THRILLING AVIATION FILM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 21, 26 January 1933, Page 5

THRILLING AVIATION FILM.

"AIR MAIL" FOR ST. JAMES'.

Packed with action that' piles tlin|J upon thrill, the stirring epic Air Mail, which opens at the St. James Theatio to-morrow, reveals a new and stai'tlin„ angle of the life led above the. clouds by the daring pilots who fly the air mail. The teletype, one o£ the most marvellous electrical inventions for transmitting written-out messages, is seen and heard in "Air Mail," and this machine plays a dramatic part in delivering to air mail ■pilots in isolated places, information concerning all-important storms and weather data influencing their activities. Ralph Bellamy, Pat .O'Brien, Russell Hopton, Slim Summerville, Lillian Bond and Gloria Stuart head the cast of this absorbing air classic, whidli, by the way, was brought across the Tasman in the famous Southern Cross, by Sir Cliai les Kingsford Smith, who will make a personal appearance at to-morrow night s session. Sir Charles' own picture, "Across the Pacific in the Southern Cross,' will also be presented. The story of "Air Mail" centres around an air mail station in the mountains. Ralph Bellamy is the airport superintendent, Russell Hopton is one of his most skilful flyers, and Leslie Fenton is a good flyer too, with a sinister, hidden past. Into this setting drifts Pat O'Brien, a flying soldier of fortune, a harddrinking, reckless fellow. When Bellamy crashes in a machine during a terrific storm and lies wounded in the mountains, O'Brien flies to the rescue, landing in a spot where experts said no plane could venture. O'Brien flies Bellamy back to the airport with his aeroplane falling to pieces in the air. Bellamy takes to the parachute, hut O'Brien sticks to the ship and brings it in, narrowly missing death. Slim Summerville, as a dry-witted mechanic, without much faith in aeroplanes, is amusing whenever he appears. The success of "Air Mail" has caused Carl Laemmle, junior, to reassemble the elements which made it a success, in a sequel. This sequel is at present entitled "Skyways," and will get under way after Pat O'Brien and Ralph Bellamy have completed "Destination Unknown, another air film. "Air Mail" was written by Dale Van Every and Lieutenant-Com-mander Frank Wead.