Pirates of the Skies
Cast & Crew
Joseph A. Mcdonough
Kent Taylor
Rochelle Hudson
Regis Toomey
Marion Martin
Samuel S. Hinds
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Nick Conlan, a daredevil pilot, applies for a job in the State Air Police Force. Noted for his disregard of discipline, Nick is warned by Major Smith, the head of the field, that any infraction of the rules will be met with instant dismissal. After he is accepted as a member of the force, Nick visits the cafe hangout of the Sky Police, where he encounters Barbara Whitney, his estranged wife and a former stewardess now working as a waitress, who gives Nick the cold shoulder. Major Smith and Captain Higgins of the State Motor Police are stymied over a series of daring holdups that have been perpetrated in their sector. A band of clever crooks seem to have advance information on the movement of large payrolls, bank transfers and jewelry shipments. Attempts to arrest the gang have met with failure because they seem to vanish into the ground after each raid. The secret of their success lies in having access to two locations: the cafe where Barbara works is owned by Jerry Petri, who has installed microphones and tape recorders to record the conversation of the pilots, which he then sends by carrier pigeon to Dr. Amos Pettingill, the owner of a health spa and pigeon farm and the brains behind the operation. Posing as invalids, the robbers live on Pettingill's health farm, where they secretly fly after each holdup. Nick becomes suspicious of the doctor when, while disobeying orders, he has an engine problem and lands at the health farm, where he sees several cans of high-test gas. When he tries to inform the major, however, Nick is fired for disobedience and takes a job flying planes for millionaire sportsman Jim Wilson. Meanwhile, Barbara stumbles upon the secret recording room at the cafe and is taken prisoner by Petri. Nick, looking for Barbara at the cafe, discovers the pigeons and unravels the secret of the robberies. The major sends his crack pilot, Bill Lambert, in pursuit of the doctor's planes, and Nick follows in one of his employer's crafts. When Lambert is shot down, Nick calls headquarters and forces the crooks's plane down with a series of brilliant maneuvers. With the gang arrested, Nick is reinstated into the Sky Police, and Barbara reconciles with him.
Director
Joseph A. Mcdonough
Cast
Kent Taylor
Rochelle Hudson
Regis Toomey
Marion Martin
Samuel S. Hinds
Ray Walker
Lucien Littlefield
Stanley Andrews
Guy Usher
Frank Puglia
Henry Brandon
Dorothy Arnold
Horace Mcmahon
Eddie Chandler
John Hammon
Syd Saylor
Hooper Atchley
Gladden James
Fern Emmett
Philip Trent
William Royle
Lee Phelps
Ed Peil Sr.
Harry Harvey
Hugh Huntley
Charles Sherlock
Frank O'connor
Roy Brent
Tom O'grady
Jack Gardner
Crew
Jerry Ash
Bernard B. Brown
John Ewing
William Fox
R. A. Gausman
Ray Hoadley
Ted Kent
Ben Grauman Kohn
Adrian Landis
Charles Maynard
Jack Otterson
Vaughn Paul
Charles Previn
Barney Sarecky
Vera West
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this picture was Plane 66. The film credits and plot summary are based on a cutting continuity included in the studio files. A Hollywood Reporter production chart credits Lester Cole with original story and Ben Kohn and Cole with screenplay, but Cole's participation in the final film has not been confirmed as his name is not included in Screen Achievements Bulletin, reviews or the cutting continuity. Although the continuity credits Charles Maynard as film editor, the reviews credit Ted Kent.
