EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY

If you are interested in earning extra credit (especially before the midterm exam), you can attend the special screening of THE FLYING ACE as part of Communication Week.  You need to attend the screening, obtain a slip from the box office, and then write a short response to the film/discussion on the blog.

The film follows The Flying Ace, a veteran World War I fighter pilot who returns home as a war hero. Ready to restart his life after the war, he regains his former job as a railroad company detective. His first case concersn the recovery of a stolen satchel filled with 25,000 dollars from the company payroll, locate a missing employee, and capture a gang of railroad thieves. The film stars Lawwrence Criner (as Capt. Billy Stokes, The Flying Ace), Kathryn Boyd (as Ruth Sawtell, the love interest), and Steve Reynolds (as ‘Peg’ Reynolds, Stokes’ one legged assistant).

The film, produced by the Norman Film Manufacturing Company based in Jacksonville Florida, showcases the illustrious film history of Florida. The company ranked among the three leading producers of race films during the silent area, along with Lincoln Motion Picture Company (Nebraska) and the Micheaux Film Corporation (Illinois). The historical importance of this piece of film and Florida history has been confirmed by the Library of Congress, which recently restored the archival 35mm print of THE FLYING ACE.

The film will be introduced and discussed by Rita Regan, the Director of Community and Educational Outreach for the Norman Studios Silent Film Museum in Jacksonville, Florida. A historian and educator, Ms. Reagan is a community activist in historical preservation and youth issues, primarily in the Springfield Historical District. She has been deeply involved with the preservation of the Norman Studios since 1995.