jotix100 Aviation in the 1930s in America was already gaining ground. Naturally, all those new planes that were going to be put into service by the Army were supposed to be tested. People like Jim Lane were needed to see how those revolutionary models being introduced, stood through a series of tests proving they were air worthy and how they handled themselves in different conditions."Test Pilot" directed by Victor Fleming, a favorite director of Clark Gable, the star of the film, was an ambitious project for MGM, the studio that produced it. Written by Frank Wead with the help of an uncredited Howard Hawks, a genius in his own right, the film must have been seen as a breakthrough for the way it presents all those daring men and the flying machines.The story brings centers in the relationship among Jim Lane, the ace pilot, Ann Barton, the Kansas girl he marries, and Gunner Morris, another pilot. The story does not make much sense because at first, Ann Barton looks she is a normal, well adjusted woman, who decides to throw away her quiet life in Kansas to follow Jim into an uncertain life having just met him. If that is not a stretch of the imagination, we do not know what is.The relationship between Jim and Gunner, the good friend, suffers because he is secretly in love with Ann; he realizes what the dashing Jim is doing to this lovely woman, but he stays out of the picture. His first loyalty is to him, not to Ann. Drinking affects Jim's life and eventually his own relationship with the woman that loved him, but he is lucky in having her stay with him.Mr. Fleming got good performances from the three principals, Clark Gable, the lovely Myrna Loy, and Spencer Tracy. This was the second time Gable and Tracy worked together in what developed into a great pairing of buddies. There is chemistry between Loy and Gable. The supporting cast includes Lionel Barrymore, Marjorie Main, among others.

blanche-2 I wish I could be as enthusiastic about "Test Pilot" as some of the other people on this board. It has a great, tried and true cast - Gable, Tracy, Myrna Loy, and Lionel Barrymore. Good flying sequences, and very suspenseful scenes at the end.The first hour is lighter, and the dialogue is sharp - Gable is a flier who lands in the Kansas backyard of Loy. It's love at first sight, and they get married. Gable's best friend, Gunner, doesn't approve at first, but changes his mind later. Loy soon realizes that the life of a flier wife is one of worry and fear every time he goes up in a plane. But she loves him too much to leave.It's a very predictable film, and seen in today's world, darn strange that Gunner just hangs around Gable and then Gable and Loy all the time and has no other life.I usually try to watch movies in their world, in this case, 1938, but I found it difficult here. The acting is good - Gable and Tracy were a good team, Gable and Loy were a good team, and Lionel Barrymore gives a nice, underplayed performance. Tracy gives the strongest performance. The film became very melodramatic and the dialogue not as sharp as the first part of it. A case of too many cooks maybe. I just couldn't get into it.

jpheifer-1 First of all, I am not a critic. This is just a visceral reaction to the movie.It starts out as a fun screwball comedy and then gets really deep. Halfway through I was still wondering where this movie was going. And after it got deep, most of the time I had no idea what the characters were talking about. Of course, by the context I knew they were talking about life, death and love, but what they were really trying to say wasn't clear. On one hand, I would think that this movie was quite a surprise to '30s audiences expecting a "Clark Gable movie," but on the other hand, '30s audiences weren't a bunch of innocents. They'd been through a lot of crap, so maybe this movie spoke to them.On the positive side, is there anything lovelier to look at than Clark Gable? Especially a young (about 37 years old) Gable. It's also fun to see Lionel Barrymore as a nice guy. Whoda thunk it?

MartinHafer Like their movie TOO HOT TO HANDLE, this movie proves that Myrna Loy and Clark Gable made a great team (provided you, of course, don't count Parnell). Their chemistry, though less famous than William Powell and Myrna Loy, is great. The light and fun movies they did together are among my favorites of the 1930s. Now I am NOT saying they are the BEST, as there were many films that were more significant or realistic. But, sometimes I just want a film that is fun for fun's sake and doesn't necessarily have great depth. And you can't do a lot better than this film for just such a film. Wonderful acting, a cute plot and dialog and action combine to make a very enjoyable film that will most likely encourage you to look for more like it.