The Flying Ace

Much of 'The Flying Ace' is shot out of doors on attractive Floridian locations and generally well acted apart from the broad and unfunny comic relief supplied by Lyons Daniels as a dim-witted policeman wearing a uniform several sizes too large for him that he looks as if he's been sleeping in and wielding an enormous night-stick, and Steve Reynolds as a one-legged war buddy of the hero (interesting to see a veteran who's returned minus a limb, as so many actually did), whose crutch contains a long-barrelled gun out of which he spays bullets like a character in a spaghetti western. (Another exotic weapon employed is nitryl chloride squirted in a couple of peoples' faces that immediately knocks them out like the purple gas in an episode of 'Batman'.)

Unfortunately the identity of the villain is obvious from the word Go, and the budget simply can't begin to deliver the spectacle promised by the film's title and poster, with the result that the "action" at the climax has to be staged in a manner that resembles a one-reel short made a quarter of a century earlier.

"The Flying Ace" is an interesting film, as it was made in Jacksonville, Florida using and all-black cast. It also seems like a movie serial, being divided up into parts as well as having all sorts of interesting cliffhangers like a traditional serial. What is most interesting, however, is that it's a good film...something you cannot really say about most black cinema of the 1920s through the 40s. This is NOT meant as an insult...just stating a fact. It was because the filmmakers had minimal budgets and no-name directors and actors that most of these films are pretty forgettable...but not "The Flying Ace"!

The story is about a small town where there is a robbery at the railroad station. Someone has gassed the station agent, attacked the guard and made off with the loot. And, it's all up to our brilliant hero, a railroad detective who has just returned from the war to figure out where all the loot is and who took it. But he also must, naturally, have a chase--though this one is aboard airplanes!

The airplane scenes worked BUT are pretty funny as it's pretty obvious that the planes never even leave the ground! This is actually smart directing by the economy-minded director. It's also interesting that the hero has a sidekick...a truly one-legged one who lost it in the war...a rare film reference to the cost of WWI. Overall, despite some occasional cheapo moments, the film is pretty exciting and worth seeing....especially for a silent.

By the way, I have no idea why but some of the actors seemed to have caked on the makeup--particularly the guy playing Finley. He looks almost ghost-like because the makeup is so light. Weird.

The Flying Ace is available on a restoration 35mm print from The Library Of Congress to theaters equipped with dual projectors for changeover projection as no cutting or showings using a platter system are permitted. The film is about 62 minutes in length and is on three 20-minute reels. Enjoy!

Don't expect a lot of aerial dramatics despite the title, as this one is mostly a whodunit of a heist of railroad money, and a rather weak whodunit at that. The mystery is being investigated by both a local constable as well as a former railroad detective who has just recently returned from service in WWI, where he was a "flying ace" (Laurence Criner). There's another man who flies planes as well, someone who is frustrated by his unrequited love for the station manager's daughter, and we get a taste of his character when after having his marriage proposal turned down he says "Confound the perversity of woman. (sic) The next time I get her in that plane of mine, she'll say YES or get out and walk on a cloud." As there aren't a lot of possible characters in the cast who could be suspects we get the idea that he may have had something to do with it. It's not quite as simple as that and the ethyl chloride knockout spray was a nice little touch, but it would be hard to recommend the film based on the creaky mystery alone. Meanwhile, the scenes in the air are brief and clearly shot on the ground, without the benefit of a long shot or even stock footage, so the film is certainly lacking in the kind of production quality that you would see from the big Hollywood studios.

On the other hand, it's simply fantastic that a film made in 1926 featured an all-black cast without stereotypes, and with a variety of role models, not the least of were the aviators who inspired the young men who grew up to become Tuskegee Airmen (this according to TCM's fabulous Jacqueline Stewart). For a white director and studio head Richard E. Norman to show a heroic and intelligent black war pilot at a time when they weren't allowed to fly planes in the military, and wouldn't be until 1940, deserves credit for the statement it was making. And I have to say, if the story drags a bit for you despite the quick 65 minute runtime, stick around for the final reel, when the one-legged sidekick (Steve Reynolds) pedals his bicycle furiously in pursuit of the bad guys, busts out the gun he's concealed in his crutch, and then pursues them on foot. That was brilliant, and I really enjoyed this character. Lastly, Kathryn Boyd is a cutie as the station master's daughter, and the few close-ups she gets, one shedding a tear and others of her flirting with the hero at the end are wonderful.

It's definitely not the best silent film out there, but for what it represents and these characters, it's worth checking out.

Why the hero was made a "Flying Ace" I don't know. The only black American flyer in the Great War was never allowed into the U.S. forces and so flew for the French.

But, so what? The hero here looks both heroic and like a flyer, and he and his one-legged buddy get back home just in time to help solve a robbery.

The one-legger, playing a character known as Peg, is Steve "Peg" Reynolds and I think he steals the movie: Just watching him scurry around on his left leg and crutch is alone enough to make a viewer want to see this movie.

An introductory title card mentions all the players are "colored artists," and they truly are artists. Perhaps not great, still all are competent or better, all are worthy of more and better parts, and that they mostly didn't get more chances speaks badly of the motion picture business.

Florida was in competition for movie production with California for a while, and such big stars as Oliver Hardy began their careers there. So the players of "The Flying Ace" could and should have gone on to bigger and better billings, perhaps especially Kathryn Boyd.

She was cute, fun to watch just walk into and out of a scene, and visually charming. It was easy to understand why one of the villains was so taken with her, and that the hero decided to stay around to get to know her better.

That hero, Laurence (here "Lawrence") Criner, kept acting through 1950 and "The Jackie Robinson Story," racking up 27 credits. As the "Ace," he did most of his acting with his arm, but somehow still came across as a believable strong leading man.

(Ironic historical note: In one movie, his character was "Bull Connors," awfully close to "Bull Connor," the public safety commissioner of Birmingham, denounced for his acts against civil rights demonstrators, and later a Democrat member of the Alabama legislature.)

The production company, the Norman Film Manufacturing Company, was apparently Richard Norman, who wrote, produced, and directed "The Flying Ace," and I think he showed enough ability here, except for the static camera, he could have made many more movies. In fact, he could have taught a few lessons to Oscar Micheaux.

Since Mr. Micheaux seemed to be better at raising money for film production, and Mr. Norman was better at creating and producing moving pictures, they would probably have been a team we'd all be cheering these decades later.

"The Flying Ace" is not a great movie. It can never be considered a classic, but it is a fascinating bit of motion picture history. I recommend you watch it because it's a creation of a little-known production company, with little-known cast and crew, in a state barely known for movie production. It's a real horizon widener.