orlabrown

One thing that surprised me in this film was the amount of scientific documentation it exhibits. A female scientist is assigned to the police department in a forensics position. I was also surprised at how little controversy was shown about that fact. But during the course of the movie, comparison of materials (from a single source or not), ballistics evidence, weapon edge evidence and more are all showcased. Not quite a commercial for police as scientific marvels, seeing as how another part of the main story involves whether or not police ought to be able to rough up criminals or not, but considering how far before the Miranda ruling this movie was made, it now comes across as an interesting look at the state of forensics in the late 1930s. For true devotees of The New Detectives (and maybe CSI, though it has little to do with crime scenes per se), this is certainly an interesting title.

Bruce Cabot actually came across better than he has in some films...he's not a great actor, overall, IMO. In this one, he was believable enought that the crisis situation seemed...appropriate, somehow.

Helen Twelvetrees made a nice lead. A little gullible, perhaps, but then, it would have been a whole different movie if she'd been jaded.

The end was interesting, and I'm not sure I liked it very well. Didn't seem to come to an ending, exactly, but more of a "you, the jury, decide"--with the viewer as the jury. Me, I couldn't have convicted anyone, and can't swear I wouldn't have done the deed myself in equal circumstances, and the stresses of the moment.

If you like old movies, this one isn't bad. OTOH, it isn't great either, but better, IMO, than average.

Love Takes Flight is one of those 1930's Hollywood films that can't think of anything more exciting than a story about Hollywood. In this case, Hollywood, airplanes, and aircraft personnel. I was somewhat disappointed in this film, though a large part of that was simply a reflection on the attitudes of the day. Bruce Cabot is always fun to watch, even though he can come across as a bit stiff. Best of the cast, in my opinion, was Beatrice Roberts as Joan Lawson, the airline hostess.

The story revolves around Joan, and Neil Bradshaw (a pilot) who are planning a record-breaking flight to Manila. Both, at different times, are offered Hollywood contracts (co-incidentally with the same producer and leading star)--one accepts, and one declines. This causes many problems, and much angst as they make decisions about their futures. Will the lure of Hollywood stars or starlets pull them apart, or can it bring them back together? Are their dreams more important than a fat paycheck from the studio? The final answers are a little forced, but it's not a bad little flick.