Parachute Jumper *** (1933, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Bette Davis, Leo Carrillo, Claire Dodd, Frank McHugh) – Classic Movie Review 6,852

The better than routine 1933 Warner Bros aviation-themed adventure film Parachute Jumper is given pizzazz by the charismatic combination of Douglas Fairbanks Jr as the parachute jumper, Leo Carrillo as a mobster and Bette Davis as his secretary Alabama. 

Director Alfred E Green’s better than routine 1933 Warner Bros aviation-themed adventure film is given considerable pizzazz by the charismatic combination of Douglas Fairbanks Jr as the title parachute jumper, Leo Carrillo as mobster Kurt Weber and Bette Davis as Weber’s secretary Alabama, lifting the film above the level of so many quickly churned out movies of that period.

Fairbanks Jr and Frank McHugh play parachute jumper heroes Bill Keller and Toodles Cooper who find themselves involved with airborne drug smuggling, wild women (Davis, Claire Dodd as as Mrs Newberry) and the mobster Kurt Weber (Carrillo). It also stars Harold Huber as Steve and Thomas E Jackson as Coffey.

John Francis Larkin’s screenplay, based on the story Some Call It Love by Rian James, ensures that there is a lot of plot and varying, varied and variously entertaining situations in a commendably short running time.

However, Fairbanks Jr said: ‘It was awful’. And Davis rated it ‘dead last’ of her movies, identifying problems with the screenplay and viewing her character as another in a long line of insignificant roles not furthering her career. She complained vigorously about it to studio boss Jack L Warner.

Also in the cast are Leon Ames, Reginald Barlow, Harry Bradley, Edward [Ed] Brady, Walter Brennan, George Chandler, G Pat Collins, Frank Hagney, Harold Healy, Walter Miller, Ferdinand Munier, Frank O’Connor, Pat O’Malley, Paul Panzer, Nat Pendelton, Russ Powell, Dewey Robinson and Sheila Terry.

Parachute Jumper is directed by Alfred E Green, runs 68 minutes, is a Warner Bros production, is written by John Francis Larkin, shot in black and white by James Van Trees, produced by Jack L Warner and Darryl F Zanuck, and scored by Cliff Hess and Harry Warren.

Along with Ex-Lady, it also features in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) as an example of the supposedly poor quality of the film work of the adult Jane Hudson (played by Davis).

Movie pilot Paul Mantz was in charge of Parachute Jumper’s aerial photography, undertaking stunts that included two aircraft flying in close formation.

Hollywood movie pilot Paul Mantz won the contract to provide the flying sequences, using Buhl CA-6 Airsedan, Curtiss Fledgling, Fairchild 71 and Stearman C3R aircraft. Mantz was in charge of the aerial photography, performing a number of stunts that included two aircraft flying in close formation.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6,852

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