| Title | Test Pilot |
| Studio | MGM |
| Date Released | February 18, 1938 |
| Director | Victor Fleming |
| Actors | Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy |
| Aerial Photography | Elmer Dyer, Charles Marshall |
| Technical Advisor | Paul Mantz, Al Menasco |
| B-17 Filming Locations | Studio; March Field, CA |
B-17s Identified
Reportedly, all the twelve Y1B-17s
The Movie...
Well, I confess that I have not yet myself seen this movie and have only read about it. It is available for purchase, and someday I will see this movie and perhaps add a bit of my own perspective on it.
However, the basic premise of the movie concerns test pilot Jimmy Lane, played by Clark Gable, and his able sidekick/mechanic Gunner Sloane, played by Spencer Tracy. The romantic interest is provided by Myrna Loy, who plays Ann Burton, a farm girl from Kansas.
The aviation part of the film features a slate of late 1930s air racers including a civil version of the Seversky P-35, the Seversky SEV-2 that was owned and flown by race pilot Frank Fuller. For the purposes of this page, however, it is the appearance of the brand new Boeing Y1B-17s in squadron numbers that provide the attraction.
The first unit to receive the new B-17s as they came of the Boeing production line at Seattle was the 2nd Bomb Group based and Langley Field, Virginia, and commanded by Lt. Col. Robert Olds. The new B-17s were dispatched from Langley to March Field in Southern California for use in the film. The 19th Bomb Group at March was to be equipped with B-17s soon enough, and this may have been part of that effort. So, there are several scenes in the film showing off the new pride of the Air Corps and, from the stills anyways, they look impressive in shiny aluminum and Air Corps markings.
Paul Mantz and Charles Marshall were the aerial coordinators. Some air-to-air scenes of the B-17 ended up in the film but I can't provide any specifics. Mantz reportedly used his Lockheed Sirius as the camera platform for the filming.
There was a B-17 crash sequence using models (in typical l930s style, somewhat lacking) and a full scale crash mockup using a DC-2 and some set dressing.
Anecdotal
- The YB-17 crash set was shot on the MGM studio lot with a B-17 mockup that used parts of a DC-2 with two additional mock-up engines added.
- The Army Air Corps was in the midst of publicizing its new B-17 bomber and fully cooperated with the film makers in getting the B-17 in front of the camera, to the extent that the YB-17s assigned to the 2nd Bomb Group were flown west from Langley Field, Virginia, to California to appear in the film.
- It would appear a bit curious that the Air Corps was fine having a B-17 crash in the film plot, especially because it was caused by the airplane stalling at altitude (reportedly, as I myself have not yet seen the film....)
- The YB-17 operational scenes were shot at March Field near Riverside, California, and utilized personnel of the 2nd and 19th Bomb Group as extras in those scenes.
Buy this Movie!
Links
Acknowledgements
- When Hollywood Ruled the Skies by Bruce Orriss
Yeah, it's Clark Gable, but more of interest is the 2nd Bomb Group YB-17, ship #80, in the background of this scene shot at March Field, probably in late 1937.
Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, and Spencer Tracy, the human stars of Test Pilot.
Screen shot from the film showing the studio mockup of the B-17 cockpit with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy at the controls.
Clark Gable rescues Spencer Tracy from the crashed B-17 only to have him go ahead and die.
Paul Mantz reportedly used his Lockheed Sirius as the camera platform for the air-to-air scenes shot for Test Pilot.