“Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” @ FLMNH (July 12)

The Florida Museum of Natural History’s “Creative B” summer film series features entertaining fantasy and science fiction films and roundtable discussions by scholars, scientists, writers, and artists.

On July 12, this summer’s series continues with Ken Annakin’s madcap period comedy of early aviation, Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes (1965). A family-friendly, overstuffed, breathless romp in the tradition of Stanley Kramer’s It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Those Magnificent Men features a cast of several dozen of the best-known British, European, and American character actors of the period. A major commercial and critical success, the film was shot in the wide-screen, 70 MM Todd-AO format used for films such as Michael Todd’s Around the World in Eighty Days (1956) and Robert Wise’s The Sound of Music (1965).

Set in 1910, Those Magnificent Men recounts the misadventures of competitors in an international air race from London to Paris. Lord Rawnsley, an English press magnate, has offered a prize of £10,000 to the winner and the title “number one in the air” to the winner’s home country. Rawnsley’s pants-wearing suffragette daughter Patricia is fixated on the romance and spectacle of flight. Courted by pompous British aviator Richard Mays (whom her father favors), Patricia’s affections are turned by the arrival of rugged American barnstormer Orvil Newton (whom her father decidedly does not favor). Their love triangle is set against a backdrop of bungled practice runs before the race, and the chaos of the race itself, involving eccentric, mostly hapless aviators from Europe, the U.S., and Asia. The film is marked by a strong vaudevillian sensibility heavy on slapstick comedy; mild sexual innuendo and goofy national stereotypes abound. (As Lord Rawnsley observes, “The trouble with these international affairs is that they attract foreigners…”)

Those Magnificent Men is celebrated for the accuracy of its sets, props, and costumes, and in particular for its twenty historically-accurate reproductions of period aircraft, six of which were airworthy and used during hair-raising aerial stunts in the film. Scenes of the race launch included more than 2,000 extras in period costumes, airplanes, and automobiles. Passages showing the aircraft in graceful flight over the British and French countrysides are breathtaking.

During a half-century-long career, Ken Annakin directed nearly fifty feature-length films. He is best known for a series of popular costume-adventure dramas released in the 1960s. His most ambitious production, Those Magnificent Men was inspired by his close friendship with Sir Alan Cobham, a World War I flying ace and pioneer of long distance aviation, and Annakin’s service in the British Royal Air Force during World War II.

The film was co-written by Annakin and prolific English comedy screenwriter Jack Davies, who were nominated for an Academy Award for their screenplay. The jaunty musical score, including the ear-wormy title theme, is by Ron Goodwin. Among the many stars of the film are Stuart Whitman (Orvil Newton), Sarah Miles (Patricia), Terry-Thomas (Sir Percy Ware-Armitage), Robert Morley (Lord Rawnsley), and James Fox (Richard Mays).

The evening’s events begin at 7 PM. The screening will be preceded and followed by a roundtable discussion featuring:

• Ian Breheny – Museum Operations Specialist at the FLMNH, co-founder of the film series, and moderator
• Terry Harpold – Associate Professor of English, Film & Media Studies at UF
• Mark Law – Professor of Engineering, Director of the UF Honors Program
• Tim Lawrence – Special effects artist and concept sculptor, ILM Creature Shop supervisor for Ghostbusters 2, concept sculptor for Jurassic Park and character FX crew and puppeteer for Gremlins 2 and Harry & the Hendersons

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines is rated G and is suitable for audience of all ages.

On July 19, beginning at 7 PM, the series continues with Richard Fleischer’s Fantastic Voyage (1966).

All “Creative B” events are free and open to the public.