Biography of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh.
CU of young Charles Lindbergh, wearing leather aviator helmet and goggles, standing in front of a single engine plane (more than likely the Spirit of St. Louis). MS of Charles wearing a business suit and riding in the backseat of an open convertible during a parade in his honor (American flags surround him). More CU/MSs of Charles in suit, posing for camera.
DO NOT USE Opening credits, introduction by Mike Wallace.
Montage of 1920s aviation attempts: series of failures (crashes, explosions; engineering disasters), as well as some feats of ingenuity. Mostly not. All types of biplanes and variations thereof.
TLS Spirit of St. Louis landing at Curtiss Airfield. MSs/CUs press opportunity with Charles Lindbergh, Admiral Richard Byrd and Clarence Chamberlain, all posing in front of a propeller plane. Cut to MS/CUs of Charles and his mother, in front of plane.
DO NOT USE Still photos of Lindbergh & plane.
Cut to TLSs of the Spirit of St. Louis being filled with gasoline; MSs of Charles getting ready for the flight and then boarding it; tight LSs of the plane taxiing, taking off;
Recreation of Spirit Of St Louis Flight. Subjective shots of the view from the plane; shots of plane in flight. A single engine plane flying over ocean and coast.
DO NOT USE Stills of Charles Lindbergh as a boy and a young man. Stills of his father.
CU of Charles sitting in cockpit of old plane, cut to TLS US Army officers talking to pilot on airfield filled with Jenny biplanes (judging by the uniforms and markings on the planes.
Great TLSs of barnstormers performing aerial acrobatic stunts (stunt pilots, daredevils): barrel flips, going under bridges, stunts, crashing into houses.
Cut to TLS/MSs of ceremony on Lambert Field, inauguration of Air Mail service between St. Louis and Chicago, young Charles Lindbergh one of the pilots there. TLSs US Air Mail plane being pushed onto snowy runway, plane taking off into snow.
TLSs of a single engine plane flying over ocean and coast.
LSs of Charles Lindbergh's nighttime landing in France and the ensuing celebratory madness; good shots of the crowd mobbing the plane.
Great montage of celebrations in French towns and cities. MS of Charles speaking into a megaphone from a balcony on an airfield. MS of Charles on another balcony, waving American and French flags.
Charles boards the USS Memphis, returns home to America, dirigibles overhead. Parade through streets of Washington DC, press corps in full effect; nice shot military marching band with Capitol Dome in BG; Charles and mother in motorcade; President CALVIN COOLIDGE presents Charles with the Flying Cross.
The celebration sets sail for New York City: MS Charles Lindbergh leaping from car before it has come to a complete stop in order to catch a waiting plane; aerials of boats clogging New York Harbor; great TLSs of Charles' boat flanked by countless others, all draped and creped with red, white and blue bunting; TLSs of mobbed ports (total chaos); TLSs of the ticker tape parade through the canyons of New York City-- ticker tape, confetti, airplane themed floats, crowds being held back by the police, American flags waving in abundance.
Charles Lindbergh goes on a US tour: police escort on motorcycles, motorcade, crowds, etc.
Subjective shot of parade, Welcome Lindy banner overhead. MS/CUs Charles Lindbergh arriving at various events around the world, people tossing flowers upon him like a returned king.