16:07
Unknown
Movie Credits
By Larry Westin - August 26, 1996
Rev 27 - 07/09/11
The Stinson model 108 airplane has appeared in the following
movies I know about. Note list now includes some movies with
other type light Stinson airplanes such as the L-5.
Possible use of N4111C in the movies? Tony Roca provides this
information. Any help you can provide is very much appreciated.
Hi Larry, I own 108-3 N4111C, serial number 108-5111. I was
looking at the movie lists on your site and wanted to add the
following: 4111C was owned by Frank Tallman of Talmanz aviation
and by Daryl Zanuck of 20th Century Fox for a brief time in 1964.
The FAA records show this. I also have all the old paperwork
with 337's showing drawings of how a motion picture camera (yes,
the old two reel type) was mounted on the nose of the aircraft
and from the way the drawings look to me, it may have been
pointing into the cockpit.
Anyway, I have been trying to find out how it was used for some
time and the answer may be in the old Fox archives now in the
Motion Picture History Archives in LA, as Fox had a big fire some
years ago and the current Fox didn't keep any of the old records,
but gave them all to the archives. More questions than answers,
but she was definitely going to be fitted for some filming at one
time and was owned by the right guys to do so!
If you ever get any hints of what 4111C may have been doing in
'64, please let me know. Best Regards, Tony W. Roca
If any reader can help provide answers, please contact Tony Roca
at
Added 7/24/09
"BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP," (later "Black Sheep Squadron") - the
television series used a Stinson L-5 in a number of episodes.
One particular episode involved one of the Black Sheep pilots
being shot down and rescued by an Australian Coast Watcher. Star
Robert Conrad and the L-5 pilot fly up to get the pilot now on a
northern island in the Solomon's. The L-5 pilot leaves with the
wounded downed pilot, with Robert Conrad staying behind to keep
the load light. Other episodes also used the L-5 Stinson.
My thanks to Abram Karl for providing
this information. Added 6/1/01.
Updated Information - The above Black Sheep Squadron episode is
titled " A Little Bit of England.' I believe the Australian coast
watcher was the English rock star Ted Nugent." My thanks to
Chris Soares for this added info. Updated
7/8/01.
Further Updated Information - I just noticed your reference to
the Black Sheep Squadron episodes with the L-5. Just as "Heads
Up", the Coast Watcher was played by Peter Frampton. You can
find a complete list of all episodes at the following link:
http://www.acepilots.com/misc baa baa.html#top My thanks to Dale
H. Shipman for this corrected info. Updated
8/15/01.
"BLACK SUNDAY," (1975?) about a terrorist (Bruce Dern) who tries
to fly a blimp into the Super Bowl and blow off a bomb that would
propel darts into the crowd. About half way through the movie,
the terrorist wants to test the bomb and dart combo, so he packs
it into his V-tail Bonanza and flies to a remote desert strip.
There he sets the bomb up in an hangar which, sure enough,
contains a Stinson L-5. An unsuspecting man asks him what he is
doing. The terrorist says that he is testing photographic
equipment, and convinces the man to pose next to the L-5 for a
"shot." Of course, the terrorist leaves the building and sets
off the bomb, killing the innocent man and presumably destroying
the L-5.
My thanks to Andrew Auchincloss
for providing the information about "Black Sunday."
"BORDERLINE," 1951, B&W, 88 min, Not Rated, starring Fred
MacMurray, Claire Trevor and Raymond Burr. MacMurray and Trevor
are both cops, although they don't know each other, and they
don't know that the other is a cop. Both are trying to nail
Raymond Burr in Mexico. During the movie Raymond Burr goes after
them and they make a run for the U.S. border. One segment they
rent an airplane, a Stinson 108, and pilot to fly them north to
the U.S. border.
The Stinson shown in the movie is painted with the false
registration number XA907D. There are close ups enough to see
the NC has been painted over for the XA. Of course Mexican
registrations do not use numbers, but all letters. I can say,
with a fair amount of confidence, this is Stinson 108-2 serial
number 108-2907, actual registration being NC907D. This airplane
is still listed on the FAA register.
During the movie there are a few scenes which show the airplane
flying over what is suppose to be Baja California along the
coast. The engine stops for lack of fuel and the Mexican pilot
lands the airplane on the beach. Surprisingly for this time
frame, the scenes appear to be the actual airplane not a model.
