Central Airport (Warner Bros.) (1933)

(Routine Story) ‘Central Airport’’ Based Upon Today’s Air Heroes Stars Richard Barthelmess in Colorful Drama Showing Exploits of Peacetime Aviators ERALDED as the ‘‘Dawn Patrol’’ of 1933, Richard Barthelmess’ newest picture ‘‘Central Airport’’ comes to the Pe ge ee Theatre on for a lim ited engagement. The super air-thriller glorifies the flying heroes of peace... not war... and is said to exceed anything that the talented star has ever done. The powerful story deals with the hazardous lives and the exciting loves of these hardy navigators of the stormy air-lines. Richard Barthelmess plays the part of a returned war hero who pilots trans-continental passenger planes. He crashes his ship, with a heavy toll of lives, and is ‘‘grounded.’’ Discredited in the game he loves and the only one he knows, he goes barn-storming with a traveling” air-circus, and falls in love with Sally Eilers, a parachute jumper. Their glamorous love affair and the many thrilling plane crashes build ‘¢Central Airport’’ into a mighty drama. The principals are as reckless with their loves as they are with their lives. But Barthelmess believes that a flyer, with his life always in the hands of fate, is a coward to marry. Broken and filled with a savage recklessness when he learns that he has lost his girl forever, Barthelmess turns to any flying job that offers enough danger, whether it’s fighting in the Orient, or leading a South Americam resurrection. He becomes famous even to the far corners of the earth as a pilot who laughs at death, and even goes out of his way to tempt it. The ending of this throbbing First National spectacle is one of the most spectacular and thrilling scenes ever filmed as it present~ ~su of peace ~Imess as w»CUeS The Pass. agers {trom ~ plane in the storm swept vean sea. Vellman, former war aviator who directed ‘‘Wings’’ and ‘‘ Young Eagles,’’ outdid himself in ‘‘ Central Airport’? with his unbelievable sky scenes. A strong cast supports the stars, among them being Glenda Farrell, Harold Huber, James Murray, Claire McDowell, Grant Mitchell, Willard Starring in New Hit RICHARD EARTHELMESS in “Central Airport,’ First National’s epic of the air now at the Strand. Out No.4 Outi15e Mat de ———— Robertson, Arthur Vinton, and Charles Sellon. Rian James and James Seymour wrote the screen play from a story by Jack Moffitt. your 2nd story Realistic Sea Storm Marks High Light of *“Gentral Airport’’ Building a storm at sea on an artificial lake at a motion picture studio, which rivals a hurricane in ferocity, is no mean task, but the feat was accomplished during the production of Richard Barthelmess’ latest starring vehicle, ‘‘Central Airport,’’ which opens at the.................... Theatre on The storm was staged on the First National lot in North Hollywood where there is a lake 600 feet long by 350 wide and ranging from two to three feet in depth. Inasmuch as it was necessary to show Tom Brown, with several passengers on a foundering plane, and Richard Barthelmess on another rescuing plane of the trimotor variety, which require a considerable depth of water to float, the center of the lake for a space of about sixty feet square was scooped out to a depth of thirty feet. After the airplanes had been placed in the water, it was necessary to show them being rocked and buffetted by high waves and a terrific wind, accompanied by rain and lightning. Waves were produced by several wooden eradles with paddles which were worked up and down by a crew of men, while the wind was supplied by six gigantic airplanes stationed on the shore with their propellors whirling at top speed. Rain was provided by a score of spraying jets while artificial lightPage Two ning was produced by electric torches. Cloud effects also had to be produced with smoke, and the entire scene lighted with are lights and a special twelve foot tower lighting machine to give the effect of a wierdly lighted sky during a lightning storm. Director William A. Wellman, and a crew of technicians, besides the players, worked an entire night to produce the realistic sequence shown in the picture. That they