China Clipper / Ali Sulla Cina (1936) Poster, Italian, First Italian release 1937

China Clipper / Ali Sulla Cina (1936) Poster, Italian, First Italian release 1937

Artist: Luigi Martinati (1893-1984)

Unframed: 79 x 55 in. (201 x 140 cm)

This piece was printed in two sheets, and designed to be pasted onto billboards. Therefore only unused examples survived.

Exceptionally rare. This piece has only surfaced a couple of times.

This 1936 drama was directed by Ray Enright. The cast includes Pat O'Brien, Ross Alexander, Humphrey Bogart, and Henry B. Walthall. Walthall was extremely ill during the making of the film, and his illness was incorporated in that of his character, Dad Brunn. The film tells the story of Dave Logan (Pat O'Brien), who inspired by the Lindbergh's flight, tries to build and fly a new ocean-going flying boat, which will be able to travel from San Francisco to China. Discouraged by his wife and boss, Dave Logan enlists his two friends from the war, 'Dad' Brunn (Henry B. Walthall) to design the craft, and Tom Collins (Ross Alexander) to start an airline between Philadelphia and Washington D.C. After the airline fails the group keeps going, and starts the second airline in Florida, delivering mail throughout the Caribbean. This time they have more luck, and the airline succeeds. The real highlight of the film is its flying sequences, which were done by the well-known Hollywood stunt pilot Paul Mantz, who worked with the masters of cinematography, Elmer Dyer and H. F. Koenekamp, to create realistic aerial shots.