Aeroplane Flight and Wreck (Piloted by M. Cody) (1910) 

Director:

Cast:

Synopsis: A failed attempt to pilot a vintage biplane.

Poor old M. Cody, whoever he might have been, must have cursed his luck that the cameras just happened to be present on the day he pranged one of those new-fangled flying machines, but given the pedestrian manner in which the filmmaker treats its subject it’s probable that this movie failed to create much of a stir upon release. The identity of the cameraman/director is unknown, but he shows little imagination when composing shots and keeps a respectful distance from the action which keeps us from seeing too much detail. The aeroplane, which is light enough to be rolled out of a hangar by three men, is lightweight and flimsy, and looks like a comedy plane. Nevertheless, it manages to get off the ground – and hats off to Mr. Cody for having the nerve to climb in such a fragile contraption in the first place – but it soon comes down to earth. Cody is led away looking a little dazed, and a number of engineers examine the damage to the plane as they wonder whether all that hard work is really worth a few measly seconds of flight time.

(Reviewed 27th December 2014)