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The Spirit of St. Louis Overview:

The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) was a Adventure - Biographical Film directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Leland Hayward.

SYNOPSIS

This straightforward biopic with Stewart playing aviator Charles Lindbergh may be the least typical film of director Wilder's career. Concentrating on his famous 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic, the film presents in flashbacks moments from Lindbergh's early career as a barnstormer and mail pilot. Stewart, who at 49 was playing a man half that age, is genuine and engaging in what is essentially a one-person film. Notable for an outstanding score by Waxman.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

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The Spirit of St. Louis Quotes:

Charles Lindbergh: I take up a compass heading of 65 degrees out of New York, keep correcting the heading every 100 miles.
Benjamin Frank Mahoney, President Ryan Airlines Co.: What happens over the water?
Charles Lindbergh: Over the water I keep watching the waves, see which direction the wind's blowing in, allow for the drift...
Benjamin Frank Mahoney, President Ryan Airlines Co.: And hope the Lord will do the rest.
Charles Lindbergh: No, I never bother the Lord. I'll do the rest.
Benjamin Frank Mahoney, President Ryan Airlines Co.: Might need a little help up there, don't you think?
Charles Lindbergh: No, it will only get in the way.
[last lines]
Charles Lindbergh: [narrating] There were 200,000 people there that night. And when we came back home, there were 4 million people waiting.
Charles Levine, President Columbia Aircraft Co.: Look, Mr. Lindbergh, I don't mean to belittle you, but, after all, New York to Paris isn't like dropping off a mail bag in Keokuk, Iowa.
Charles Lindbergh: [after politely trying to smoke a cigar given to him by an investment banker] The idea of committing suicide never crossed my mind except when I took this cigar.
Charles Lindbergh: Now, I don't propose to sit on a flagpole or swallow goldfish. I'm not a stuntman; I'm a flier.
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The Spirit of St. Louis Facts
Average Shot Length = ~10.1 seconds. Median Shot Length = ~9.6 seconds.
Early in the film Lindbergh is disturbed in his hotel room bed by the song "Rio Rita" playing loudly on a radio or record player. Lindbergh was on the way to see the Broadway show "Rio Rita" when he learned that the weather might be good enough the next day for his flight to Paris. He took off the next morning.
The movie was a box office flop when originally released.
Last film appearance of Erville Alderson before his death in 1957.
After the film received bad notices from preview audiences, it was extensively re-edited with some new footage shot. Composer Franz Waxman was no longer available so veteran film composer Roy Webb was hired along with Warner Brothers Music Director Ray Heindorf to come up with new cues based on Waxman's original material. The Main Title was altered to add "La Marseillaise" to the tail end. Other cues were rewritten, especially the entire buildup to and including the landing at Le Bourget. This sequence had been more straight forward with Lindbergh landing his plane. In the revised version, he became disoriented and at one point asked for God's help. The Heindorf/Webb replacement cue utilized Waxman's themes interwoven into a stunning cue which was expertly conducted by Heindorf. The cue ends as Lindbergh shuts off the engine. All-in-all, about fifteen minutes of new music was mixed into the final film.
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