Aero Vintage Books

Recently saw Jack Webb's 1961 film The Last Time I Saw Archie on TCM. All the aviation action was in the first ten minutes, culminating in Robert Mitchum wiping out the gear on a PT-26 (probably flown by Cliff Winters; he was the registered owner). Before that we see a lineup of parked aircraft ending with Frank Tallman's Sopwith Camel N6254, a flying shot of Waco UPF-7 N66632 (rented by Tallman for The Bob Cummings Show - maybe stock footage?), and later a scene shot in front of a small hangar with "Tallman Aviation" on the front. Any records known about this one? Also, did Winters have any connection with Tallman or Mantz?

Footage here: http://youtu.be/Kvdshku3cwc?t=5m11s (planes are starting at 5:11)

Yep, I'd say that was filmed at Fla-Bob and that was Tallman's hangar. I'd have to check my files, which would take a while, but I seem to remember his name being attached to that film, and what you have pulled from the film I think confirms it. I would imagine he did the takeoff accident sequence also.

I was thinking it might have been Cliff because he was the owner of record, plus in his brief career he specialized in cracking up PT-19/26s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znBIbr2koOw

This was also from 1961, the year before he was killed doing a stunt at Chino. He even ditched and sank a Bamboo Bomber off Catalina to promote the Chino airshow (how times have changed...):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAaMkao-6hA

You are probably correct, then. I did not know his background.

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... Highlights of a Riverside, CA Press Enterprise story December 25, 1960 ...

"Mitchum, Webb star - Day's shooting draws big movie names to Riverside

The script is for a forthcoming movie "The Last Time I saw Archie" starring Robert Mitchum and Jack Webb.

Yesterdays shooting ended with the crackup of one of the planes skillfully staged by Lt. Cmdr. F. G. Tallman (USN Reserve) who furnished the rest of the decrepit planes for the picture.

Tallman operates Tallman Aviation at FlaBob...several scenes were shot with his building with lettering clearly visible in the background."

. JD Davis

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Tallman and Cliff Winters were both doing crashes around that time, but Tallman got the credit for this in the newspaper.

. JD

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Cliff Winters on the Tallmantz Standard J-1 A-190 N2826D

Years ago I saw a video of this, shot at the Chino Airshow 1961

image source: SDASM archive, No known copyright restrictions
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Whatever became of Cliff Winters ?

Art Scholl in 'Sports Illustrated' October 04, 1965

"...when I'm up I don't let my enthusiasm run away with me.

That's what happened to Cliff Winters. He was a great stunt flyer, the best. He had this act where he comes out of a barricade of fire and does a snap roll.

In 1962 at Chino somebody said it would really be spectacular if he could do a double snap roll when he came out of the flames. He said no, it was impossible. Not enough speed.

But then he got up there, and when he came through that last barricade he tried it. He tried the double snap roll. And he crashed."

His plane was a Ryan PT-22 converted to a biplane with the original 160 hp Kinner replaced with a 220 hp Continental.
image source: snappygoat public domain images