Conquest of the Air

Conquest of the Air
Directed by	Zoltan Korda John Monk Saunders Alexander Esway William Cameron Menzies Alexander Shaw Peter Bezencenet
Produced by	Alexander Korda
Written by	John Monk Saunders Hugh Gray Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Starring	Laurence Olivier
Music by	Arthur Bliss
Production company	Alexander Korda Productions
Distributed by	London Films (UK) United Artists (US)
Release dates	December 1936 (UK) 20 May 1940 (US release of revised edition)
Running time	71 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Conquest of the Air (1936) is a documentary film or docudrama on the history of aviation, until the early stages of World War II. 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 Air Ministry of the British Government.

Production background

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.

See also

• List of films in the public domain

External links

• Conquest of the Air at IMDb