The Lady Takes a Flyer

The Lady Takes a Flyer
The Lady Takes a Flyer
	Film poster by Reynold Brown
Directed by	Jack Arnold
Screenplay by	Danny Arnold
Based on	story by Edmund H. North
Produced by	William Alland
Starring	Lana Turner; Jeff Chandler
Cinematography	Irving Glassberg
Edited by	Sherman Todd
Music by	Herman Stein
Production; company	Universal Pictures
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	January 30, 1958;
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Lady Takes a Flyer is a 1958 American CinemaScope Eastmancolor comedy-drama romance film made by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Jack Arnold, and written by Danny Arnold, based on a story by Edmund H. North.

Plot[]

Daredevil pilot Mike Dandridge goes into a business partnership with flight-school pal Al Reynolds and meets Maggie Colby, who's also a pilot.

The two flyers take cargo to Japan, where they become romantically involved. Al is best man at their wedding, then joins the Air Force.

Mike hires new pilot Nikki Taylor and might be having an affair with her during business trips while Maggie stays home with their new baby. Maggie decides to fly a shipment herself and let Mike care of their daughter for a change. He and co-pilot Phil take a risk by bringing the baby along on a flight to London. Their plane has difficulty landing in a fog, angering Maggie, whose own plane barely got there safely. But at least Mike and Maggie are brought closer by the experience.

Cast[]

Lana Turner as Maggie Colby
Jeff Chandler as Mike Dandridge
Richard Denning as Al Reynolds
Andra Martin as Nikki Taylor
Chuck Connors as Phil Donahoe
Reta Shaw as Nurse Kennedy
Alan Hale Jr. as Frank Henshaw
Jerry Paris as Willie Ridgeley
Dee J. Thompson as Collie Minor
Nestor Paiva as Childreth
James Doherty as Tower Operator

Production[]

The film was based on an original screenplay, originally known as Pilots for Hire, then Lion in the Sky. It was the first of a two-picture deal Turner had with Universal.^[1] It was also known as Wild and Wonderful.^[2]

Filming started in April 1957.^[3]

Novelization[]

A worthwhile novelization of the screenplay, illustrated with production stills, was written by American writer Edward S. Aarons (1916–1975) under the mild pseudonym Edward Ronns, published in a digest size, mass market, tie-in paperback edition by Avon Books (cover price 35¢) with copyright © 1958 assigned to the author (under his pseudonym) and photos copyright © 1958 to Universal Pictures Company, Inc. (Aarons is best known for his prolific "Assignment" espionage series, featuring agent Sam Durell.)

References[]

^ THOMAS M. PRYOR (Feb 21, 1957). "UNIVERSAL SUES ACTOR IT OUSTED: Studio Charges O. W. Fischer With Contract Breach in Filming of 'Godfrey' Huxley to Work on Cartoon". New York Times. p. 30.
^ Smith, Cecil. (Sep 15, 1957). "Busy Lana Turner Recalls When She Was Little Jodie: Lana Turner Recalls When She Was Just Little Jodie". Los Angeles Times. p. E1.
^ Hopper, Hedda (Apr 13, 1957). "Denning Joins Cast of 'Lady Takes Flyer'". Los Angeles Times. p. B2.

External links[]

The Lady Takes a Flyer at IMDb
The Lady Takes a Flyer at AllMovie
The Lady Takes a Flyer at the TCM Movie Database
The Lady Takes a Flyer at the British Film Institute
Review of film at Variety

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[1] THOMAS M. PRYOR (Feb 21, 1957). "UNIVERSAL SUES ACTOR IT OUSTED: Studio Charges O. W. Fischer With Contract Breach in Filming of 'Godfrey' Huxley to Work on Cartoon". New York Times. p. 30.

[2] Smith, Cecil. (Sep 15, 1957). "Busy Lana Turner Recalls When She Was Little Jodie: Lana Turner Recalls When She Was Just Little Jodie". Los Angeles Times. p. E1.

[3] Hopper, Hedda (Apr 13, 1957). "Denning Joins Cast of 'Lady Takes Flyer'". Los Angeles Times. p. B2.

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