This is a very fun film, mixing thrilling aerobatics with good acting, a well-paced plot, and a murder mystery, all in one. The stunt flying in this film, is awesome and so cutting edge it was re-used in such future Warners programmers as Fly-Away Baby and Fugitive in the Sky. Again, my problem is in identifying the specific stunt pilots for this film. I can’t find the information anywhere. It seems that the pilots names have been lost over time.
I think it’s important to acknowledge that when a stunt pilot works, he doesn’t do so by himself. The other one up there to capture the magic in the skies and also risk his life, I must add, is the aerial photographer. In this case it was Veteran cinematographer Elmer Dyer. He was viewed as one of the very best. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his photography in Air Force (1943). During World War II he was assigned to the Army’s Motion Picture Unit and shot much aerial footage that was used in training films. He began assembling a library of stock footage during the war, and eventually left active photography to spend most of his time in that business.
Murder in the Clouds is directed by D. Ross Lederman for First National Pictures.
Things to look up (click on item to go to IMDB):
- Elmer Dyer
- Ross Lederman
- Murder in the Clouds
- First National Pictures
Lyle Talbot and Ann Dvorak star in “Murder in the Clouds” in 1934.
History of film companies as defined by Wikipedia:
First National Pictures – First National was an association of independent theater owners in the United States that expanded from exhibiting movies to distributing them, and eventually to producing them as a movie studio, called First National Pictures, Inc. (1917−1936). In 1928 it merged with Warner Bros.
Check out our new Book, 100 Years of the Best Movie Stunts!
