Warbird Information Exchange

I added a post with some more details on how the Twin Beech through the hangar was shot at Sonoma County Airport in December 1962 for Mad Mad World. Frank Tallman flew the Twin Beech through the hangar that day, but Paul Mantz had flown through that same hangar seven weeks earlier to get air-to-ground footage for the studio cockpit work.

https://www.aerovintage.com/2025/05/13/mad-mad-world-through-the-hangar-with-paul-mantz-and-frank-tallman/

_________________
Scott Thompson
Aero Vintage Books
http://www.aerovintage.com
WIX Subscriber Since July 2017

Great write-up. I believe it's been mentioned before, but the Tennessee Museum of Aviation has a section dedicated to the film industry, which includes the Beech fuselage used for the studio cockpit scenes. Can't hear someone say "Old Fashioned" without thinking of the movie.

Ken

_________________
"Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves."

One thing has always (well, for the past few years anyway) baffled me about the Beech 18 in the film. For some reason, the areas above and below the fuselage windows are painted black, to make it appear the windows are larger, like those on the "high cube" versions with the taller cabin. It's most noticeable in the closeups when Rooney and Hackett are getting out of the plane after landing. I thought maybe there were two aircraft used in the film, one with the taller windows and one painted to match, but everything I've read says there was just one actual aircraft.

<edit> I found some photos online of the fuselage and cockpit at the Tennessee Museum of Aviation used for the interior/studio shots in the film, and it appears to be the "high cube" model with the taller windows. I guess the full-size plane must have been painted to match with the interior shots.

SN

Steve, good catch. I never notice that before but your explanation makes sense.

Not sure if it is related, but Tallmantz also had a fourth standard window installed on the right side of the fuselage shortly before the filming started. Perhaps to match the mock-up though it seems a bit strange.

_________________
Scott Thompson
Aero Vintage Books
http://www.aerovintage.com
WIX Subscriber Since July 2017