The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) User Reviews

Billy Wilder captures the pioneering spirit of the era!

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 8/10 · 11 February 2001]

"The Spirit of St. Louis" is Billy Wilder's film tribute to one of the best figures in aeronautical history, remembered for the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in May 1927 with James Stewart (a little too old for the part) playing Charles Lindbergh...

As a tribute it is eloquent enough and, although a few nice liberties may have been taken with historical fact, the motion picture describing the detailed odyssey before and after the Paris flight on May 20-21 in the monoplane "Spirit of St. Louis."

Although the lengthy internal monologue employed during the journey may be disappointing to an audience, the truth is that it helps keep the picture focused tightly on its essential point... Stewart dignified the portrait of one of the greatest adventurers in the air the world has ever know, departing, in a highly modified single engine monoplane, from Long Island, New York to Paris, France...

No action is depicted in the trip, only some flashbacks to break up the monotony of the long flight... But there is superb determination of the ordeal of a brave and talented pilot decided to fly alone... His equation is simple: less weight (one engine, one pilot) would increase fuel efficiency and allow for a longer flying range, but with so much risk... Lindbergh's claim to fame was doing something that many had tried and failed...

Even though Wilder has bravely put it upon the screen in a calm, unhurried fashion, it comes out as biography of intense restraint and power... But it is James Stewart's performance (controlled to the last detail) that gives life and strong, heroic stature to the principal figure in the film...

From it there, emerges an awareness of a clever, firm but truly humble man who tackles a task with resolution, plans as much about it as he can, makes his decisions with courageous finality and then awaits with only one thought in mind, to get to Paris... In his efforts to cut off the plane's weight, any item considered too heavy or unnecessary was left behind...

The record-setting flight proved not only to be a fight with the elements and a test of navigation, but also a long battle against fatigue... A busy schedule and an active mind kept Lindbergh up all of the previous night... Still, he managed to stay conscious enough to keep the monoplane from crashing and landed at Le Bourget Aerodrome, near Paris, 33 hours and 30 minutes after leaving New York...

Stewart gives an able portrait of a brave pilot who attains legendary status, emphasizing the intention and dominant resolution to fly nonstop 5,810 kilometers (3,610 miles) across the Atlantic...

Photographed in CinemaScope and WarnerColor and backed by Franz Waxman's beautiful music, the film effectively captures the pioneering spirit of the era and the hero's ultimate achievement since he takes off, that day, from Roosevelt wet field, and clears telephone wires at the end of the runway...

Good entertainment.

[tomstanley1 · 8/10 · 25 March 2005]

I have watched this film several times over the years and always find it an entertaining experience. As a retired airline pilot, I am interested in most aviation movies and this is one of the better ones. I know that Lindbergh was only 25 years old at the time of his historic solo flight to Paris and that James Stewart was almost 50 when making this movie but I can overlook that fact because Stewart has always been one of my all-time favorite actors and does one of his usual outstanding performances as the "lone eagle".

There is a good mixture of comedy and drama throughout the film and a good use of flashbacks. It also helps that James Stewart was a pilot in real life both in the military and civilian life.

the little engine that could

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 21 May 2012]

Jimmy Stewart is Charles Lindbergh in "The Spirit of St. Louis," a 1957 film directed by Billy Wilder and based on Lindbergh's book about his transatlantic flight.

The film deals with little else but Lindbergh's career up to and including his monumental flight from Roosevelt Field to Le Bourget in France in 33 hours back in 1927. We see Lindbergh as a mail pilot, then attempting to raise funds to buy a plane, though a plane ended up being built by a small aircraft company. And then the flight itself - and Wilder somehow makes it suspenseful and interesting. He really captures the pilot's complete isolation with no copilot or radio, talking to himself (Stewart provides the narration), sleep-deprived, with only the sound of the plane for company, falling asleep at the wheel, and finally, unsure where he was and using map topography to figure it out. It's an amazing story. During the flight sequence, there are flashbacks to earlier points in Lindbergh's life.

The Spirit of St. Louis is replicated, and once seen, it's very hard to believe it got out of Roosevelt Field. Lightweight, Lindbergh made sure it carried only the absolute essentials and refused to even bring a parachute or radio because of the extra weight.

Today, for me anyway, James Stewart is just James Stewart, one of the great film stars and actors. I'm blissfully unaware of his age most of the time, and I was in this film as well. For me, he was tall, lanky Lindbergh, determined to succeed and very likable. I realize that John Kerr was offered the role first, but if he had taken it, the film would have flopped initially, as it did starring Stewart, due to the huge budget, but I don't believe it would hold up as well as it does today.

