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.
Directed by
Donald Taylor, Alexander Esway, Alexander Shaw, John Monk Saunders, Zoltan Korda
Written by
John Monk Saunders, Hugh Gray, Peter Bezencenet
Laurence Olivier
Vincent Lunardi
Michael Rennie
Marquis d'Arlandes (uncredited)
John Abbott
Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier
Edward Ashley
(uncredited)
Alan Wheatley
Giovanni Alfonso Borelli
Margaretta Scott
Isobella d'Este (uncredited)
Derrick De Marney
(uncredited)
Peter Madden
American Airliner Pilot (uncredited)
Andrea Checchi
Zoroastro (uncredited)
Hay Petrie
Tiberius Cavallo
Kenneth Kove
Gentleman at Reception (uncredited)
Percy Marmont
Wilbur Wright (uncredited)
Cameron Hall
Dr. John Jeffries (uncredited)
John Turnbull
Von Zeppelin
Franklin Dyall
Jerome de Ascoli
David Horne
Nero (uncredited)
Hilary Pritchard
Cayley's Coachman (uncredited)
Carlo Ninchi
Gabriele Adanti di Perugia (uncredited)
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart (archive footage) (uncredited)
Frederick Culley
Roger Bacon
Ben Webster
Leonardo da Vinci (uncredited)
Charles A. Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh (archive footage) (uncredited)
Roy Royston
Hubert Latham (uncredited)
Henry Victor
Otto Lilienthal
Charles Lefeaux
Louis Bleriot
Bryan Powley
George Cayley
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)
Arthur Clouston
Arthur Clouston (archive footage) (uncredited)
Paul Codos
Paul Codos (archive footage) (uncredited)
Bryan Coleman
(uncredited)
Don Gemmell
(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)
Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson (archive footage) (uncredited)
Charles Kingsford Smith
Charles Kingsford Smith (archive footage) (uncredited)