James Stewart Archives - Casa Bouquet

Film Festival: Aviation

The Spirit of St. Louis, directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jimmy Stewart, gives us a chance to learn more about Lindbergh’s heroic flight. Charles Lindbergh is one of the world’s most famous aviation pioneers. We studied about his daring non-stop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in school, but we didn’t learn many of the details.

The Spirit of St. Louis is the life story of a Minnesota boy who becomes an international hero. It’s a story of determination, flying skill, ingenuity and teamwork.

Charles A. Lindbergh (James Stewart) is known as Slim to his friends in Little Falls, Minnesota. As a young man he travels to Brooks Field in Texas to become a flying cadet.

Slim learns that flying is in his blood, so he decides to get a plane of his own. He trades in his blue Harley-Davidson motorcycle for a World War I Army surplus “Jenny” and makes a living by charging people $5 each for 10-minute plane rides.

“Who wants to kiss his girl in the clouds? How about that? I tell you, folks, this machine here is absolutely safe and completely dependable. It’s made thousand of flights without one single mishap!” — Slim

Flying circus and St. Louis – Chicago airmail service

Slim and his friend, Bud Gurney, become stunt fliers in a circus in Abilene, Texas. They entertain the heartland folks by spouting colored exhaust, turning loop-de-loops, wingwalking and parachuting.

“How long can you fly these old wrecks and stay alive? The company ought to get you some real airplanes, fix up the landing fields, set beacons out along the way. –Good idea. Want to lend us some money? The bankers won’t. They don’t believe in commercial aviation.” — Bert and Slim

After a stint with the circus, Slim takes up piloting for the experimental airmail service. His plane is a De Havilland, and he’s assigned the Peoria to Chicago route. One night he has to take off in a blizzard to meet the mail schedule, but the storm proves too much for him to handle. In a tense but thrilling scene, Slim bails out while the crashing plane spirals around him.

“What’s for you? –Well, a couple eggs over, toast, no butter. — Ground loop two and hold the grease gun.” –Louie and Slim

Back in New York, a hotel owner offers $25,000 to anyone who can fly nonstop between New York and Paris. Slim believes he can do it, even though six flyers have died attempting the crossing. He calls Columbia Aircraft to buy a Balenka. When he finds out he needs $15,000, Slim organizes an investment group in St. Louis to raise the money, convincing them that a solo flight in a single-wing, single-engine plane is not a completely foolish enterprise.

Ryan Airlines and Roosevelt Field

The St. Louis group raises the money but then Slim discovers that Columbia Aircraft wants to choose their own pilot for the trip. Dejected, Slim takes a trip to San Diego to see if Ryan Airlines could build the aircraft he needs.

“Can you build her in 90 days, or less? –Bet your life. —Will she fly? —-Sure, bet your life. —I don’t exactly like the way you fellows put that. You see, I’m to be the pilot.” –Slim and Hall

Ryan Airlines is housed in a fishy-smelling warehouse. Slim meets the owner, Frank Mahoney, while he’s cooking sand dabs with a welding torch. Along with aircraft designer Donald Hall they concoct a lightweight plane with no radio, no sextant and a gas tank in front of the pilot. A periscope is rigged up so that Lindbergh can see in front. Ryan Airlines finishes the plane, now known as the Spirit of St. Louis, in 63 days.

“Come on now, go to sleep. Cut your motor out, let it rest now. Maybe I should’ve spent the night in the hangar. Maybe that’s what’s keeping me awake. Maybe I should be with her out there on Roosevelt Field.” — Slim

Slim flies the Spirit to Roosevelt Field in Long Island on the first leg of the trip to Paris. The distance to Bourget Field is 3,610 miles. Roosevelt field is horribly wet, the air is damp, and the plane has never been tested with so much fuel aboard. In spite of it all, Slim gets her off the ground and heads towards Paris.

Can one man fly from New York to Paris nonstop?

Because the film is so suspenseful, you forget that you already know how the story ends. You can’t help but admire and honor the human courage the story documents. Jimmy Stewart is an ideal choice for Lindbergh: his hair is dyed blond, he’s got the “Lucky Lindy” cowlick, and he looks believably young. The 1920s musical soundtrack includes “Rio Rita” and “Baby Face.” Another nice bonus is that footage from actual newsreels is incorporated throughout the movie.

San Diego has a special tie to Lindbergh’s flight because it was the home of Ryan Airlines (later Teledyne-Ryan) — the company that built the Spirit of St. Louis in 63 days for $10,580. Although the buildings are gone, the history was carefully documented with Historic American Building Survey standards.

Related Links for The Spirit of St. Louis

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051003/
- The Spirit of St. Louis at IMDb
http://www.ryanaero.org/index.html
- Ryan Aeronautical
http://www.charleslindbergh.com/history/
- A Charles Lindbergh biography from Spirit of St. Louis 2 Project
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/at-age-89-the-spirit-of-st-louis-gives-up-some-long-held-secrets/2016/06/27/6a62ac2a-3a0d-11e6-a254-2b336e293a3c_story.html
- Restoring Spirit of St. Louis for the Air & Space Museum
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lindbergh/sfeature/index.html
- The plane and Lindbergh’s life from PBS American Experience

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This is an update of a review that appeared originally in RETRO magazine, Nancy Eaton, editor.