Heroes are very rarely discussed as human beings, and many of their words and actions are taken out of context and out of the era. Lindbergh was ahead of his time in his environmental and aeronautical pursuits and very much of his time in some of his political beliefs. And as we now know, fidelity wasn't one of his strong points. Reading an excellent, well-researched biography like Scott Berg wrote is preferable to making snap judgments. Hindsight is easy.

Complicated men have complicated lives. You don't achieve what Lindbergh did in the Spirit of St. Louis by being ordinary. Wilder does an excellent job in showing his crowning achievement, and in evoking the excitement people felt at the time.

Quite uplifting, this rather forgotten Wilder

[jandesimpson · 26 October 2004]

Someone once said to me that there are only four basic movie plots: the first, boy meets girl: the second, man against apparently insuperable odds: the others.....I can't remember. Although I am not by nature agoraphobic, I guess when it comes to cinema I prefer the cosily domestic to wide open spaces. Every so often, however, I find myself responding to man battling it out against the elements, particularly if the point is being made that, without the sheer determination of an individual to grapple with prejudice and ignorance, civilization would not gain a pace or two forward. Billy Wilder's epic of human endeavour, "The Spirit of St. Louis", is just such an instance. It is heaps better than most in this category mainly through the excellent central performance by James Stewart as Charles Lindbergh, the first successful transatlantic flyer. True, Stewart was twice the age of the man he was portraying but he brilliantly manages the demeanour of a much younger person and has the advantage of being one of the very few actors able to convey the determined obsessive fanaticism that Lindbergh must have possessed. One can admire Wilder's skill in sustaining audience interest throughout what is essentially a one character and a one scene film but he achieves it through interspersing the present from the night before the takeoff, with flashbacks that retell the background to the mission, each a little story in itself, some quite tense such as Lindbergh's adventurous flight during a blizzard when he was a flying mail courier and others rather droll such as giving a flying lesson to a priest who is the most incompetent would-be aviator ever. The main journey once it gets going is mainly smooth and something of a leisurely travelogue with nice views over Nova Scotia and Newfoundland on the way. Far more dramatic is the takeoff during foul weather from a rain drenched runway in which Stewart grapples with his tiny aircraft narrowly clearing pylons and a clump of trees. The miracle that so flimsy a machine could make it not only for a few miles but across a vast ocean is reinforced by the hazardous implications of this wonderfully atmospheric sequence in a way that make the journey and the arrival in Paris quite uplifting.

The Good and Bad Of This "Spirit"

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 30 November 2005]

This is as close to a one-man show as you're ever going to see on film as Jimmy Stewart dominates the picture while all others just have bit roles.

I found it interesting because I find Charles Lindberg's feat amazing and worth watching. I also enjoyed the widescreen picture. I'm surprised it's not available on DVD. The most amazing part of Lindberg's feat, from what I discovered watching the movie, was that he went 30 hours without sleep before he even took off! To stay awake for the entire trip to Paris after that was incredible.

To keep the viewers' interest, the film flashes back a number of times to Lindberg's earlier days and most of that is pretty interesting. Yes, there are some lulls in here and the movie could have been shortened from its 138 minutes but Stewart does a nice job of entertaining us, as he usually did.

I do have one question, one complaint and one suggestion. My question is, "Why is there no mention of his wife, Anne Morrow?" Odd, they totally left her out of this. She was famous in her own right.

My complaint is the emphasis - it's brought up twice in case you missed it the first time - on Lindberg not believing in prayer, only the things he could see. Pagan Hollywood just has to get their agenda in, and much of it began in the 1950s when moral restrictions began to slowly ease. This is just one more example.

They also left out what happened right after the flight, thus making the film more of a story about the voyage than of Lindberg's aviation career. Too bad, because, as many of you might know, his son's kidnapping is one of the biggest stories of that era. My suggestion then is that a full biography, with the emphasis on this flight across the Atlantic, might have been a better way to go. I think you would see that with a re-make, along with a faster- moving film.

