John Trent
Tailspin Tommy Tompkins
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Synopsis
Pilot Tailspin Tommy encourages local boys to build model aircraft while helping protect a payroll delivery from robbers. When a storm brings down his plane during a medical mission, a young club member's ingenuity becomes crucial. The boy's success also attracts criminals who see another use for his growing reputation.
Cast
DirectorsHoward Bretherton
Behind the scenes
The last of Monogram's four Tailspin Tommy features began filming at Alhambra Airport in September 1939. It connects full-size aviation with model building, allowing the children to contribute practical knowledge to the rescue story. The character originated in the newspaper comic strip created by Hal Forrest and Glenn Chaffin.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Marjorie Reynolds — Studio Publicity · Public domain
- Milburn Stone — CBS Television · Public domain
- Jason Robards Sr. — Warner Bros. · Public domain
