Lost in the Stratosphere

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William Cagney and Edward J. Nugent in Lost in the Stratosphere (1934)

Two military pilots are close friends, and share in a lot of hazardous missions while engaging in a series of good-natured romantic rivalries.Two military pilots are close friends, and share in a lot of hazardous missions while engaging in a series of good-natured romantic rivalries.Two military pilots are close friends, and share in a lot of hazardous missions while engaging in a series of good-natured romantic rivalries.

Director
- Melville W. Brown
Writers
- Tristram Tupper
- Albert DeMond
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

4.3/10

139

YOUR RATING

Director
- Melville W. Brown
Writers
- Tristram Tupper
- Albert DeMond
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos

Top cast15

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William Cagney

Lt. Tom 'Soapy' Cooper

Edward J. Nugent

Lt. Richard 'Woody' Wood
(as Eddie Nugent)

June Collyer

Evelyn Worthington

Edmund Breese

Colonel Brooks

Lona Andre

Sophie

Frank McGlynn Sr.

Colonel Worthington
(as Frank McGlynn)

Pauline Garon

Hilda Garon

Matt McHugh

Matthew O'Toole

Russ Clark

Army Sergeant Enfield

John Mack

Army Sergeant Baker
(as Jack Mack)

June Gittelson

Gretchen
(as June Gittleson)

Hattie McDaniel

Ida Johnson
(as Hattie McDaniels)

Henry Roquemore

Train Conductor
(uncredited)

Joan Woodbury

Catherine O'Toole
(uncredited)

Frank Yaconelli

Accordion Player
(uncredited)

Director
- Melville W. Brown
Writers
- Tristram Tupper
- Albert DeMond
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The high altitude balloon flight seen in this film was real, and footage from the actual preparation and flight is used here. The National Geographic Society and the US Army collaborated on the mission. There were two flights, Explorer 1 and Explorer 2, launched in 1934 and 1935 respectively. Explorer 1 almost lead to disaster when the balloon burst and the hydrogen gas caught fire. The three men in the capsule were able to escape via parachute, the third man escaping just barely in time, at a mere 500 feet above the ground. The second flight used helium and was more rigorously checked for safety. Explorer 2 successfully reached a height of 72,395 feet, a record that stood for twenty years. The two-man crew were the first humans to see the curvature of the Earth, and gathered a large amount of scientific data on the stratosphere. The balloon landed safely without the dramatic elements seen in this film.

Goofs
Immediately after Soapy and Woody fly through hours of heavy downpour, described as the "worst storm in years", Soapy drives into town in his convertible and leaves it with the top down. The weather is fine.

Quotes
Lt. Tom 'Soapy' Cooper: Good evening, my little songbird.
Gretchen: Could I sing something just for you?
Lt. Tom 'Soapy' Cooper: Could you sing Far, Far Away?
Gretchen: I'm afraid I don't know it, but I can sing Down By the Old Mill Stream.
Lt. Tom 'Soapy' Cooper: No, that's not far enough.

User reviews7

Review

Featured review

Reasonable B-Feature

This is a reasonably good B-feature that combines some light comedy with some romantic melodrama. It moves slowly at times, and doesn't always fit together, but it has some redeeming features.

The story concerns two military pilots, one played by William Cagney, who looks very much like his brother, but who never manages quite the screen presence. The two work together on a lot of hazardous assignments, and when on the ground find themselves in constant competition over women. For much of the film, they simply play practical jokes on each other in their rivalries over women. Much of it is predictable, but often amusing anyway. Then things get more serious, when one of the pilots cannot forgive the hurt caused by one of these romantic misfires, and just afterwards they must go on an especially hazardous mission together.

It's nothing special, but there's probably enough here to make it worth a try if you enjoy 30's-style movies.