Epic recreation of Lindbergh's first and historic flight from New York , across Atlantic , until Paris

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 12 October 2014]

Overlong though exciting story behind the story of Lindbergh's incredible flight from New York to Paris. It deals Charles 'Slim' Lindbergh (excellently performed by James Stewart , he always wanted to portray him , when he ultimately got his chance is very old for a young role ; he was given this character after John Kerr had turned it down, owing to his disapproval of Lindbergh's pro-Nazi sympathies and his racist and anti-Semitic views) struggles to finance and design an airplane that will make his New York to Paris flight the first solo transatlantic crossing . As a 25-year-old U.S. Air Mail pilot, Lindbergh (Charles wanted Anthony Perkins to play him in the movie) emerged suddenly from virtual obscurity to instantaneous world fame as the result of his Orteig Prize-winning solo nonstop flight on May 20–21, 1927, made from the Roosevelt Field in Garden City on New York's Long Island to Le Bourget Field in Paris, France, a distance of nearly 3,600 statute miles or 5,800 km , in the single-seat, single-engine purpose-built Ryan monoplane Spirit of St. Louis . As a result of this flight, Lindbergh was the first person in history to be in New York one day and Paris the next.

Interesting picture with plenty of thrills , emotion , biographic elements and brief touches of humor . The film is pretty well though the action does drag at times and results to be overlong . Magnificent acting by James Stewart -at age 48- who gives a real Tour De Force back by good plethora of secondaries . However , many critics felt he was too old to be believable . In fact , producer Jack L. Warner was strongly opposed to the casting of James Stewart, which he believed caused the film to flop on its release in 1957 . Colorful and evocative cinematography in CinemaScope by two awesome cameramen Peverel Marley and Robert Burks , Hitchcock's ordinary . Impressive and thrilling musical score by Franz Waxman . However , the soundtrack was re-composed but composer Franz Waxman was no longer available so veteran film composer Roy Webb was hired along with Warner Brothers Music Director Ray Heindorf to come up with new cues based on Waxman's original material . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Billy Wilder , but it was a box office flop when originally released . After the film received bad notices from preview audiences, it was extensively re-edited with some new footage shot . Rating : Above average , this one remains a quality movie for the whole family .

This exciting and inventive picture well well based on true events , these are the followings : Six well-known aviators had already lost their lives in pursuit of the Orteig Prize when Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field on his successful attempt in the early morning of Friday, May 20, 1927. Burdened by its heavy load of 450 U.S. gallons of gasoline weighing about 1,230 kg, and hampered by a muddy, rain-soaked runway, Lindbergh's Wright Whirlwind-powered monoplane gained speed very slowly as it made its 7:52 am takeoff run, but its J-5C radial engine still proved powerful enough to allow the Spirit to clear the telephone lines at the far end of the field "by about twenty feet or six meters with a fair reserve of flying speed". Over the next 33.5 hours, he and the Spirit faced many challenges, including skimming over both storm clouds at 10,000 ft , 3,000 m, and wave tops at as low at 10 ft (3.0 m), fighting icing, flying blind through fog for several hours, and navigating only by the stars , whenever visible , and dead reckoning before landing at Le Bourget Airport at 10:22 pm (22:22) on Saturday, May 21. The airfield was not marked on his map and Lindbergh knew only that it was some seven miles northeast of the city. He initially mistook the airfield for some large industrial complex with bright lights spreading out in all directions. The lights were, in fact, the headlights of tens of thousands of cars all driven by eager spectators now caught in "the largest traffic jam in Parisian history " . A crowd estimated at 150,000 spectators stormed the field, dragged Lindbergh out of the cockpit, and literally carried him around above their heads for "nearly half an hour".

too long and runs out of fuel

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 24 January 2015]

It's 1927. Charles 'Slim' Lindburgh (James Stewart) is flying the trans-Atlantic non-stop solo. As he tries to get some restless shut eye, he recalls his earlier job flying intrepid mail runs. He struggles to pull the flight together facing many obstacles and doubts.

James Stewart is once again an affable regular guy. It's what makes the character compelling. He isn't superhuman as much as a human with perseverance. He's older than the actual Lindburgh during the flight. The movie itself is a bit long at over two hours. It works fine until the plane takes off for the journey. The mirror is probably the best moment and the movie kind of coast from then on. The inner monologue is a good idea but it may be overused. The movie somewhat runs out of fuel but it has a gentle landing. It's nevertheless nice to see the plane.

