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[Gary LaPook]

This coming Monday, June 25th, Turner Classic Movies is showing the 1936 movie, "China Clipper", with Humphrey Bogart and Pat O'Brien. I saw this movie many years ago and have been hoping that it would eventually show up on TCM because it is not available for sale anywhere, the rights have never been sold to put it on DVD. It has great scenes of the flying boats and in the cockpit. The navigator depicted in the movie is none other than Fred Noonan but this was before the Earhart flight so he was unknown at the time. I will be looking particularly hard for a sextant box. See the schedule here.

gl

[Brad Beeching]

Set to record.

Thanks for the heads-up! Mr. LaPook

Brad

[Ricker H Jones]

Unfortunately, according to IMDb, the Clipper navigator is played by Wayne Morris and not FN.  Paul Mantz is listed as a pilot, "other crew", and uncredited.  But who knows, maybe Fred will turn up in a shot or two.
Cast (in credits order) verified as complete

	Pat O'Brien	...	Dave Logan
	Beverly Roberts	...	Jean Logan
	Ross Alexander	...	Tom Collins
	Humphrey Bogart	...	Hap Stuart
	Marie Wilson	...	Sunny Avery
	Joseph Crehan	...	Jim Horn
	Joe King	...	Mr. Pierson (as Joseph King)
	Addison Richards	...	Mr. B.C. Hill
	Ruth Robinson	...	Mother Brunn
	Henry B. Walthall	...	Dad Brunn
	Carlyle Moore Jr.	...	Clipper Radio Operator
	Lyle Moraine	...	Clipper Co-pilot
	Dennis Moore	...	Clipper Engineer
	Wayne Morris	...	Clipper Navigator
	Alexander Cross	...	Bill Andrews
	William Wright	...	Pilot Afraid to Fly
	Kenneth Harlan	...	Commerce Inspector
	Anne Nagel	...	Logan's Receptionist
	Marjorie Weaver	...	Logan's Secretary
	Milburn Stone	...	Radio Operator
	Owen King	...	Radio Operator
			rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Irving Bacon	...	Charlie - the Janitor (uncredited)
	George Beranger	...	Waiter (uncredited)
	John Butler	...	Second Commerce Inspector (uncredited)
	Glen Cavender	...	Pan American Union Waiter (uncredited)
	Joe Cunningham	...	Jack - a Weatherman (uncredited)
	Hal K. Dawson	...	Airplane Designer (uncredited)
	Ralph Dunn	...	Plane Announcer at Miami Airport (uncredited)
	Bill Elliott	...	Pilot (uncredited)
	Frank Faylen	...	Weatherman (uncredited)
	Jonathan Hale	...	State Department Official (uncredited)
	Jack Hatfield	...	Reporter (uncredited)
	Milton Kibbee	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
	Shirley Lloyd	...	Eadie - Horn's Secretary (uncredited)
	John Marston	...	Airplane Designer (uncredited)
	Walter Miller	...	Instructor (uncredited)
	Thomas Pogue	...	Key West Speaker (uncredited)
	Georges Renavent	...	Pan American Union Speaker (uncredited)
	John Graham Spacey	...	Australian Broadcaster (uncredited)
	Edwin Stanley	...	Airplane Designer (uncredited)
	Houseley Stevenson	...	Doctor (uncredited)
	Harland Tucker	...	Airplane Designer (uncredited)
	Guy Usher	...	State Department Official (uncredited)
	Emmett Vogan	...	Airplane Designer (uncredited)
	Pierre Watkin	...	Secretary of State (uncredited)

		Other crew
Gene Lewis	....	dialogue director
Paul Mantz	....	pilot (uncredited)
William I. Van Dusen	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

[Gary LaPook]

Unfortunately, according to IMDb, the Clipper navigator is played by Wayne Morris and not FN.  Paul Mantz is listed as a pilot, "other crew", and uncredited.  But who knows, maybe Fred will turn up in a shot or two.
Cast (in credits order) verified as complete

	Pat O'Brien	...	Dave Logan
	Beverly Roberts	...	Jean Logan
	Ross Alexander	...	Tom Collins
	Humphrey Bogart	...	Hap Stuart
	Marie Wilson	...	Sunny Avery
	Joseph Crehan	...	Jim Horn
	Joe King	...	Mr. Pierson (as Joseph King)
	Addison Richards	...	Mr. B.C. Hill
	Ruth Robinson	...	Mother Brunn
	Henry B. Walthall	...	Dad Brunn
	Carlyle Moore Jr.	...	Clipper Radio Operator
	Lyle Moraine	...	Clipper Co-pilot
	Dennis Moore	...	Clipper Engineer
	Wayne Morris	...	Clipper Navigator

Milburn Stone ... Radio Operator and  "Doc" on "Gunsmoke."


gl

[Andrew M McKenna]

Gary et al

as you get ready to watch China Clipper, here is a comment I got via EPAC re this movie

<<<<<<<
I bought a... copy of this movie on DVD via Ebay a few years ago, and watched it looking for a sextant box.  Nada.  I thought the acting pretty good (esp. Bogart), the screenplay mostly poor, and the aviation didn’t make much sense.  If I recall correctly, I think the studio built a cockpit set for the filming.  No actual aircraft was involved.
>>>>>>>>

I'll be interested in hearing what you viewers think given the above.

amck

[Gary LaPook]

You should all watch these three videos which cover the first China Clipper flight with a narration of a talk given by one of the passengers on that first flight which mentions Noonan and his techniques and has photos of the flight deck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR0K6HfDe4w&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBLP3VKnZcQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=362cfVEyu0s&feature=relmfu

gl

[Andrew M McKenna]

Great videos

Did you guys see anything interesting in the movie?

amck

[Andrew M McKenna]

You should all watch these three videos which cover the first China Clipper flight with a narration of a talk given by one of the passengers on that first flight which mentions Noonan and his techniques and has photos of the flight deck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR0K6HfDe4w&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBLP3VKnZcQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=362cfVEyu0s&feature=relmfu

gl

Gary

Did you catch that the narrator of these videos claims his father was a Naval Cadet, and he was on the Colorado during the search for AE and FN?  Small world.

amck

[Rich Ramsey]

Andrew,

I thought I was the only one to hear that. Very interesting and very small world indeed.

R

[Gary LaPook]

Andrew,

I thought I was the only one to hear that. Very interesting and very small world indeed.

R

I caught that  too.

gl

[John Balderston]

San Francisco Airport (SFO) Aviation Museum website has a spiffy on-line "China Clipper" exhibit.  Check out the two narrated podcasts with oral history segments and some interesting images.

[C.W. Herndon]

Very interesting videos John. Great find. Thanks for sharing.

[C.W. Herndon]

A Tribute Video about Pan Am's beginning with pictures of Fred. A heavy Clipper flying under the Golden Gate Bridge, still under construction, and nice music from Forest Gump and Castaway.

Great video tribute. Thanks Greg!