I enjoyed this circa 1950's Film Noir movie, which is available
on VHS. Added 11/11/00.
"CATCH 22," I noticed that you missed the cameo appearance of an
L-5 in "Catch-22". The scene involves one of the pilots going
crazy, buzzing the swimming dock (and decapitating someone
standing on it) before crashing into the hill. It's brief, it's
mostly silhouetted, but it's unmistakably a Stinson L-5.
My thanks to Doug Girling for providing this
information about Catch 22. Added 8/5/01.
"CHAIN LIGHTNING," 1950, B&W, 94 min, Not Rated, starring
Humphrey bogart. Humphrey Bogart as an x-WWII bomber pilot had
bought a plane and was a fight instructor. He had a female
student flying solo coming in for a landing and ran it off the
runway and nosed over in a small ditch. She got out as he was
running over and said she would do better tomorrow.
Well that ended the flight school and he went off to look for
another job as a test pilot. It was a small part for the
Stinson, max 1 min in the movie, but made an impression on me.
She cracks up and wants go back for more. Available on video.
My thanks to Sam Burton for providing this
information about Chain Lightning.
"CLIPPED WINGS," 1953, staring Renie Riano, Todd Karne, two of
the Bowery Boys dressed up in AF uniforms. The scenes went back
and forth showing the Stinson 108 several times. The Bowery boys
join the Air Force and help capture spies. It is currently
showing on Turner Classic Movies. The movie was made by Warner
Brothers. They had the Stinson painted up in what looks to be
olive drab.
Viewed on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) - usually shows a movie
several times.
My thanks to David With the number 4475 on both the video and
package. It also has the numbers:ISBN-1-55510-337-5 on it. It
was recorded in LP mode. I have watched it numerous times. The
star (Stinson L-5) is very talented.
My thanks to Alan Ohm for updating
this entry. Update 11/27/00.
"MISSISSIPPI BURNING," 1988, Color, 127 minuets, rated "R,"
starring Gene Hackman and Willen Dafoe. A 4 star movie about
racial prejudice in the deep south of the United States during
the mid 1960's.
The main story revolves around FBI agents investigating the
possible murder of 3 civil rights activists. After team leader
Special Agent Willen Dafoe's traditional methods fail to resolve
the issue, Gene Hackman convinces him to use somewhat unorthodox
techniques. To this end Hackman brings in a Black FBI agent to
"interrogate" the mayor. The Black agent quickly has the mayor
talking after which he flies out in the Stinson 108, in a rather
bad rain storm no less. The Stinson 108 has only a short part in
this powerful movie.
My thanks to Aubie Pearman at for this entry
on Mississippi Burning.
"RADAR MEM FROM THE MOON," a serial featuring Commander Cody,
they guy who wore the backpack rocket. You'll know it if you're
a child of the 50's or so. Anyway a Stinson 108-3 is featured in
episode seven. I was able to read the NC number (NC 6076M) and
traced it to s/n 108-4076, currently registered as N48SW.
My thanks to Edward Clark for sending
this entry. Added 8/2/08.
"STINSON AIR DISASTER," an Australian documentary on the crash
involving Stinson VH-UHH on a routine flight from Brisbane to
Sydney on Feb 20 1937. Amazingly two people lived and were
rescued. The documentary is about how the crash site was found 10
days after the aircraft went missing. There is a small amount of
footage showing an aircraft "VH-UGG" flying over Sydney.
I have twice visited the actual site which is at an elevation of
around 3000ft in the middle of dense rain forest 40 miles south
of Brisbane (it's quite a hard walk to reach it). There is only
around 10Kg of twisted rusted metal left now, but a shrine has
been erected to those that died, and the site has a lot of
appeal.
My thanks to Alan Williams for providing
this information on Stinson Air Disaster.
Update by Bruce McDonald, who is the author of a book about this
crash titled "Once Upon a Mountain." Copies of the book can be
purchased from the web site at URL
http://www.stinson-disaster.com/
The events actually occurred with a Stinson Model A Tri-motor
named the 'City of Brisbane' and registered VH-UHH. Further
details and photographs available at
ttp://www.stinson-disaster.com/
My thanks to Bruce McDonald at
Updated 4/28/03.
