wynne 1987, p. 171.
- "Data:'The Cloud Dodger'." silentera.com, 2019. Retrieved: June 19, 2019.
- Pendo 1985, p. 11.
- "Title: 'The Cloud Dodger'." Catalog.afi.com, 2019. Retrieved: June 19, 2019.
- Wynne 1987, pp. 16–17.
- Wynne 1987, pp. 5–17.
- Wynne 1987, p. 38.
- "Stunt Pilots." Silents are Golden. Retrieved: June 19, 2019.
Bibliography
- Pendo, Stephen. Aviation in the Cinema. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. ISBN 0-8-1081-746-2.
- Wynne, H. Hugh. The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. ISBN 978-0-93312-685-5.