" But it's got to be tried, until it's accomplished! Don't you understand that ? "

[thinker1691 · 9/10 · 10 March 2009]

The word impossible has led many to select a particular view concerning any incredible task. In 1927, it was believed no man could fly the breath of the Atlantic Ocean. Many had tried but failed and some even gave their lives to the effort. Nevertheless, it had to be done as every challenge needs to be met with equal determination. Such then is the heart of this movie called "The Spirit of St. Louis." The actor chosen for this historic film is none other than America's own James Stewart who convincingly plays Charles Lindbergh. Although there are many facets of Lindbergh's life, the segment featured here is his efforts to be the First Man to fly across the Atlantic. The story is an interesting one and for Stewards' fans compelling to say the least. Seeking enough funds to build a special aircraft, to the fateful decision to began the journey on a gloomy day in May 1927, 'Luck Lindy' as he was christened, endured enormous risks, which are featured in this superb film. Other notables which helped make this film believable are Murray Hamilton who plays Bud Gurney, Bartlett Robinson as Ben Mahoney, Arthur Space and Charles Watts as O.W. Schultz. The sum total of this now famous movie is that despite poor endorsement on its debut, it has since become a Classic in it's own right. Well done! ****

Stewart makes a reasonable Lindbergh although too old for the part...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 13 January 2007]

SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS is a tour de force for JAMES STEWART, although I can't say it wouldn't have been a better film with a director other than Billy Wilder. Someone like Henry Hathaway would have been a more likely choice to direct a film that has to do so extensively with air flight.

What really helps make the story fascinating, is the widescreen CinemaScope photography enhanced by WarnerColor to give the full panoramic views of ocean and sky which magnifies the enormity of what Lindberg's solo flight must have felt like. At the same time, with the camera lingering so long on Stewart's cramped quarters inside the plane, there's a tendency for the film to give the viewer a claustrophobic feeling. Wisely, the fragmented flashbacks make it possible to expand the viewing experience and give background information on events leading up to the famous solo flight which ended in Paris.

The name Lindbergh is also associated with one of the most famous kidnappings in American history--his baby son taken directly from his bedroom and found murdered before ransom could be paid, an event which had newspaper headlines all over the world buzzing about the event and led to "the trial of the Century" when Bruno Hauptman was found guilty. This fascinating story might have been an invaluable addition to the screenplay which is very limited in scope, but the screenwriters have chosen to concentrate only on Lindy's achievement as a navigator.

Stewart is convincing enough as Lindy, but his make-up can't conceal the fact that he's more than twenty years older than Lindy was at the time of the "event".

Biggest asset: The impressive background score by Franz Waxman gives added dimension to the story throughout.

I love this movie!!

[jambos · 10/10 · 28 March 2002]

A great movie about triumph over all the nay-sayers who try to kill your spirit, achieving the impossible. I won't go on about it, other than to say that I liked to reflect on the this film when I'm facing something particularly daunting, and realize that if Lindberg could do what he did, I can certainly face the task before me. Definitely a "feel good" movie.

See it. You won't be disappointed.

Lucky Charlie, Flying Eagle or The Flying Fool?

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 2 September 2009]

"In 1927 a young man, alone in a single engine aeroplane, flew non-stop from Roosevelt Field in New York across the entire North Atlantic Ocean to Le Bourget Field in Paris, a distance of three thousand six hundred and ten miles. In this triumph of mind, body and spirit, Charles A. Lindbergh influenced the lives of everyone on earth--for in the 33 hours and thirty minutes of his flight the air age became a reality. This is the story of that flight".

Billy Wilder adapts from Charles A. Lindbergh's Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name, in what is a re-creation of Lindbergh's historical 1927 solo flight. Boosted by a considerably strong lead performance from James Stewart {himself a pilot} as Lindberg, and containing an intelligent screenplay from Wilder and Wendell Mayes, Spirit Of St. Louis is a sincerely well told story.

In what at times threatens to become a monotonous film, Wilder keeps it ticking over by using flashbacks to Lindbergh's life. After the nicely told build up to the event, such as the peril being realised as Nungesser and Coli go missing {never to be found} whilst attempting the same trip in reverse, we learn stuff like how he come to buy his first plane and his work with the flying circus. This is all relative to understanding the man and his obvious passion for flying. This also helps to give us a complete picture of Lindbergh, thus putting us with him in his isolated cockpit as he undertakes this dangerous journey. Battling isolation {his only company is a fly} and chronic tiredness, it's here where Stewart perfectly portrays Lindbergh's devotion to the task. Aided by a terrific score from Franz Waxman and Academy Award nominated effects by Louis Lichtenfield, Wilder's movie turns out to be an engaging human interest story that got a thoroughly professional production. 7/10

One of Jimmy Stewart's finest roles. A true classic

[ozthegreatat42330 · 10/10 · 20 June 2007]

Others have harped here about James Stewart's age when playing Lindburg (he was 47 Linburg was twenty five.) But Stewart does not look his age and the film, for him was a dream come true. An actual pilot and a retired Air Force Reserve General at the end of his life, Stewart had the feel for the character and understanding of his passion, which other actors could not bring to the role. Added to the cast was co-star Murray Hamilton, who was also to be featured in "The F.B.I. story with Stewart) and such other well known character actors as Richard Deacon, of the later "Dick Van Dike Show" and Robert Cornthwaite of "The Thing from Another World" the 1951 Sci-Fi classic.

