The Conquest of the Air

This early docudrama uses dramatic reenactment, working models of early flying machines, and archival footage to trace man's attempts to fly from ancient times through the 1930s.

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Frederick Culley

Frederick Culley

Roger Bacon

Laurence Olivier

Laurence Olivier

Vincent Lunardi

Franklin Dyall

Franklin Dyall

Jerome de Ascoli

Henry Victor

Henry Victor

Otto Lilienthal

Hay Petrie

Hay Petrie

Tiberius Cavallo

John Turnbull

John Turnbull

Von Zeppelin

Charles Lefeaux

Louis Bleriot

Bryan Powley

George Cayley

Alan Wheatley

Alan Wheatley

Giovanni Alfonso Borelli

John Abbott

John Abbott

Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier

Charles Frend

Charles Frend

Narrator (voice)

Edward Ashley

Edward Ashley

(uncredited)

Italo Balbo

Italo Balbo (archive footage) (uncredited)

Memo Benassi

Francesco Lama di Brescia (uncredited)

Denville Bond

Oliver of Malmesbury (uncredited)

Tom Campbell Black

Tom Black (archive footage) (uncredited)

Charles Carrett

Latham's Manager (uncredited)

Andrea Checchi

Andrea Checchi

Zoroastro (uncredited)

Arthur Clouston

Arthur Clouston (archive footage) (uncredited)

Paul Codos

Paul Codos (archive footage) (uncredited)

Bryan Coleman

(uncredited)

Derrick De Marney

Derrick De Marney

(uncredited)

Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart (archive footage) (uncredited)

Don Gemmell

(uncredited)

Cameron Hall

Cameron Hall

Dr. John Jeffries (uncredited)

Henry Hallatt

Jean-Pierre Blanchard (uncredited)

Pearl Hay

(uncredited)

Ronnie Hepworth

Boy (uncredited)

Charles Hickman

Orville Wright (uncredited)

Bert Hinkler

Bert Hinkler (archive footage) (uncredited)

Anthony Holles

Mechanic (uncredited)

David Horne

David Horne

Nero (uncredited)

Amy Johnson

Amy Johnson (archive footage) (uncredited)

Charles Kingsford Smith

Charles Kingsford Smith (archive footage) (uncredited)

Betty Kirby-Green

Betty Kirby-Green (archive footage) (uncredited)

Kenneth Kove

Kenneth Kove

Gentleman at Reception (uncredited)

Charles A. Lindbergh

Charles A. Lindbergh

Charles Lindbergh (archive footage) (uncredited)

Peter Madden

Peter Madden

American Airliner Pilot (uncredited)

Percy Marmont

Percy Marmont

Wilbur Wright (uncredited)

David Nicol

Alfred Leblanc (uncredited)

Carlo Ninchi

Carlo Ninchi

Gabriele Adanti di Perugia (uncredited)

Hilary Pritchard

Hilary Pritchard

Cayley's Coachman (uncredited)

Michael Rennie

Michael Rennie

Marquis d'Arlandes (uncredited)

Maurice Rossi

Maurice Rossi (archive footage) (uncredited)

Roy Royston

Roy Royston

Hubert Latham (uncredited)

C.W.A. Scott

C.W.A. Scott (archive footage) (uncredited)

Margaretta Scott

Margaretta Scott

Isobella d'Este (uncredited)

Leonard Shepherd

Abbot Damian of Sterling (uncredited)

Dick Vernon

Simon the Magician (uncredited)

Ben Webster

Ben Webster

Leonardo da Vinci (uncredited)