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[Matt Revington]

This 1937 movie ( filmed in the fall of 1936)  with Clark Gable and Joan Crawford supposedly used "Amelia Earhart’s $80,000 plane"  in the film. According to this page:

http://dearmrgable.com/?page_id=3851

Might be interesting if anyone could find it.  Apparently Paul Mantz flew it during filming ( from wikipedia)

[Ric Gillespie]

The film was released November 20, 1936.  Earhart's airplane was delivered July 24, 1936.  They cranked out movies in jig time back then but that time frame still seems awfully short.

[Greg Daspit]

Interesting.
Some information on Wikipedia
edit: I wonder if this explains the paint scheme on earlier photos?

[Jerry Germann]

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/600387/Love-On-The-Run-Movie-Clip-All-Snakes-Live-Till-Sundown.html

Clip

[Ric Gillespie]

Interesting.
Some information on Wikipedia
edit: I wonder if this explains the paint scheme on earlier photos?

Bingo!  That's where the painted cowlings came from.  They appear on the airplane shortly before the Bendix Race in early September.

[Monty Fowler]

Too bad the movie's in black and white, which is no help for the cowling colors ... but a different poster of the movie that showed the airplane would be in color ...

LTM,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 EC

[Ric Gillespie]

This topic needs to move up to General Discussion.  Like the Miami Patch and the removal of the Bendix receiver before the second world flight attempt, this is a previously unknown episode in the short life of c/n 1055.

TIGHAR member Bill Davenport found the full film.  You can rent or buy it on Youtube or get it on DVD from Amazon.
It contains great footage of Paul Mantz slinging AE's new airplane all over the ramp for comedy (probably not exactly what Purdue had in mind). The registration numbers on the tail and under the wings are altered but in one shot R16020 is clearly visible on the upper wing surface. The cowlings are painted as they were for the Bendix Race in early September and the original radio antennas are present but hard to see.  There's a brief peek through the cabin door showing the bare metal interior. The cabin wasn't finished until later.

[Rick Colley]

So, based on AE's known aeronautical expertise, this must actually be AE performing the landing in this clip.  Sorry to all in advance.

[Matt Revington]

By September 20 the paint on the cowlings was gone

http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/epurdue/id/394/rec/22

[Jerry Germann]

MGM hired Earhart to fly ill starlette Jean MacDonald to Desert Inn to recuperate, https://books.google.com/books?id=H-9YAfoQ69QC&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=jeanette+macdonald+flu+shirley+temple&source=bl&ots=-g66JOtMFN&sig=G_4pG1XMurg1efyJmyrATKzxc8Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiQme7z9_rKAhXExIMKHYAYAgAQ6AEIHzAC#v=onepage&q=jeanette%20macdonald%20flu%20shirley%20temple&f=false  I believe in early 1936, ( SanFrancisco movie premired in mid 1936 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028216/ ) so before Earhart had the Electra,...but it provides previous contact with MGM by Earhart just before the filming of Love on the run, so maybe they thought of her and Mantz when they needed a plane for the movie a bit later on.

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Ric and Pat have posted the taxiing and takeoff clip from the movie on YouTube.


The maneuvers near the crowd give me the shivers ...

[Dale O. Beethe]

Things were a little different then.  They also used to use expert marksmen to have bullets strike walls, etc. near people.  What could POSSIBLY go wrong?!

[Jerry Germann]

Research seems to suggest there isn't any modern technology available whereby one can determine true color in a black and white image. Many people have old photos colorized, but they for the most part are guessing at color,....some use known objects of color as a guide, ....(the Lockheed logo,tire color, Gable or Crawford's clothes,etc in our case could be of help)... Someone might be able to use the fuselage shades to tell us what those colors may be...but then again,....might? Wonder if Jeff G. has a contact? Still looking for the written word.
http://www.phojoe.com/photo_colorization.html

[Bill Mangus]

Ric and Pat have posted the taxiing and takeoff clip from the movie on YouTube.


The maneuvers near the crowd give me the shivers ...

From the movement of the people in the crowd it appears to me the film was shot at half or two-thirds speed.  When shown at normal speed the action appears to speed up.  Our Electra wasn't going nearly as fast as the film shows.  Still, though. . . .

If anyone has MGM or Hollywood connections, a look through the MGM archives may turn up some good publicity stills that may feature NR16020.

[Ric Gillespie]

It would be interesting to know how the airplane's use in the film came about.  Putnam was dabbling in Hollywood around that time and Mantz, of course, was in the business of providing aviation services to film makers.  Was this somebody doing somebody a favor or was it simply a way to make a buck on the side?