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Sky Raiders
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Wikipedia article
'Sky Raiders' is a 12-episode 1941 Universal film serial. The serial was directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor. 'Sky Raiders' stars Donald Woods, Billy Halop, Robert Armstrong and Eduardo Ciannelli.Weiss and Goodgold 1973, p. 191. 'Sky Raiders' has little in common with Universals other early-1940s espionage outings like 'Sea Raiders' or 'Junior G-Men', although the serial is often lumped in together as if it is part of a series.Rainey 2010, p. 120.
Plot
Former World War I ace pilot Captain Bob Dayton, (Donald Woods) is the owner of Sky Raiders, Inc., an aircraft company. Dayton has designed a bombsight and a new high speed fighter aircraft, the "Sky Raider". Dayton recruits young Tim Bryant (Billy Halop), a member of Air Youth of America, to help him.
Nazi agent Felix Lynx (Eduardo Ciannelli) attempts to steal these designs for his own country. Lynx is determined to seize this valuable new aircraft, with the help of his female accomplice Innis Clair (Jacqueline Dalya) and of a criminal named John KAne who happens to be a perfect double for Dayton. All attempts, however, to steal the fighter aircraft prototype, fail.
Dayton's new bombsight is being tested in Hawaii, and Lynx intercepts a Sikorsky S-45 flying boat on the way to Honolulu. After it is shot down, Dayton and his secretary Mary Blake (Kathryn Adams) who were on board, were rescued by a government cutter.
Lieutenant Carry (Robert Armstrong) and Tim meet the survivors but find that Lynx has sent his henchmen to finish the job. The foreign agents are killed when they hit an oncoming truck. Mary announces that she has become Mrs. Dayton.
Chapter titles
# Wings of Disaster!
# Death Rides the Storm
# The Toll of Treachery
# Battle in the Clouds
# The Fatal Blast
# Stark Terror!
# Flaming Doom
# The Plunge of Peril
# Torturing Trials
# Flash of Fate
# Terror of the Storm
# Winning Warriors!
Source:Cline 1984 p. 229.
Cast
* Donald Woods as Captain Bob Dayton / John Kane, World War I ace and co-owner of Sky Raiders, Inc.
* Billy Halop as Tim Bryant, member of the Air Youth of America
* Robert Armstrong as Lieutenant Ed Carey, co-owner of Sky Raiders, Inc.
* Eduardo Ciannelli as Felix Lynx, Nazi agent
* Kathryn Adams as Mary Blake, Sky Raiders, Inc.'s secretary
* Jacqueline Dalya as Innis Clair
* Jean Fenwick as The Countess Irene
* Reed Hadley as Caddens, one of Lynx's henchmen
* Irving Mitchell as R.S. Hinchfield
* Edgar Edwards as Teal, one of Lynx's henchmen
* John Holland as Hess, one of Lynx's henchmen
* Roy Gordon as Major General Fletcher
* Alex Callam as Captain Long
* Phil Warren as Bakeman, the crackpot with gun
* Bill Cody, Jr. as Jack Hurd, a young boy
Production
Many exterior shots for 'Sky Raiders' were made at the Grand Central Air Terminal, Glendale, California. A rare Phillips 1-B Aeroneer appears in the serial.Farmer 1984, p. 327. Bob Dayton's personal aircraft is a Fairchild 24W-9 (c/n W-101, NC18688).Santoir, Christian. [http://aeromovies.fr/articles.php?lng=en&pg=886&mnuid=1425&tconfig=0 "Review: 'Sky Raiders'."] 'aeromovies', October 16, 2010. Retrieved: July 11, 2019.
Aerial photography was a mixture of "fairly effective combinations of process-screen shots, (obvious) model work, stock footage and actual flying work by stunt pilot Jerry Jerome."Blake, Jerry. [https://filesofjerryblake.com/2014/01/17/sky-raiders/ "Review: 'Sky Raiders'."] 'The Files of Jerry Blake', January 17, 2014. Retrieved: July 11, 2019.
The aircraft used in 'Sky Raiders' are:
* Bell YFM-1 Airacuda
* Fairchild 24W-9, c/n W-101, NC18688, c/n 2689, NC15346
* Fairchild Super 71 c/n 646, NC9174
* Kellett KD-1
* Monocoupe 90 c/n 526, NC192K (archive images)
* Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro AC-35 c/n J-91, NX70
* Phillips 1-B Aeroneer, c/n 1, NX16075
* Sikorsky S-45
* Spartan Executive 7W, c/n 7-W12, NC17613
Stunts
* Dave O'Brien
* Tom Steele
* Ken Terrell
Reception
Reviewer Hans J. Wollstein, wrote in his review of 'Sky Raiders' for 'Allmovie', "Universal catered to the young fans of aviation with this airborne serial, which featured a plucky kid 'Bowery Boy' Billy Halop and plenty of 'sky riders'. Famous aviator Bob Dayton (Donald Woods) hires a bright member of the Air Youth of America, Tim (Halop), to help him finalize a hush-hush project: a new type of fighter plane and bombsight. This being 1941, plenty of enemy agents are after the invention, including the nefarious Felix Lynx (Eduardo Cianelli). It takes Dayton, Tim, and the co-owner of Sky Raiders, Inc., Lieutenant Ed Carey (Robert Armstrong) 12 breathless chapters before they are able to defeat the enemy. The final installment was quite appropriately entitled 'Winning Warriors'."Wollstein, Hans J. [https://www.allmovie.com/movie/v140309 "Review: 'Sky Raiders'."] 'allmovie.com', 2019. Retrieved: July 11, 2019.
See also
* List of film serials
* List of film serials by studio
* Junior G-Men
* Junior G-Men (serial)
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
* Cline, William C. "Filmography". 'In the Nick of Time'. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1984. .
* Farmer, James H. 'Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation' (1st ed.). Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB Books 1984. .
* Lovell, Mary S. 'The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart'. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. .
* Rainey, Buck. 'Serials and Series: A World Filmography, 19121956'. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2010. .
* Weiss, Ken and Ed Goodgold. 'To be Continued ...: A Complete Guide to Motion Picture Serials'. New York: Bonanza Books, 1973. .
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