Jack Bradon is tasked to reach the South Pole with a dirigible.Jack Bradon is tasked to reach the South Pole with a dirigible.Jack Bradon is tasked to reach the South Pole with a dirigible.
Emmett Corrigan
- Rear Adm. John S. Martin
- (as Emmet Corrigan)
Richard Alexander
- Radio Operator
- (uncredited)
Bess Flowers
- Party Guest
- (uncredited)
George 'Gabby' Hayes
- Parade Official
- (uncredited)
Edward Hearn
- Admiral's Aide
- (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson
- Lt. Rowland
- (uncredited)
Eddie Kane
- Lakehurst Radio Announcer
- (uncredited)
Kenneth MacDonald
- Lt. Fogarty
- (uncredited)
Adrian Morris
- Dirigible 'Los Angeles' Crewman
- (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien
- Sailor
- (uncredited)
Broderick O'Farrell
- Doctor
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis film is loosely based on the crash of the airship Italia, flown by Umberto Nobile, around May 25, 1928 near the North Pole, and the international rescue effort that cost early Polar explorer Roald Amundson his life. The Pilot who rescued Nobile also crashed when returning to rescue more survivors and had to be rescued himself.
- GoofsIn the opening scene, the Capitol Dome is shown outside of Admiral Martin's window. The Navy Yard is over 2 miles from the Capitol and it would not be seen from inside his office.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Frank Capra's American Dream (1997)
- SoundtracksAnchors Aweigh
(1906) (uncredited)
Music by Charles A. Zimmerman
Lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles and R. Lovell
Played during the opening credits and often in the score
Sung by guests at a party
Featured review
Action! Thrills! Blimps!
Okay, I know, they are not blimps. They are Zeppelins. "Airships" was the preferred term by the U.S. Navy.
This is a very exciting action film for 1931. Apparently made with quite a high budget. I saw model shots, large sound stages filling in for Antartica, thousands of extras, real airships, and a gigantic ticker tape parade shot on location in New York City. All of these things cost much money. The U.S. Navy's use of airships was so brief that this film also marks one of the few stories about this chapter in our military history.
This film proves that Capra was also adept at high intensity action directing (for 1931) as well his usual character-driven morality plays that he became so well-known for.
The one thing that is the most striking to me about (some) early talking pictures, of which this is one, is that they have hardly any music score. This is true here, and only adds to the isolated feeling in the scenes of the doomed expedition struggling to escape from the frozen tundra. Plenty of sound effects in the scenes of the doomed Pensacola going down, but no music. In fact, the film even uses a few silent film style narration cards.
Anyway, in spite of this film dating from 1931, it has aged really well and doesn't seem too dated at all. A nice action/adventure film. The print they showed on TCM on television was in very good shape, even the sound was strong in most places. Yes, the love story seemed tacked on, but there are thousands of films in the history of Hollywood that could have survived artistically with their romantic subplots (probably inserted at the insistence of cigar-chewing studio bosses to get "the female market") jettisoned. In any case, this movie is quite entertaining and Worth checking out.
This is a very exciting action film for 1931. Apparently made with quite a high budget. I saw model shots, large sound stages filling in for Antartica, thousands of extras, real airships, and a gigantic ticker tape parade shot on location in New York City. All of these things cost much money. The U.S. Navy's use of airships was so brief that this film also marks one of the few stories about this chapter in our military history.
This film proves that Capra was also adept at high intensity action directing (for 1931) as well his usual character-driven morality plays that he became so well-known for.
The one thing that is the most striking to me about (some) early talking pictures, of which this is one, is that they have hardly any music score. This is true here, and only adds to the isolated feeling in the scenes of the doomed expedition struggling to escape from the frozen tundra. Plenty of sound effects in the scenes of the doomed Pensacola going down, but no music. In fact, the film even uses a few silent film style narration cards.
Anyway, in spite of this film dating from 1931, it has aged really well and doesn't seem too dated at all. A nice action/adventure film. The print they showed on TCM on television was in very good shape, even the sound was strong in most places. Yes, the love story seemed tacked on, but there are thousands of films in the history of Hollywood that could have survived artistically with their romantic subplots (probably inserted at the insistence of cigar-chewing studio bosses to get "the female market") jettisoned. In any case, this movie is quite entertaining and Worth checking out.
helpful•130
- Scott_Mercer
- Sep 16, 2007
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Dirižabl
- Filming locations
- San Gabriel Valley, California, USA(South Pole scenes)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 40 minutes
- Color
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