This film is part of Rentals
Dual Control
Take to the skies in this eccentric short starring the newlywed darlings of British aviation, Amy Johnson and Jim Mollison.
Director: Walter Summers
Overview
This delightful curio sees ace aviators Amy Johnson and Jim Mollison descend on the Home Counties in search of fuel, meeting a gaggle of excitable schoolgirls on the way. With prolific director Walter Summers at the helm, the spiffing short was made to publicise Mollison's bid to become the first to fly westward across the Atlantic - though he is arguably upstaged by his trailblazing wife.
Johnson and Mollison, never quite at ease with such scripted fare, had announced their engagement in May 1932. They first met during Amy's victory tour of Australia in 1930, when she achieved international fame by becoming the first woman to fly solo from England. In 1933 the couple completed a transatlantic crossing in their plane Seafarer, surviving a serious crash-landing, but eventually separated in 1936.
Related
To Hell with Accidents To Hell with Accidents
Documentary 1970 23 mins Director: Ken Daley
Merchant seamen beware! The Devil's Director of Accidents is on board in this imaginative training film promoting safety at sea.
The Cradocks The Cradocks
Biopic 1959 13 mins
If looks could kill: Dan Farson gets on the wrong side of fearsome TV cook Fanny Cradock - and her seafood platter - in this classic 1959 interview.
The Princess and the Pea The Princess and the Pea
Fairy tale 1979 8 mins Director: Don Boyd
A starry British cast breathes life into the fairytale favourite by Hans Christian Andersen.
Star Impersonations Star Impersonations
Advert 1930 8 mins Silent Director: Harry Hughes
Five British film stars show a talent for mimickry in this quirky film magazine promotion.
Ypres Ypres
War 1925 79 mins Silent Director: Walter Summers
Battle film made as a memorial to the dead of WWI, documenting events at Ypres using reconstructed and genuine footage.
The Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands The Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands
War 1927 106 mins Silent Director: Walter Summers
This dramatic reconstruction of two decisive naval battles from the First World War is one of the finest films of the British silent era.
The Flame of Love The Flame of Love
Melodrama 1930 75 mins Director: Richard Eichberg and Walter Summers
Chinese-American star Anna May Wong dazzles as a Chinese dancer forced to give herself to a Russian General in order to save her brother.
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus
Documentary 2023 103 mins Director: Neo Sora
This moving tribute to the late composer and musician speaks volumes about his enormous talent, pioneering work and dedication to his craft.
Our Mothers Our Mothers
Drama 2019 77 mins Director: César Díaz
As Guatemala confronts its violent past, a forensic anthropologist is tasked with identifying the dead, in this affecting Cannes prize-winning drama.
Red Herring Red Herring
Documentary 2023 94 mins Director: Kitson Vincent
Following his terminal diagnosis, young filmmaker Kit Vincent sets out to document an intimate and darkly humorous journey in this BIFA nominated documentary.
Robot Dreams Robot Dreams
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 103 mins Director: Pablo Berger
Spanish director Pablo Berger delivers a rich and emotionally engaging dialogue-free animation about friendship, set in a bustling 1980s New York City.
Stephen Stephen
Drama-documentary 2023 78 mins Director: Melanie Manchot
Artist Melanie Manchot’s debut feature is a visually striking film-within-a-film, exploring mental health and addiction.
Red Island Red Island
Drama 2023 117 mins Director: Robin Campillo
French writer-director Robin Campillo offers a searching exploration of memory and politics, in this boldly conceived story of boyhood in 1970s Madagascar.