Billy Wilder captures the flavor of the Lindburg Autobiography and the telling of what was to become a major event in the history of aviation. This story and film are a testament to the soul of determination and perseverance to realize a dream. A box office failure at the time of it's release, it has since become one of the great classics of American Film and another in a long line of outstanding performances by an actor that has been called America's Everyman. No student of film history should miss seeing this one. There have been over 500,000 films since the beginning of motion pictures, and this one belongs among the top 500.

A pleasant surprise

[lemmy caution · 6/10 · 11 May 2000]

Coming across this on a tour through the works of Billy Wilder, I was prepared to be underwhelmed- possibly self-serving autobiography, possibly boring Jimmy Stewart, but I came out quite impressed.

Most surprising of all was the way that Wilder kept things moving- from the framework of the flight of the Spirit of St. Louis we cut away to various bits of back story. Some tell us about the preparation of the voyage- of the skull-sweat and innovations required to make this plane. (The plane seems so primitive- no radio, or radar- and yet, we can appreciate what a wonderful technological marvel it was) Some of the flashbacks are almost just comic relief, but they all tend to serve the story well.

As for the voyage itself, we get an excellent presentation of how to find the dramatic possibilities of a long (over thirty hours!) flight. The scenes detailing Lindbergh's exhaustion are exquisite, and we feel an almost eerie high as Stewart forces himself through.

Jimmy Stewart was humble and folksy as always, but outside the range of hokiness. During a long solo flight when he has no one else to act to, we are sucked in to the tiny world of the plane's cockpit.

Thus, overall, a very enjoyable experience- going way beyond the meagre expectations I had going in. One slight complaint is that the videotape that I watched had a jarring pan-and-scan that really seemed to subtract from the composition of a lot of shots. But what can you do?

1957, colour. Rating: 6 out of 10 (above average).

A bit dull--the real story of Lindburgh would make a much more interesting film!

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 26 September 2010]

This is a film that practically deifies Charles Lindburgh because of his amazing solo flight across the Atlantic (from New York to Paris). At times, it just seemed to make the man too super-human and swell--and that is a bit of a problem because the real life Lindburgh was a very, very flawed man. In fact, his many flaws would make his life story a wonderful mini-series--as there's way, way too much for one film! Missing is Lindburgh's pre-WWII adoration of Hitler and the Nazis (as it tended to justify his own antisemitism), the famous and tragic kidnapping of his son, his actually managing to fly combat missions (which were unauthorized) during WWII where he even managed to shoot down a plane as well as the revelation after his death that he led a triple life--with two complete families in Germany in addition to his wife and family at home!! This soap opera-like and sometimes self-destructive pattern make him a person not to be especially admired--but sure an interesting one nevertheless!

As for this film, I love aviation films but I even found it to be a bit ponderous. At well over two hours, the entire production just seemed too long--and could have benefited from a slight trimming. After all, it is a foregone conclusion that he made it to Paris--so dragging this portion of the film out seemed unnecessary. Plus, many of the flashback scenes just seemed like filler. In addition, James Stewart was too old for the part--though at least Stewart was an accomplished pilot--which was a plus. Apparently my complaints about the film being too long, the story being WAAAY too sanitized and incomplete as well as the miscasting were seen as by the public as well in 1957--as the film was a box office failure. Not a bad film, mind you, but it had a lot of room to be better. It's amazing that it can be so long and yet so incomplete.

The whole spirit of the flight.

[yenlo · 21 September 1999]

When people think of the great Billy Wilder films they often forget to mention this one. A great picture that tells the story of the flight, certain events in Lindbergh's life, how he came to make the flight, the design and building of the plane, his association with the people who helped make it happen and even some of the trademark Billy Wilder humor. Visit your local fish market get some Sanddabs (if they have them, they're a California fish) fry em up and sit back and enjoy a great movie about one of the great accomplishments of this century with one of the greatest actors of this century in the lead role. The wide screen version is tops.

Lindbergh's historic North Atlantic crossing by plane is told with emotion and style...

