Tailspin Tommy

Universal's 24th sound-era serial was the first of their two serials featuring Hal Forrest's "Tailspin Tommy" ,and was, in style, retention of most of the strip's primary (and secondary) characters and story line, basically a live-action rendition of the early days of the comic strip. It was also the company's first serial based on a comic strip and, while they would make 16 serials based on comic strip-originated characters (Tailspin Tommy{2}, Flash Gordon {3}, Ace Drummond, Jungle Jim, Secret Agent X-9 {2}, Radio Patrol, Tim Tyler, Red Barry, Buck Rogers, Don Winslow {2} and Smilin' Jack), this one was the most faithful to its origin, followed closely by "Red Barry" and the "Flash Gordon" offerings. Yes, "Tarzan", "The Green Hornet" and "Gang Busters" also had comic strips in their history but they were first and foremost literary or radio originated.

It was also the most episodic of all their serials, with some plot lines being resolved within the usual overall chapter 1-12 formatting. The six screenplay writers---Ray Cannon, Ella O'Neill, Robert Hershon, Basil Dickey, George Plympton and Vin Moore---appear to have taken the stories straight from day one of the comic strip's continuity... "adapted from the newspaper comic feature by Hal Forrest"... and tinkered very little while doing so, and retained the small-town Americana and wind-sock airport flavor of the strip.

Serials, just as all other genres and films, should only be rated and judged against "their own", based on when (the era) and for whom (the market) they were made for and the restrictions they were made under..and an understanding of such by the judge. Which is why we don't participate in the very-subjective exercise of rating films.

But, among serials, we consider "Tailspin Tommy" one of the top-keepers.

I am very impressed finding this review of Tailspin Tommy. I have stumped many people with my knowledge of old serials. Most you mentioned I actually watched on TV " 6 Inch" WPIX CH 11 in New York, and or listened too on the Radio. Didn't they also do JACK Armstrong, All American boy??

What about The Whistler? The Shadow Knows? Didn't they also have those or was that another company?

You have brought back many memories, I would sit in my Landlords house and Listen to the Radio to all the Serials you mention and more with my childhood friend, Joe Abbenda, "Later Mr. America, & Mr. Universe" Joe and I still keep in touch and I cannot wait to tell him about this website. Going to the Movies on Saturday brought 12 Cartoons, 2 feature Films and 3 or 4 Serials for .35 cents. Later .50 cents, we would go in at 11AM and our folks would pick us up at 5:30 PM.

The thirties, drifting unknowingly toward the horrors of WW2, provided the context for these appropriately earnest young men to prove themselves by successfully competing for a mail contract( it could have been anything of value). The villains are devious and uncomplicated. The women chaste and nearly helpless. The acting (especially Noah Berry, Jr and Grant Withers) projects to the highest seat in the balcony. The flying sequences may be the best the film has to offer but on a Saturday afternoon in the mid-thirties this was quite good enough, thank you. This film stands as a worthy example of our sweet, innocent past.

I started watching this great serial, at YouTube, and there are several things I'd like to say: 1) One of many objections I have to modern "hero" movies, especially based on comic books (I don't know of any based on comic strips) is the way "heroes" are just suddenly there, with no introduction. "Tailspin" Tommy, though, is shown as a youngster and ... well, no, I'll let everyone watch. More, I *urge* everyone to watch. It's a lot of fun, and Tommy is *introduced*, not just suddenly there as if everyone knows the backstory. We in the audience see him mature from the small-town garage to a mature pilot. As one reviewer (horn-5) said, it's a serial "most faithful to the original source," a newspaper comic strip. 2) This is such a fascinating look at early aviation. It was, to people like Tommy, *exciting* and was made so to everyone else. Even to me, now, in January of 2021. Crowds of people are shown excited by the mere presence of an airplane, especially one landing in a farmer's field, which apparently actually happened often in those early days. There are some darn good actors in the minor roles, and often some very good dialogue. This rural county I live in, Cochise, containing, for example, Tombstone and Fort Huachuca, where the iconic 10th Cavalry was posted, and Willcox, the home of Rex Allen, also had a visit by Amelia Earhart, and some other notable early aviation minor history. Those visits are still written about. 3) "Tailspin Tommy" has lots of very likable characters. 4) There are lots of all kinds of characters, with many of them having speaking and pivotal roles, a sign of a well-done and watchable movie. It might be not as exciting as, say, "Zorro's Fighting Legion" or "Spy Smasher," and there are few "cliff-hanger" chapter endings, but it is great entertainment, and very great motion picture history. For example, look for the iconic Walter Brennan in an early and uncredited role. And watch some scary aerobatics. OK, it's not perfect. Sound effects and fight scenes were much better done at Republic, for example, but that evocation of the era, the enthusiasm for aviation shown by the characters, the tension of the airline's efforts to meet contractual obligations in order to stay in business, and the sheer number of speaking roles all combine to make this a must-see serial. I cannot recommend it highly enough.