Atlantic Flight

Atlantic Flight is a 1937 film made by Monogram Pictures chiefs Trem Carr and W. Ray Johnston who had just reformed the studio after having had a troubled merger for two years with Herbert J. Yates and Republic Pictures. This film was conceived as a lowbudget feature meant to capitalize on Dick Merrills and Jack Lambies historic Coronation Flight, which made them world famous. Recreating the flight that made him famous, Dick Merrill, along with copilot Jack Lambie reprise their reallife roles as pilots.

When Bennett is unable to fly his untested racer, Edwards takes it up instead, but crashes. Strong realizes she is in love with Edwards, but he is critically injured. A doctor in England has lifesaving serum that Bennett and Jack Carter Jack Lambie are determined to bring back to save their friend, by making a recordbreaking roundtrip to London. Coming back through a raging storm over the Atlantic, their aircraft is struck by lightning, disabling their radio. When contact is lost, Coast Guard ships are deployed, but the intrepid flyers make it in.In 1937 Merrill was hired by Hearst Publishing to repeat the PingPong Flight, copiloted by 27yearold Jack Lambie in a Lockheed Model 10E Electra dubbed Daily Express. Hearst wanted to scoop other American newspapers by acquiring photos of the May 10, 1937 coronation of King George VI after the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII. Merrill carried photos not newsreels, as often claimed of the Hindenburg disaster, which occurred shortly before the flight. Hearst papers on both sides of the Atlantic published the first pictures of each event, and Merrill earned the Harmon Trophy for 1937 for his achievement. Footage from this flight was used to make the Atlantic Flight. Dramatic air race and crash scenes were also used. Milburn Stone who played aircraft mechanic Henry Wadsworth Pokey Schultz, was in his first major role his cousin, Paula Stone appeared as Gail Strong. ........

Source: Wikipedia