Blaze of Noon (1947)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

John Farrow

Writers:

Ernest K. Gann (novel)
Arthur Sheekman (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

2 May 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

ALL THE THRILLS...THE ROMANCE...THE DARING OF A SENSATIONAL BEST-SELLER BLAZES TO THE SCREEN!...S0 MAGNIFICENT...IT TOOK 6 GREAT STARS TO FILM IT!

Plot:

In the 1920s, four brothers fly for the fledgling U.S. Air Mail Service.

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Aviation | Time For Title | Based On Novel

Cast

Anne Baxter	...	Lucille Stewart
William Holden	...	Colin McDonald
Sonny Tufts	...	Roland McDonald
William Bendix	...	Porkie Scott
Sterling Hayden	...	Tad McDonald
Howard Da Silva	...	Mike Gafferty
Johnny Sands	...	Keith McDonald
Jean Wallace	...	Poppy
Edith King	...	Mrs. Murphy
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Reverend Polly
Dick Hogan	...	Sidney
Don Beddoe	...	Mr. Fell
Will Wright	...	Mr. Thomas
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Betty Allen	...	Nurse (uncredited)
George Anderson	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Stanley Andrews	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Gene Ashley	...	Pilot (uncredited)
James Burke	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Vera Burnett	...	Secretary at Operations Desk (uncredited)
Bill Burt	...	Reporter / Pilot (uncredited)
Carolyn Butler	...	Nurse (uncredited)
George M. Carleton	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Helen Chapman	...	Stella (uncredited)
Nell Craig	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Kernan Cripps	...	Fireman (uncredited)
Billy Curtis	...	Midget Barker (uncredited)
Jim Davies	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
Boyd Davis	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Donya Dean	...	Girl in Speakeasy (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	Sam (uncredited)
Julia Faye	...	Hatchet-Faced Wife (uncredited)
Frank Ferguson	...	Cash Jones (uncredited)
Margaret Field	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Joseph J. Greene	...	Tilson (uncredited)
Eula Guy	...	Nurse (uncredited)
William Haade	...	Man in Speakeasy (uncredited)
Eddie Hall	...	Airplane Mechanic / Man watching Hula Dancers (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Len Hendry	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Earle Hodgins	...	Poppy's Barker (uncredited)
Jerry James	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Lorna Jordon	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Bob Kortman	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Paul Lees	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Farrell Lester	...	Barker (uncredited)
Babe London	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
William Meader	...	Barker / Pilot / Reporter (uncredited)
Darlene Mohilef	...	Piano Player (uncredited)
Frances Morris	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Finley T. Harris (uncredited)
Broderick O'Farrell	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Franklin Parker	...	Jenkins (uncredited)
Nanette Parks	...	Piano Player (uncredited)
Milton Parsons	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Engineer (uncredited)
Tom Plank	...	Barker (uncredited)
Byron Poindexter	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Hal Rand	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Joey Ray	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Beverly Shaw	...	Hula Barker (uncredited)
John Sheehan	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Bob Stephenson	...	Bandstand Announcer / Waiter (uncredited)
Helen St. Rayner	...	Piano Player and Singer (uncredited)
Tex Swan	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Marie Thomas	...	Lucy's Assistant (uncredited)
Minerva Urecal	...	Woman in Church (uncredited)
Geraldine Wall	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Billy Wayne	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Joe Whitehead	...	Man in Church (uncredited)

Directed by
John Farrow

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ernest K. Gann		novel
Arthur Sheekman		screenplay
Frank Wead		screenplay

Produced by
Robert Fellows	....	producer

Original Music by
Adolph Deutsch

Cinematography by
William C. Mellor		(director of photography)

Art Direction by
Roland Anderson
Hans Dreier

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Bertram C. Granger		(as Bert Granger)

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Herbert Coleman	....	assistant director (as William H. Coleman)

Art Department
Roy Kreuger	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Stanley Cooley	....	sound recordist
Walter Oberst	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Devereaux Jennings	....	special photographic effects
Gordon Jennings	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Farciot Edouart	....	process photographer
Tom Tutwiler	....	aerial photographer

Editorial Department
Eda Warren	....	editorial supervisor

Music Department
Ray Egan	....	composer: song "I Never Knew"
Roy K. Marsh	....	composer: song "I Never Knew"
Tom Pitts	....	composer: song "I Never Knew"

Other crew
Paul Mantz	....	aerial supervisor
Paul Mantz	....	chief pilot
Clarence A. Shoop	....	technical advisor (as Colonel Clarence A. Shoop)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #12233, General Audience) | Sweden:15

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Soundtrack:

I Never Knew

Pioneers

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

With the arrival of the airplane in the last century a new era for progress began. Not only did it open air routes, but the need to move the mail faster became a reality. The first impact was the possibility to take the mail to places, that up to then, went only by surface transport. Thus, a letter took much less to reach its destination than before. The only problem was the aircraft used for the operation, which made those trips quite dangerous because the lack of radio and the way the pilots flew using visual aids.

The four McDonald brothers were daredevils that worked a lot of air shows doing their amazing stunts to the delight of the spectators. When the opportunity to get steady work flying for a new outfit in Newark, N.J., the four brothers get hired. Colin, gets the eye of Lucille, a nurse, who ends up marrying him, but due to having to share living quarters, never got to live a normal life. The four brothers were inseparable. The tragic death of the younger brother, Keith, has a terrible impact on the McDonalds. Tad and Colin will also suffer accidents. Only Roland escapes unharmed when he switched aviation for a safer job.

"Blaze at Noon" is a movie rarely seen. It's worth a look because of John Farrow's direction and the cast. Anne Baxter, William Holden, Sterling Hayden, William Bendix, Howard Da Silva, Sonny Tufts, and the rest do compelling work for Mr. Farrow, and although this is not a great film, it has a lot of aerial stunts that for the year when it came out must have looked outstanding.