[moonspinner55 · 7/10 · 23 August 2015]

A mail-run pilot gets help financing the construction of a plane to cross the Atlantic from New York to Paris in 1927--with he himself alone at the controls. Director Billy Wilder, who also co-adapted Charles Lindbergh's memoir with Wendell Mayes and Charles Lederer, isn't quite able to work his customary high-toned humor into these proceedings, but his adroit pacing is certainly in evidence. James Stewart carries off the leading role without a hitch, and the final moments are surprisingly emotional. Not a dashing, robust picture, but an earthy, squirrelly film about human endurance and, indeed, spirit. There's a beautiful, seemingly throwaway moment with Stewart flying over Ireland and scaring the sheep, the shadow of the plane on the ground below as seen from Lindbergh's window. Technical details such as this make a tangible connection with audiences; one leaves the picture feeling uniquely satisfied. Supporting cast is workman-like; Stewart and the plane are the drawing cards. *** from ****

The Magic of Flight and the Power of the Spirit

[ilpohirvonen · 7/10 · 20 July 2015]

Billy Wilder's biopic "The Spirit of St. Louis" (1957) about the historic transatlantic flight by Charles Lindbergh from New York to Paris in 1927 is not among the director's most well-known or highly evaluated films. Back in the day, it was a box office failure and many critics were not pleased. In the course of time, however, the film's reputation has experienced a slight increase, though one can hardly talk of a sleeper, and especially the performance of James Stewart has come to be seen in a different light. Even as a weaker film of its director, "The Spirit of St. Louis" still holds up well, and stands strong as a portrayal of a man, an era, and the power of the spirit.

The film follows the months leading to Charles Lindbergh's flight over the Atlantic as he recalls them in his bed unable to sleep before the big day. This frame of narrative is important in establishing the use of the flashback sequence as a narrative device for the second half of the film which focuses on the long and lonely flight itself. During the second half, the spectator follows the protagonist's physical and emotional struggle, his thoughts and memories through the ordeal both public and private. Apart from the flashbacks, the only pieces of dialogue are exchanged between Lindbergh and a fly in the plane.

As a consequence, one might call the film boring when having to watch a man in a small plane for an hour or so. To this I would reply that it might be boring if it was any man, but not if it is James Stewart who plays Lindbergh in the film. It is indeed Stewart's performance -- although playing a character much younger than he was at the time -- which elevates the film. There is something absurdly realistic about his performance, his enduring boyishness. Stewart considered this as one of his favorite roles and he, as a former pilot himself, identified strongly with the character of Charles Lindbergh. It seems to me that this character may trigger another complaint since he is presented to us as an all American man without dark secrets or perversions, thus possibly making for poor drama. I would, once again, disagree and point out that in simply giving the character to us, Wilder does make him interesting. The viewer follows the development of the protagonist's determination, his obsession if you will, to try the transatlantic flight. He is lonely in this passion of his which, on the one hand, isolates him but, on the other, grants him immortality.

A major challenge for the film -- any historical film, I suppose -- is to recreate the historical circumstances in which a sense of wonder and importance could be attached to this kind of an event which now might seem trivial to some. Wilder manages to establish the magic of flight, the feeling of awe before a historical event taking place in front of our eyes. An integral role in this task is played by the narrative. It is of paramount importance that the film doesn't show Lindbergh as an older man, retelling his legendary experience; instead a sense of time is created by a flashback structure, but the present doesn't exceed the main event itself, and thus the viewer is held in suspense in the diegetic world despite knowing the facts of history in the other world. Typically for the director, the film relies heavily on the screenplay, and it is very well structured indeed. The protagonist's experience is associated with ordinary characters, making the event even more universal in its human meaning. It is, after all and above all, a miraculous tale of magic and wonder, a piece of cinema celebrating the power of the human spirit.

Wilder and Stewart make the most of what could have been a dry subject

[grantss · 7/10 · 23 May 2016]

Charles Lindbergh's historic, epic solo trans-Atlantic flight in 1927, the first ever solo crossing of the Atlantic in an airplane. We see how Lindbergh set about organising financiers for his flight, purchasing, designing and building the plane, test flights, (through news on other fliers) the potential fates awaiting him and the flight itself, especially the hardships he had to endure and how he overcame them. We also see, though flashbacks, his earlier life - how he learnt to fly and his first few jobs in aviation.

Despite being directed by master-director Billy Wilder and starring the great James Stewart, I did not have high hopes for this movie. It seemed like a fairly dry subject and could easily have degenerated into a paint-by-numbers historical drama. However, Wilder makes it interesting, through the flashbacks and, especially, hearing Lindbergh's thoughts. The thoughts show the genius of the man - how he approached problems, his endurance and his resourcefulness.

