Amelia Visits

Myrna Loy, Cary Grant, and Amelia Earhart on the set of Wings in the Dark.

Wings in the Dark (1935) is a melodrama starring Cary Grant as a pilot and engineer working on new technology to help flyers in bad weather conditions and Myrna Loy as an aviatrix who takes on dangerous stunt work to support Grant after he’s blinded in an accident. When Loy gets into a dangerous situation, it’s up to Grant to help her fly to safety. 

Wings in the Dark is not one of Grant or Loy’s best films. But it is memorable for a photo shoot that occurred during filming when Amelia Earhart stopped by the set for a visit with the stars.

George Putnam, Earhart's husband, with the two famous women.

Earhart, who was as popular and stylish as any actress, looks right at home in front of the camera. And we can only imagine that it must have been a treat for Loy to meet the woman who was the model for Loy's character in the film. I especially like the shot of the two of them laughing, their eyes closed—just two women having a chat.

High Flying Fashion

Images of women pilots from the 1920s and 1930s are great for many reasons, one of which is the outfits. The leather jackets and caps, scarves and ties, woolen trousers, high boots are all so wonderful. (Confession: I dressed up like a pilot for Halloween one year when I was young and was thrilled beyond belief at getting to wear a real leather pilot cap.) Which is why this fashion spread from the July 2009 issue of Harper's Bazaar has always been a favourite of mine. Titled "Fashion Takes Flight," it features model Heidi Mount wearing some incredible outfits in an homage to Amelia Earhart. The photos are by Peter Lindbergh (how very appropriate). Don’t you just love these?

To see the rest of the images, visit Harper's Bazaar here.

Last Flight

On this date in 1937 Amelia Earhart vanished over the Pacific, becoming one of the greatest mysteries in US history. The aviatrix, who had made a name for herself as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, was an international celebrity, a trendsetter, and an inspiration for countless young girls. Only the 16th woman to ever receive a pilot’s license, she helped to popularise flying and break down countless gender barriers.

Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan

On July 2, 1937, she was on the last legs of her journey to become the first woman to fly around the world. Flying a Lockheed Model 10 Electra, she and navigator Fred Noonan were on route from Lae, New Guinea to Howland Island, a tiny strip of land 2,556 miles away in the mid-Pacific. The Itasca, a US Coast Guard cutter, was stationed near Howland to serve as their radio contact. 

Unfortunately, something went wrong and while the Itasca could hear Amelia’s broadcasts, she could not hear theirs. At 7:42 am she sent the message “We must be on you, but we cannot see you. Fuel is running low. Been unable to reach you by radio. We are flying at 1,000 feet.” An hour later she sent the following message, “We are running north and south.” Those were the last words received from the plane.

A huge air and sea search commenced (the most expensive in Naval history at the time) but no sign of the two or the plane were ever found. Countless theories exist as to what happened including crashing into the ocean, landing on a different island, being captured by the Japanese and executed. My personal view is that they eventually ran out of fuel and crashed, but we will probably never know the true story. Yet however tragic her ending, it shouldn’t take away from her many other accomplishments and her lasting importance as a role model for generations of women. Godspeed Amelia.