The Lost Zeppelin | 1929 | Adventure

Title: The Lost Zeppelin | 1929 | Adventure Director: Edward Sloman Studio: Tiffany-Stahl Productions Starring: Conway Tearle, Virginia Valli, Ricardo Cortez Based on: Original story by Jack Natteford Release Date: December 20, 1929 Runtime: 72 Format: Black-and-white; RCA Photophone sound-on-film; 35mm; 1.20:1 Country: United States Language: English Genres: Adventure --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Send-off banquet 00:14:00 Confession and departure 00:30:00 Crash on the ice 00:47:00 Rescue attempt 01:02:00 Homecoming and revelation --- Summary: A U.S. Navy zeppelin commander, Donald Hall, leads a high-profile expedition toward the South Pole. On the eve of departure, he learns that his wife, Miriam, loves his friend and fellow explorer Tom Armstrong. The flight encounters severe weather, the airship is lost on the ice, and a perilous overland struggle begins. A rescue plane with room for only one survivor forces a fateful choice. Back in Washington, reports of tragedy test loyalties and reputations until unexpected news from the ice resolves the love triangle and restores the expedition’s heroism. --- Background: The film was produced by Tiffany-Stahl Productions during the transition to sound, begun as a silent feature and reshot with synchronized dialogue using the RCA Photophone system. It premiered in late December 1929 amid public enthusiasm for polar exploration, echoing contemporary interest in Commander Richard E. Byrd’s Antarctic flights. Miniatures and stock footage were intercut to depict zeppelin operations over polar landscapes, and the picture opened regionally in Boston before an early January 1930 Los Angeles premiere. --- Trivia: Meredith Willson composed the score early in his Hollywood career. The production initially began as a silent project titled Zeppelin and was later refashioned with sound under Edward Sloman, replacing earlier casting and footage. The story parallels real-world airship headlines of the era and has been compared to later studio productions on dirigibles and polar expeditions. RCA Photophone optical recording was used for synchronized dialogue and effects, typical of independent studios adopting sound-on-film in 1929. The film’s premiere engagements included a late-December 1929 opening in Boston and a New Year’s Day 1930 midnight premiere in Los Angeles. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: December 20, 1929 Original Studio / Distributor: Tiffany-Stahl Productions / Tiffany Pictures Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: TheLostZeppelin 1929 PublicDomain ClassicFilm Adventure Aviation Zeppelin PreCode EdwardSloman VirginiaValli RicardoCortez Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Lost_Zeppelin_(1929).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/The_Lost_Zeppelin_%281929%29.webm