CONQUEST OF THE AIR (1936) Frederick Culley, Laurence Olivier, Franklin Dyall | Documentary | B&W

Conquest of the Air is a 1936 documentary film or docudrama on the history of aviation up to that time. The film features historical footage, and dramatic re-creations, of the developments of commercial and military aviation; including the early stages of technology developments in design, propulsion, and air navigation aids. The film was a London Films production, commissioned by the British Air Ministry.

SYNOPSIS
This documentary traces man's attempts to fly from ancient times through the 1930s.

CAST & CREW
Frederick Culley as Roger Bacon
Laurence Olivier as Vincent Lunardi
Franklin Dyall as Jerome de Ascoli
Henry Victor as Otto Lilienthal
Hay Petrie as Tiberius Cavallo
John Turnbull as Ferdinand Von Zeppelin
Charles Lefeaux as Louis Bleriot
Bryan Powley as Sir George Cayley
Alan Wheatley as Giovanni Alfonso Borelli
John Abbott as Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier

Directed by Zoltan Korda, John Monk Saunders, Alexander Esway, William Cameron Menzies, Alexander Shaw, Peter Bezencenet
Written by John Monk Saunders, Hugh Gray, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Produced by Alexander Korda
Cinematography Wilkie Cooper, George Noble, Hans Schneeberger, Lee Garmes
Edited by Peter Bezencenet, Charles Frend, Richard Q. McNaughton
Music by Arthur Bliss
Production company Alexander Korda Productions
Distributed by London Films (UK)
Release date December 1936 (UK)
Running time 71 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English

NOTES
The film was initially commissioned by Alexander Korda prior to the advent of World War II, and the Air Ministry saw the value in promoting Britain's contribution and leadership in aviation during this period. Some notable footage is featured of the early phases of automated flight, navigational equipment, and the transitions between civil and military developments, including heavy bombers; fast fighter aircraft; and the advent of naval aviation (aircraft carrier), plus the initial experiments with vertical rotary flight (helicopters).

An updated version was released in 1940 and released in the United States on 20 May 1940.