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.

History Documentary

Frederick Culley

(Roger Bacon)

Laurence Olivier

(Vincent Lunardi)

Franklin Dyall

(Jerome de Ascoli)

Henry Victor

(Otto Lilienthal)

Hay Petrie

(Tiberius Cavallo)

John Turnbull

(Von Zeppelin)

Charles Lefeaux

(Louis Bleriot)

Bryan Powley

(George Cayley)

Alan Wheatley

(Giovanni Alfonso Borelli)

John Abbott

(Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier)

Charles Frend

(Narrator (voice))

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

(Zoroastro (uncredited))

Arthur Clouston

(Arthur Clouston (archive footage) (uncredited))

Paul Codos

(Paul Codos (archive footage) (uncredited))

Bryan Coleman

((uncredited))

Derrick De Marney

((uncredited))

Amelia Earhart

(Amelia Earhart (archive footage) (uncredited))

Don Gemmell

((uncredited))

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

(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

(Gentleman at Reception (uncredited))

Charles A. Lindbergh

(Charles Lindbergh (archive footage) (uncredited))

Peter Madden

(American Airliner Pilot (uncredited))

Percy Marmont

(Wilbur Wright (uncredited))

David Nicol

(Alfred Leblanc (uncredited))

Carlo Ninchi

(Gabriele Adanti di Perugia (uncredited))

Hilary Pritchard

(Cayley's Coachman (uncredited))

Michael Rennie

(Marquis d'Arlandes (uncredited))

Maurice Rossi

(Maurice Rossi (archive footage) (uncredited))

Roy Royston

(Hubert Latham (uncredited))

C.W.A. Scott

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

Margaretta Scott

(Isobella d'Este (uncredited))

Leonard Shepherd

(Abbot Damian of Sterling (uncredited))

Dick Vernon

(Simon the Magician (uncredited))

Ben Webster

(Leonardo da Vinci (uncredited))