those magnificent men

There are gearheads and there are propellerheads. Director Ken Annakin is the latter. He even parlayed that obsession into an epic feature-film comedy – 1965’s Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, a farcical celebration of early 20th century aviation in which an international cast of pilots compete for the grand prize in a London to Paris air race. Each of the planes is as unique as the competitors themselves, which makes for a whimsically entertaining spoof both in the air…and on the ground.

Determined to fly, but forbidden by her high-society father who’s sponsoring the event, Patricia Rawnsley (Sarah Miles) winds up in a love triangle between two experienced airmen: her stuffy fiancé (James Fox) and a rule-breaking cowboy from Arizona (Stuart Whitman). As both men vie for her affections, the other contestants search for ways to get a leg up on the competition…up to and including sabotage.

As amusing as the film’s comedic set-ups may be, Those Magnificent Men only truly takes flight during the stunningly beautiful flight sequences. Annakin had several replicas created in exacting detail (using modern engines for safety reasons) and his camera photographs them in marvelous fashion, with amazing vistas over the British countryside filled with extras in perfect-period dress.

It’s the sort of thing that high-definition was made for. And Twilight Time’s Blu-ray doesn’t disappoint, capturing every last pixel of that amazing aerial footage. Like all their titles, Those Magnificent Men is limited to 3000 copies and only available at Amazon and Screen Archives. Extras include an isolated score track, trailers and a commentary from the late director.