Wilder does a good job at showing the hardships Lindbergh had to go through and how easily he could have failed. Shows well just what an heroic feat it was.

Good work from Jimmy Stewart as Lindbergh. At the time he was about 23 years older than his character but it doesn't really show.

Interesting, entertaining dramatisation of a very historic event.

Spectacular rendering of Lindbergh's famous flight...

[dwpollar · 8/10 · 7 November 2009]

1st watched 10/10/2009 - 8 out of 10 (Dir - Billy Wilder): Spectacular rendering of Lindbergh's famous flight by James Stewart as Lindbergh and Director Billy Wilder. There isn't really a whole lot of background built into this story but that's OK because Wilder makes the event really remarkable as it comes directly from Lindbergh's perspective since he used his book as the basis of the movie. This early movie about flying has to be one of the best about the act itself as well. Stewart talking and thinking to himself during the flight gives you so much insight into what Lindbergh went thru in this 33 hour solo flight across the Atlantic. And he did the whole flight without sleeping the night before -- which is amazing!! There is a little backstory about how he purchased the plane and got the financing, and some flashbacks about his life during the flight but the movie is mostly about the flight. The story is also beautifully made and photographed and is a joy to watch despite it's age. I appreciate the fact that they didn't throw in a lot of fluff and just let the story tell itself. Well done throughout. This is a classic movie that should be viewed by all.

The Spirit of St. Louis

[jboothmillard · 7/10 · 15 March 2009]

From director Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity, The Seven Year Itch, Some Like It Hot), I can see that this is a bit of an under-shown and underrated film, one to be seen. This is the biographical story of Charles Augustus 'Slim' Lindbergh (James Stewart), who in 1927 wanted to be the first man to cross travel solo flight from New York, crossing the Atlantic ocean, to reach Paris, in a small cockpit. The first half hour or whatever is seeing Lindbergh getting permission to do it, and the construction of the plane, named "The Spirit of St. Louis", and making all necessary preparations. Then of course the rest sees his perilous journey crossing the journey, overcoming tiredness, near fuel loss, and moments of losing sense of direction, but he was successful. Also starring Murray Hamilton as Bud Gurney, Patricia Smith as Mirror Girl, Bartlett Robinson as Benjamin Frank Mahoney, Robert Cornthwaite as Harry Knight, Sheila Bond as Model/Dancer, Marc Connelly as Father Hussman, Arthur Space as Donald Hall, Harlan Warde as Boedecker and Dabbs Greer as Goldsborough. Apparently Lindbergh was a bit younger, so Stewart was a shade too old to play him, but then again, you can't think of anyone else that could do better. It is a witty and emotional drama, with Stewart (as always) being fantastic, great music score by Frank Waxman, and good direction from Wilder, a good little known gem. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Special Effects (the only award it was ever nominated). James Stewart was number 12 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, he was number 3 on 100 Years, 100 Stars - Men, and he was number 13 on The World's Greatest Actor. Very good!

A solid Wilder movie.

[bobsgrock · 8/10 · 21 February 2008]

Billy Wilder continues his strong run of films during the 1950s with a biopic of Charles Lindbergh, the young American pilot who became the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1927. Jimmy Stewart plays Lindbergh, and while he might be a bit too old for the part, he still brings the sincere warmth and confidence needed as well as his trademark down-to-earth goodness that makes him an iconic film star. Wilder directs solidly, balancing the background story with humor and drama to give us a clear description of what Lindbergh was up against when he decided to take this challenge. It certainly isn't his nor Stewart's best work, but it is a gem of a movie. It lifts your spirits with the plane and makes you proud to be an American. Overall, it is just plain good.

Yes, James Stewart is too old to play the iconic Lindbergh; Billy Wilder directs

[jacobs-greenwood · 6/10 · 10 December 2016]

Directed by the great Billy Wilder (surprisingly), and based on the book by Charles Lindbergh which was adapted by Charles Lederer (the director wrote the screenplay with Wendell Mayes), this slightly above average if overlong biographical drama tells the story of the man who would one day become the first to fly non-stop from New York to Paris in 1927. This historic first transatlantic flight helped to create the airline industry.

James Stewart (again, surprisingly; he was nearly 40, but portraying a man 25 years old) plays this man, Charles Augustus 'Slim' Lindbergh, whose plane (designed and built by Ryan Aircraft in San Diego, California) was dubbed "The Spirit of St. Louis (1957)", for the businessmen from that city that helped to fund the effort. The story tells about Lindbergh's early life as a brave mail carrying pilot in the early days of aviation (though there's no real drama about whether he survived in the fog).

