SKY PIRATES (1940)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *cosmological*

I feel like I grew recognizing the name "Sergeant Renfrew of the Royal Mounted," possibly from seeing the name in lists of popular radio serials of the 1930s. But I never heard the radio shows or saw either the kids' adventure books (published mostly in the twenties and thirties) or any of the eight low-budget films, most or all starring singer James Newill as the titular Mountie.

SKY PIRATES was of interest to me only because it includes a metaphenomenal element, a radio-beam that evil criminals use to force planes to crash. IMDB claims that the movie was based on one of the books, but I could not verify this, and I agreed with one reviewer that the basic plot sounded a lot like 1936's GHOST PATROL. 

That said, PIRATES is much more entertaining than PATROL. One clever twist is that though the crooks get ahold of the radio beam from an equally crooked inventor named Speavy (the celebrated actor Dwight Frye from the 1931 DRACULA), Speavy isn't able to make the beam fully functional. Morgan, leader of the gang, deceives a superior scientist, Professor Lewis, into improving on the beam by telling him he's covertly working for the U.S. government. Speavy resents being trumped on his own invention and nurses a grudge.

While Sgt. Renfrew and his partner Kelly (Dave O'Brien of CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT) try to solve the mystery of the downed planes, Lewis's daughter (Louise Stanley) comes to town looking for her father. She finds him and the crooks' scheme is exposed, partly thanks to Speavy's spite. Renfrew and Kelly have a lively fight with the hoods, but get outnumbered and lose. However, Renfrew-- who spends more time courting the daughter than warbling tunes-- finds a way to cross up the desperado and to get the girl as well.

Though I rated the mythicity as poor, this is a nice little timekiller for the period, with the bonus of a few familiar faces.