Film Festival: The City by the Bay

DASHIELL HAMMETT created the sparkling detective couple Nick and Nora Charles for his novel, The Thin Man. Portrayed in the movies by William Powell and Myrna Loy, this matching of matrimonial opposites attained a long-lasting popularity. 1936’s After the Thin Man is the detective duo’s second screen outing, set in one of our country’s most beautiful cities during one of its most glittering eras. After the Thin Man takes us back to San Francisco in the 1930s, when residents from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds mixed together in this open-minded city. On New Year’s Eve, the Sunset Limited, a streamlined train from New York, speeds into San Francisco after a three-day voyage. On the train are Nick Charles (William Powell) and his lovely new bride Nora (Myrna Loy.) Nick, a streetwise guy and a witty friend to the police and hoods alike, always has a martini or highball of some sort handy. Nora is a blue-blooded San Franciscan, a scion of one of Nob Hill’s society families. Reporters have heard that Nick is arriving and mob him at the station platform, where he announces that he is retiring from detective work. Meanwhile, one of Nick’s old acquaintances bumps Nora, steals her purse, then slips it back to Nick. It’s a reminder to Nick of his social circle. Nick and Nora drive past cable cars and street cars in their open automobile. All the newsboys know Nick and hail him. They pull up next to a couple in a limousine.

society couple — Oh, hello Nora! Nora — Oh hello. Nick — Who’s that? Nora — Oh, you wouldn’t know them, darling. They’re respectable.

The Charleses arrive at their beautiful estate, which overlooks San Francisco Bay. They enter the house only to find a huge party is taking place to celebrate their homecoming. In the midst of all the revelry, nobody notices that Nick and Nora have arrived home and joined in the drinking and dancing at their own party.

The dowager of Nora’s family, Aunt Katherine (Jessie Ralph), asks the couple to join her and the family for dinner. Nick takes a stiff drink to fortify himself in anticipation of facing the relations. When Nick and Nora arrive at Aunt Katherine’s Victorian pile of a mansion, the relatives are all assembled. Everyone is over 60, save for young Selma (Elissa Landi), Katherine’s daughter. Selma’s husband, Robert, is conspicuous by his absence from the party. After dinner, in the old-fashioned way, the women retire, leaving the men to their cigars and brandy. Soon Nick is the only man awake amongst the elderly gentlemen. Nora rescues him from the snoring throng so that they both can listen to Selma’s problem. Selma believes that Robert has only married her for her money. She thinks he’s presently off with some other woman. Aunt Katherine hopes that Nick can investigate Robert’s whereabouts in a discreet way. At this point, an old friend of the young people joins the party, David Graham (James Stewart). He reminisces about the days when he and Selma and Nick and Nora were all engaged. David reports that Robert recently called and offered him $25,000 to take Selma off his hands.

Harold, the chauffeur, takes the Charleses to the Lychee, a popular nightclub in Chinatown, in order to “get the taste of respectability out of their mouths.” They also believe that Robert might be spending some time there. At the Lychee, Polly Byrnes (Penny Singleton) is leading the big floor show, “Blow That Horn.” The chorines are all wearing drums on their heads and musical instruments on their satin ballerina skirts. Phil, Polly’s brother, is angrily waiting in her dressing room. He slaps her over a check that Robert has given her. We learn that Polly is the mystery woman that Robert has taken up with, and that Dancer (Joseph Calleia), the co-owner of the nightclub, has concocted an underhanded scheme for Polly and Robert. Dancer lets Nick and Nora into the club and they spot Robert immediately. Robert emphatically and drunkenly tells them that he’s not going back to Selma unless he absolutely has to. Nick and Nora enjoy the New Year’s Eve revelry when Willy the Weeper and a few other low-life friends join their table. Willy’s just been let out of prison on parole and says he needs to be seen with some respectable people. Meanwhile, Polly sends Robert to call David about the $25,000 before she goes on the floor to sing “Smoke Dreams.” Nick and Nora indulge in some flirtatious repartee.

Nora–“What do you mean?” Nick–“I mean, did I ever tell you that you’re the most fascinating woman this side of the Rockies?” Nora–“Wait ’til you see me on the other side!”

David gives Robert $25,000 worth of bonds and Polly promises to run away with him. Dancer and his partner, Lum Kee, seem to have plans for Robert, as well. Robert stops home to pick up some clothes and lift a few pieces of Selma’s jewelry. She sees him do this, so she puts on a coat, grabs a gun, and follows him outside. Robert is shot on the sidewalk in a dense fog. Was the murderer Phil, Selma, David, Polly, Dancer, or Lum Kee? It will take Nick and Nora’s best detective skills to find out.

“And I don’t need anything in the world, darling, but you… and a toothbrush.” – Nick Charles

After the Thin Man is a lively and entertaining film with unpredictable characters and many plot twists. As always, it’s a treat to see Nick and the police lieutenant gather all the possible suspects in one tiny room to grill them, trick them, and tie up all the loose ends. After the Thin Man offers an amusing look at the San Francisco of the 1930s — and at the wonderful partnership of Nick and Nora Charles.