But much of the film's 'action' involves the history making flight itself, with actor Stewart's voice providing narration for his character's thoughts, while he tries to stay awake during the 30+ hour journey.

This movie received an Academy Award nomination for its Special Effects, representing the only Oscar nomination for Louis Lichtenfield. Murray Hamilton, Patricia Smith, Bartlett Robinson, Marc Connelly, Arthur Space, and Charles Watts play the other, minor, credited roles.

One of the Best of It's Kind

[DKosty123 · 10/10 · 20 May 2011]

On this day of James Stewarts Birthday, I revisited this movie. After watching this, I have to admit it is still an excellent film. Whenever aviation history is taught, this should be required viewing. There are 2 major reasons for this.

Billy Wilder's script sticks with the story here. There are pleasant little flashbacks but every one of them are built into making the main story stronger. This script and story get perfect treatment and Wilder proves how great a writer he was. This is not an easy thing with this script. It could have been too long, too heavy handed, too overboard.

James Stewart proves how talented he is. He carries this entire over 2 hour film. Yes, there is a support cast, but in this case Stewart does such a great job that it is hard to imagine anyone else carrying the film like he does. This is one of Stewarts great performances. It is so good you can actually believe he is Lindbergh for over 2 Hours.

A very fitting Birthday film indeed for Stewart, his candles are all lit on the cake for this movie.

Endless Flight

[Lejink · 6/10 · 28 December 2019]

Billy Wilder's stirring movie starring James Stewart as Charles "Slim" Lindbergh, the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic in an aircraft. The film Is of unusual narrative construction, as the centrepiece of the actual solo flight itself is interspersed with numerous flashbacks to earlier stages in the flier's life. I'm guessing this was done to break up the movie otherwise for much of the time, all there would be to watch would be Lindbergh immobile in his cockpit. It's also quite handy that the pilot likes to speak to himself out loud, as well as think out loud, the better to keep the viewer informed and keep the film interesting.

It does seem to me however at least from what I can see here that Lindbergh as a person wasn't exactly the most interesting of guys apart from his obsession with flying. He pretty much appears friendless, we don't get to meet his parents or learn much about his upbringing and there's no love interest either. Fair enough if this reflects Lindbergh's true nature and circumstances, but it does make it tough for even Stewart to bring him to life and make him interesting never mind likeable.

So, unusually for Wilder, dialogue is of only secondary importance here, with much of it tending to the technical and geographical. Instead we see him marshalling other aspects of his craft in particular the air cinematography, insertion of Miklos Rosza's lush soundtrack and getting good work from his cast, all of which he certainly achieves. I did think though that the nod to religiosity was too obvious and unnecessary after Lindbergh prays for a safe landing in Paris.

Stewart here was considerably older than Lindbergh was when he originally made his great flight, but with his boyish looks, good physical condition and natural ease flying a plane (remember he served with distinction as a pilot in the Second World War), he just about pulls it off. He also gets to whoop it up, somehow able to make himself heard to people below, like he probably hadn't been able to since George Bailey got his old life back, many movies before.

A celebration then more of an act of heroism, determination and courage than about the man who himself carried it out which from what I've read about Lindbergh's later politics seems to me the correct approach to take, especially considering Wilder's own nationality and religious persuasion.

Lucky Lindy, Unlucky Jimmy

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 5 July 2005]

It's unfortunate that the story of Lindbergh's immortal flight to Paris was not made in the mid thirties before he got involved with the isolationist movement. If it had been James Stewart would have been perfect casting. Here with the help of some heavy duty makeup we have the 48 year old Stewart playing a 25 year old Charles Lindbergh. As earnest as James Stewart performance is, he just can't overcome that burden. He did much better in doing that in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance where both he and John Wayne played men much younger than they were. But there we didn't have a real person to measure it by.

This is also strange material for Billy Wilder to do. The cynical Mr. Wilder who's best at capturing the dark side of our nature and making fun of it, is kind of lost in a straight biographical picture about an All American Hero. Can you imagine what John Ford might have made of the Lindbergh story?

James Stewart had a life long love affair with aviation and I've always thought he approached the films he did on that subject with too much reverence. His best film on aviation was The Flight of the Phoenix which is a wildly improbable tale, made plausible by the fine collection of players, led of course by Stewart.

The Spirit of St. Louis is hampered by a reverential approach by the star and a director on unfamiliar ground.