succeeded in making it look like an actual ocean storm is attested to by those who have viewed the developed film. **Tt was the most difficult sequence to make natural I have ever undertaken,’’ said Director Wellman. ‘‘Of course you can’t commandeer an actual storm at sea, and if you could, it would be absoultely impossible to photograph one of such intensity as the one we simulated. ‘*Consequently it was necessary to do the next best thing and make a storm of our own. While our storm is artificial, I defy anyone to detect the fact. In the picture it looks more like a real storm than a storm does itself,’ ‘“Central Airport’’ is a thrilling tale of the daring deeds of the pioneer commercial flyers, based on the story,’ ‘‘Hawk’s Mate,’’ by Jack Moffitt. Included in the cast supporting Barthelmess are Sally Hilers, Tom Brown, Glenda Farrell, Harold Huber, Grant_ Mitchell and James Murray. “The screen play is by Riar James and James Seymour. See Page 5 for Advance Shorts your 3rd story Richard Barthelmess Rarely Uses Same Girl Twice as Leading Lady In Richard Barthelmess’ latest First National picture, “Central Airport,” which comes to the heatTre--On= scat et as oe ; one more new leading lady is added to the already long list of girls who have played opposite him during his screen career. Rarely has he had the same leading lady twice, and never within the last four years, And the reason for it is each story being different, he feels a different actress is necessary for each pait. The newest addition to the list of famous actresses who have been Barthelmess’ leading ladies is Sally Eilers. And while she is the last, she is by no means the least, for Sally has starred many times in her own pictures. Prior to Miss Hilers’ advent as his leading lady, Bette Davis appeared in that capacity in “The Cabin in the Cotton”; Marian Marsh in “Alias the Doctor”; Helen Chandler in “The Last Flight”; Fay Wray in “The Finger Points”; Mary Astor in “The Lash”; and Constance Bennett in “Son of the Gods.” A formidable array of feminine leads appeared with him before that, most of whom have since been starred, and each of whom played with him in but a single picture. These include Loretta Young, Alice Joyce, Barbara Kent, Louise Huff, Pauline Garon, Mary Thurman, May McAvoy, Lois Moran, Patsy Ruth Miller, Alice Day, Madge Evans, Lila Lee and Carol Dempster. The actresses with whom Barthel aa elude Marion Nixon, Lillian Gish, Dorothy Gish, Betty Compson, Molly OfDay, Lina Basquette, Dorothy Mackaill, Clarissa Seymour and Marguerite Clark. In “Central Airport” there are two important feminine parts. Glenda Farrell, as well as Miss Eilers, appearing with Barthelmess for the first time. Other players_in the cast include Tom Brown, Harold Huber, Grant Mitchell and James Murray. The screen play is by Rian James and James Seymour and the direetion by William A. Wellman. your 4th story ““Central Airport’’ Is Richard Barthelmess 37th Motion Picture When Richard Barthelmess comes 1 eee aire Theatre ieee in’ his latest production, “Central Airport,” it will be his seventeenth straight picture for First National since 1926, when he came with that company. It will be his thirty-seventh picture since he began his screen ¢areer, in the silent picture era, His outstanding pictures before he came with First National studios were the five pictures he did for D. W. Griffith, including “Way Down East” and “Broken Blossoms,” and “ToVable David,” released through First National, a picture for which he will be ever remembered. His contract with his present producing organization began with with “The Patent Leather Kid,” a story by Rupert Hughes, in 1926. His most outstanding picture since then was “Dawn Patrol,” his two most artistic pictures “The Last Flight” and “Cabin in the Cotton.” All advance reports indicate that “Central Airport” will be another “Dawn Patrol”—this time a story of the airmen of the great transcontinental air lines of today. A strong supporting cast includes Sally Eilers, Tom Brown, Glenda Farrell, Harold Huber, James Murray and Claire Dodd. ta eas ee, “ = aes NOSt--CABww..v AY —-tWice;Leases ADVANCE