TAILSPIN TOMMY: STUNT PILOT (1939) John Trent, Majorie Reynolds & Milburn Stone | Adventure | B&W

Stunt Pilot is a 1939 American adventure film directed by George Waggner and written by Scott Darling and George Waggner. The film is based on the comic strip Tailspin Tommy by Hal Forrest and Glenn Chaffin. Stunt Pilot stars John Trent, Marjorie Reynolds, Milburn Stone, Jason Robards Sr., Pat O'Malley and George Meeker.

SYNOPSIS
The second of a series of four features Monogram made based on the comic strip by Hal Forrest (Universal also used the strip characters in two serials), finds a movie company shooting a war picture at Three Points airport, with Tailspin Tommy Tompkins as a stunt pilot in the film. Tommy is incensed by the complete disregard for human life shown by the film's director, Sheehan, and quits. Sheehan gets a replacement pilot named Earl Martin, who is known as a reckless pilot who will try an aerial stunt for a thrill. He hand Tommy get into a fight when Martin takes Betty Lou Barnes for a ride in a plane that is practically falling apart. Sheehan offers Tommy $500 to work in an airplane fight, which Tommy refuses saying the stunt is needlessly dangerous. But Skeeter Millican, Tommy's flying mechanic pal, who needs the money for his sick sister, takes the job. Tommy finds out, ties Skeeter up, and takes his place. During the filming, Tommy fires his machine gun, and Martin is killed. When it is discovered that real bullets has been used instead of blanks, Tommy is accused of murder. He and Skeeter and Betty Lou try to figure out who had a motive to kill Martin. Tommy recalls a conversation he had overheard between Martin and Sheehan, in which they had a quarrel and Sheehan had said he would never forgive Martin for an incident in the past. Tommy, with the police on his trail, takes off to catch the train that is carrying the movie company back to Hollywood. Meanwhile, Skeeter's nephew Bobby reveals he was in Tommy's plane before he took off on the flight that ended in Martin's death, and had been taking pictures with a camera gun. Skeeter and Betty Lou develop the film and find a picture of Sheehan tinkering with Tommy's machine gun. Tommy catches the train and faces Sheehan with his theory of the murder.
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While working as a stunt pilot for Hollywood director Sheehan, Tailspin Tommy suspects that his aircraft was sabotaged to get authentic crash footage. He quits his job, and Earl Martin, a reckless pilot, replaces Tommy.

After Martin crashes his aircraft while flying with Tommy's sweetheart, Betty Lou Barnes, Tommy becomes enraged. Sheehan, needing a pilot to perform a dangerous dogfight with Martin, convinces Tommy's pal Skeeter to take the job. Skeeter is desperate to raise money to pay for his sister's operation.

Tommy, afraid for his friend's life, kidnaps Skeeter and flies in his place. During the dog fight, Tommy's machine gun is loaded with real bullets, and he shoots down Martin before realizing his gun is not shooting blanks. He is arrested on the charge of murder. Tommy remembers an argument he overheard between Martin and Sheehan, and is sure that the director is behind the murder. He takes off after Sheehan's train.

Meanwhile, the sheriff is after Tommy, until Skeeter finds photographs that show Sheehan replacing the bullets in Tommy's machine gun. Sheehan's train is stopped and the sheriff obtains Sheehan's confession that he killed Martin because the pilot had stolen the affections of his wife and then deserted her.

CAST & CREW
John Trent as Tailspin Tommy Tompkins
Marjorie Reynolds as Betty Lou Barnes
Milburn Stone as "Skeeter" Milligan
Jason Robards Sr. as Paul Smith
Pat O'Malley as Sheehan
George Meeker as Earl Martin
Wesley Barry as Glenn
George Cleveland as Sheriff
John Daheim as Tex
Tod Sterling as Charlie
Mary Field as Ethel
Buddy Cox as Bobby
Forrest Taylor as Doctor
David Newell as Radio Operator
Carleton Young as Reporter Trent
Ray Turner as The Porter
Jack Kirk as Crewman

Directed by George Waggner
Screenplay by Scott Darling, George Waggner
Based on Tailspin Tommy by Hal Forrest, Glenn Chaffin
Produced by Paul Malvern
Cinematography Fred Jackman Jr.
Edited by Carl Pierson
Music by Frank Sanucci
Production company
Monogram Pictures
Distributed by Monogram Pictures
Release date July 2, 1939
Running time 61 minutes
Country United States
Language English

NOTES
Principal photography on Stunt Pilot, with stunt flying by Wally West, began on May 20, 1939, at the Metropolitan Airport, Los Angeles. Additional stock footage was obtained from Hell's Angels (1930).

Aviation film historian Michael Paris in From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema recognized many "film within a film" elements in Stunt Pilot that would later appear in modern classics such as The Great Waldo Pepper (1975).