"STATE DEPARTMENT FILE 649," 1948, B&W, 87 minuets, Not Rated,
staring William Lundigan and Virginia Bruce. Lundigan is State
Department Vice Counsel Victor Seeley sent to Mongolia. After
arriving in China a Stinson 108-3 is used for his travel into
Mongolia. The Stinson is shown landing, taxing and a couple
minuets of close up.
Some interesting points about the airplane. Color scheme (olive
drab color with U.S. national markings) indicates it is a USAF
airplane, but the USAF never used the Stinson 108. Second point
is that it has a 108-3 tail, however the rear windows appear to
be a 108-2 in the close up. It does have a baggage compartment.
No national registration is visible.
"THE SIMPSONS," the episode titled "He Loves to Fly and He
D'ohs," which is the first episode of Season 19. Basically,
Homer rescues his boss from drowning, so he takes him on his
personal jet, a Gulfstream.
On approach into Chicago, the pilot makes a radio call calling
himself "November 543 Charlie." Of course, this is a Stinson N
Number, registered to a 108-3, 108-3543, which is still active.
Guess they picked the number because it sounded good, don't know.
Updated 5/10/08, my thanks to MSgt. Wade Jones,
for this information on the
"Simpsons" Stinson call sign.
"THE WAR OF THE WORLDS," 1953, Color, 85 minuets, not rated,
starring Gene Barry, and Ann Robinson. A classic science fiction
movie of the early 1950's from the H. G. Wells book.
The main story revolves Earth being attacked by Martians. Gene
Barry and friends are fishing in hills above Pamona, California,
when the Martians land. After the initial devastation, Gene
Barry and Ann Robinson escape in a Stinson (either a L-5 or a
108).
My thanks to Gary Sturm for this entry.
Added 03/05/05.
"THIS ISLAND EARTH," 1955, Color, 86 min, Not Rated, starring Rex
Reason, Faith Domergue and Jeff Morrow. Classic 1950's Sci-Fi
movie. Two Rocket scientists (Reason and Domergue) are taken to
an out of the way location where they try and escape from the
alien (Morrow) in a Stinson 108. The Stinson is lifted into a
space ship and taken to a dying planet. Returning to earth the
scientists escape from the space ship again using the Stinson.
Available on video.
As a side note to "This Island Earth"
Watched ET, the Extraterrestrial, again. In one scene, ET is
watching TV and a scene from This Island Earth is shown, where
the Stinson is "beamed up" to the flying saucer.
My thanks to John Baker for this
information on This Island Earth.
Additional Updates to "This Island Earth"
I have spent the last three years or so researching the Stinson
in "This Island Earth," NC97422, 108-422. Almost two of those
were spent waiting on its records from the FAA. In fact, I
reserved the N Number thinking it would speed up my records
request. Not so much. I became interested in it because of its
close proximity to my own Stinson, and because it wears the
original blue and yellow paint mine will when its done.
Anyway, here's what I've found:
1. I couldn't ascertain ownership when it was in the movie.
Its fairly common knowledge that this movie took over two years
to "make." Its even boasted on one of the movie posters. So
determining when that scene was shot is difficult, and it didn't
have one owner during that time.
2. It was re registered to N25S in the late 50's or early
60's. Sorry, I'm at work, away from my files. 25S was a
Standard Oil Company number, and it was "given" to an employee
after the B-24? that was wearing it was sold.
3. It was destroyed in a hangar fire sometime before March
1970. Its owner at the time was a Mr George in Grass Valley CA.
He owned a Chrysler dealership there. I've written a letter to
his descendent asking for details, but no response. I had the
local librarian search their clipping file, looking for news of
the hangar fire, thinking it would be newsworthy since I'm
thinking more than one plane would have been lost, but no luck.
One of these days, I'm going to visit the library in person and
see if I can turn up something myself.
4. I contacted the Motion Picture Archives (wrong name, but
I'm going on memory). They were kind enough to give a cursory
look through their records for me, but anything in depth has to
be a more "legitimate" pursuit. The tidbit they did give me was
that a woman flew it in the movie, and she was a 99 in the San
Diego area. Her name slips me right now. She was later killed
in an airplane.
Updated 4/27/08, my thanks to MSgt. Wade Jones,
for this information on the "This
Island Earth" Stinson.
Please contact me with additional information you may have on
these or any other movie which has footage of a Stinson 108
airplane.
Larry Westin westin@Tdstelme.net
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