Stewart was a pilot, flew B17s in the European Theater. He was, at the making of this movie, a Colonial in the Airforce, still flying bombers, including the B52. Two years after this movie, in 1949, they promoted him to brigadier general.
One of my all-time favorite movies... I read the book once or twice as a kid... one of those movies where the actor's story was on par with the part he played. Just grand !!
I remember seeing The Spirit of St. Louis movie in 1957. I took the bus downtown in Nashville and met my dad after work. We grabbed a burger and saw the movie together. Can’t remember if it was playing at the Loews or the Paramount. But I do remember that was the night we discovered that I needed glasses. Standing at the bus stop at 6th and Church, dad noticed the busses had to get awfully close before I could read the route signs. He started asking about things on the marquee of the Tennessee Theater, diagonally across the street. We determined that I couldn’t make out 12” letters at a distance of about 60-65 yards.
Great story! My father was also hooked by barnstormers, left the farm, joined the Army Air Corps and flew in Europe. It was a magical time for young men and women.
Stewart was too old for this role. Charles Lindbergh was only 25 years old when he flew the Atlantic. Stewart was nearly fifty here. James Dean was supposed to portray Lindbergh in this film, but he was killed in an auto accident before production began.
@@stefanschutz5166 I can’t bloody see it because YT takes all my comments away. You think Lindbergh was the only one who had reservations about “nose” people? Think again. The Roosevelts, Jules Verne, Henry Ford, Roald Dahl…I could keep naming more.
I love how Lindberg/Stewart has his goggles on upside-down. It’s a nice, subtle little touch to show his questionable competence as a pilot that early in his career.
My dad took us 2 sons to buy a cheap $300 car. The 1953 Ford in the back row wouldn't start so we went to another used car lot. That 1957 Hillman Husky in the back row started just fine.
Olin Howland, a great character actor as the owner of Jenny biplane, was also great as the telegraph operator Bradley in the 1947 movie 'Angel and the Badman'.
Good old Jimmy Stewart he WAS an Air Force pilot! I know the feeling of the love of flight. I was an aircraft engineer in the Air Force. I love the way he does no walk around just gets in and fires it up! I fly myself now only small aircraft but getting in and taking off is electrifying EVERY TIME. I learnt the story of Spirit of St Louis as a child and ALWAYS wanted to be a pilot.... i got there eventually! I also married an American gal and our honeymoon WAS IN ST.LOUIS!!! Bless ya Jimmy. To do what Lindbergh did took a MASSIVE pair bigger than 2 planets!! A hero of mine!!!
Volare, was a hit in 1958, by an Italian artist, also covered by Dean Martin, in 1958, The Late Bobby Rydell had a big hit in 1960, and The Late Ray Conniff also had a version in the early 1960’s. Instrumentation in the version you heard includes Organ, Piano, Drums, Bass, Guitar, and Harp.
The story in my family is that he learned to fly, taught by my great uncle, Raymond Page in Lincoln, Neb. He worked for Page until he paid off the Jenny he bought from Page