PUBLICITY She’s Dick's Leading Lad comes to the Cut No. 5 your 5th story SALLY EILERS, seen in the leading feminine role opposite thelmess in “Central Airport,” First National’s epic of the air which Cut 30¢ Strand Friday. Mat 10¢ your 6th story Richard Barthelmess|Many Grave Hazards Has Fine Support in| Accompanied Filming “Central a » = % Airport’ An unusally distinguished cast supports Richard Bethelmess in his latest starring vechicle for First National, ‘“Central Airport,’? which comes to the All of the nine leading players, ex theatre on... eS clusive of Mr. Barthelmess who has been starred for many years, have had stellar roles on the screen or stage, and some in both, or leading parts in many notable productions. Sally Eilers has been starred in several pictures, her most notable productions being ‘‘Bad Girl,’’? ‘‘ Over the Hill,’’ ‘‘Dance Team,’’ ‘‘ Quick Millions’’ and ‘‘ Parlor, Bedroom and Bath.’’ She has the leading feminine role opposite Barthelmess in ‘‘ Central Airport.’’ Tom Brown, who plays the pert .of6 brother air pilot of Barthelmess, had the stellar role in “Brown of Culver” and leading parts in ceo hee Lady Lies” and “The Jockey Kid.” Glenda Farrel! had the lead RICHARD is g role in BARTHELMESS agin Missing” Cut No. 10 and Was Mac Out 15c Mat de = 23 seum” and important parts in “Grand Slam” and “Life Begins.” She also was a stage star before entering pictures, James Murray is well known as one of the sereen’s leading players, appearing in “Kick In,” “Frisco Jenny,” “Hide Out” and many others. . Harold Huber, Grant Mitchel, Claire MeDowell, Willard Robertson and Charles Sellon, although now well established as leading screen character players, can boast of long theatrical expierence on the stage in which they starred on Broadway. ‘*Central Airport’’ is a thrilling epic of the air which depicts the amazing daring of the intrepid pioneers of commercial flying. The screen play by Rian James and James Seymour is based on. the story, ‘‘ Hawk’s Mate,’? by Jack Moffitt. William A. Wellman directed. of “Gentra! ** Si go oer, In the production of an air thrill, such as Richard Barthelmess’ latest starring picture for First National, ‘*Central Airport,’’ which opens at the theatre: ons. ; every person connected with its making undergoes grave hazards. Casualties lurk in the path of players, director, cameramen, technicians and particularly professional stunt actors. Every precaution was taken in the making of this picture to prevent accidents, but even with the utmost care exercised, three planes were destroyed, and that no one was seriously injured seems little short of miraculous. The net result of human ecasualties was one broken shoulder with several persons severely bruised. Paul Mantz, a stunt flyer, cracked up his plane, but escaped with a broken shoulder. A big passenger plane carrying Richard Bethelmess, Tom Brown, Glenda Farrell and others, miscalculated a landing, flirted with a telegraph pole and a lot of wires, overturned and was smashed, but fortunately no one was injured beyond bad bruises and a severe shaking up. Another plane, unoccupied, went up in smoke when a mechanic, applied a blow torch to a gadget which was stuck. At another time Mary Wiggin a professional parachute jumper, got in front of a whirling airplane propellor with her parachute strapped to her shoulders, and was blown across the field. Although considerably messed up, no bones were broken. The nearest to a very serious ¢alamity came when a twelve foot lighting machine, which blows fire into the air to light the sky, fell into the studio lake aiming directly at a float on which were stationed Director William Wellman, his assistants and several cameramen. Had it not been for the quick action of a prop man in pushing the falling column of fire sideways as it fell, changing the direetion of its landing, Wellman and his crew would have been blown into the lake by a blast of fire. Besides the air thrills the picture contains a glowing romance based on ‘‘Hawk’s Mate,’’?’ by Jack Moffitt. Others in the cast include Tom Brown, Glenda Farrell, Harold Huber, Grant Mitchell and James Murray.