The Flying Irishman backdrop

The Flying Irishman 1939 Directed by Leigh Jason

See the "inside story" of his flight in this exciting drama of life!

This is the story of the historic 1938 flight of Douglas 'Wrong Way' Corrigan. Mr. Corrigan starred in this film, which chronicled his infamous flight. On July 17, 1938, Mr. Corrigan loaded 320 gallons of gasoline (40 hours worth) into the tiny, single engine plane. While expressing his intent to fly west to Long Beach, CA, Mr. Corrigan flew out of Floyd Bennett Field heading east over the Atlantic. Instrumentation in the plane included two compasses (both malfunctioned) and a turn-and-bank indicator. The cabin door was held shut with baling wire. Nearly 29 hours later, he landed in Baldonnel near Dublin. He forever claimed to be surprised at arriving in Ireland rather than California. He returned to the US as a hero, with a ticker tape parade in New York and received numerous medals and awards.

Country USA
Production Country USA
Language English
Spoken Language English
Gnere Drama
Production Company RKO Radio Pictures
Release Date 7 April 1939
71 mins
Cast
Douglas Corrigan Douglas Corrigan
Eddie Quillan Henry Corrigan
Paul Kelly Butch Brannen
Gene Reynolds Young Douglas Corrigan
Minor Watson Airport Personnel Manager
Dorothy Peterson Ma Corrigan
Scotty Beckett Young Henry Corrigan
Peggy Ryan Edith Corrigan
Becky Bohanon Young Edith Corrigan
Donald MacBride Roy Thompson
Cora Witherspoon Mamie Thompson
Roy Gordon Dr. Howard
Grady Sutton Clothing Store Sales Clerk
Edward Gargan J.R. Robinson
Charles Williams Car Repo Man
George Chandler Airport Gas Attendant
Louis Jean Heydt Airport Spectator
Knox Manning Commentator
Don Barclay Bettor
Leon Belasco Russian Commentator
Frank Coghlan Jr. Teenager Taking Photograph
Joe Cunningham Second Man Grounding Doug in New York
Frank Faylen New York Mechanic
Ralph Graves First Man Grounding Doug in New York
Kenneth Harlan Man at New York Airport
Olaf Hytten Irish Airport Radio Operator
Lloyd Ingraham Doctor Attending Mrs. Corrigan
Charles Irwin Office at Ireland Airport
Tiny Jones Flower Peddlar
Milton Kibbee New York Airport Manager
Ann Kunde Airplane Passenger
Dorothy Lovett Telephone Operator
George Magrill New York Airport Workman
Philip Morris Mechanic
Horace Murphy Drunk at New York Airport
Perry Noisom Messenger
Lee Phelps Mechanic Hiring Doug
Jack Rice Airplane Owner Selling It to Corrigan
Billy Wayne Photographer
Gayne Whitman New York City Announcer
J.M. Kerrigan Mr. Clyde Corrigan Sr.
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Director
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Cinematography