The Mysterious Pilot is a 15-episode 1937 Columbia movie serial based on the book by William Byron Mowery and starring the record-breaking aviator Frank Hawks.[N 1] This was the second serial produced by Columbia.[2] In the serial, Hawks plays a flying "mountie".[3]
| The Mysterious Pilot | |
|---|---|
Chapter One poster (Note: The Howl of the Wolf is featured)
| |
| Directed by | Spencer Gordon Bennet |
| Written by |
by William Byron Mowery |
| Produced by | Louis Weiss |
| Starring | Frank Hawks |
| Cinematography |
|
| Edited by | Earl Turner (film editor) |
| Music by | Abe Meyer (musical director/uncredited) |
Production | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 15 chapters (300 min) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Carter Snowden (Kenneth Harlan) about to marry Jean McNain (Dorothy Sebastian), is accused of murder. When his accuser is killed, Jean flees the train she is on, and heads into the Canadian woods. Snowden sends a bodyguard to find Jean, who appeals to RCMP Captain Jim Down (Frank Hawks) for help. With his friend "Kansas" (Rex Lease) and Indian Luke (Yakima Canutt), Jim hides Jean.
Snowden tracks down Jean and tries to lure her to his aircraft by telling her that Jim is injured and needs her. As soon as they realize what has happened, Jim and Kansas take to the air and force Snowden's aircraft down. Jean is unhurt but Snowden dies in the crash. Trying to get down to Jean, Jim's parachute gets tangled in the trees and Jean ends up rescuing him.
Source:[4]
Mysterious Pilot was adapted from the novel "The Silver Hawk" by William Byron Mowery.[1][5] Frank Hawks was billed in Mysterious Pilot as the "Fastest airman in the world."[1] After each episode, Hawks appeared to deliver a "flying lesson". A Sikorsky S-39 amphibian was featured in the serial.[6]
