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Thursday, January 04, 2007
Your Pilot for Today's Flight
File under "another actor with a pilot license" - Ray Milland. Not sure if it is for one of his flying films, or an actual plane of his. Ray was a civilian flight instructor for the Army Air Forces (AAF) during WWII.
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I'm thinking it is a photo op from one of his films. See the words "Ray Milland in Paramount Pictures..." in the lower left-hand corner?
Could be either Men With Wings (1938) or I Want Wings with William Holden (1941).
I was figuring that too. Could also be "Wings over Honolulu" - I don't have copies of any of those films...it's been ages since I've seen Wings x 2.
The one thing, from that angle it doesn't look like a military style plane & he isn't in uniform. Could be a "civilian" scene from a film.
Gah, I'm over analyzing!
Oh, how I love pilots! Must be the uniform.
Carrie, I knew this could not be from the movie Wings over Honolulu since that was made at Universal. But I did wonder where the photo was taken and what kind of aircraft that was. I searched the Internet and found a site that I thought could answer our questions. This is the e-mail I received in reply to my query.
Your mystery ship is the rare Phillips Aeroneer [NX16075], taken at United Air Terminal (now Burbank-Hollywood Intl), and that's the passenger terminal with the cupola. Date estimate somewhere 1937-39. Writing in shadow says it's Milland and it looks a bit like Milland (who was a for-real pilot) but image is too small for me to guarantee. Cluster of people in background suggests pic was taken during a filming as a publicity shot, I would guess for "Men With Wings" (1938) since that's the Paramount film he co-starred in with MacMurray, and some footage was shot at United, but I don't recall the Aeroneer being in it. His military-type shirt and tie with white pants is odd.
Best I can do.
K. O. Eckland / aerofiles.com
Cool, huh? :)
Holy cow - you did your homework! Thanks for helping out on that. I might just have to send him a larger scan of that. Gah, how did I ever miss his web site!!
I know, isn't it great? And, you're welcome.
The picture with the Phillips Aeroneer has not been taken at United Airport, but at Mines Field. The United terminal had no cupola, but there were several cupolas at Mines.
Christian: Thanks for the info!
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