Blaine Willard Robertson as Havana Airport Manager Arthur Vinton as Amarillo Airport Manager Louise Beavers as Hotel Maid (uncredited) Harrison Greene as Pomona Air Circus Announcer (uncredited) Fred Toones as El Paso Craps Shooter (uncredited) John Wayne as co-pilot in aircraft wreck (uncredited) Lester Dorr as hotel desk clerk (uncredited) Production Production on Central Airport took place at Wilson Airport and United Airport, Burbank, California. The film showcased a number of contemporary aircraft, all gathered under the direction of noted Hollywood pilot Paul Mantz. The aircraft included: Alexander Eaglerock American Eagle A-101 Fairchild 71 four Ford Tri-motor three-engined airliners Pitcairn PA-5 Mailwing Stearman C3 two Travel Air 4000 biplanes Aviation film historian Stephen Pendo in From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema (1995), considered that Central Airport "proved to be one of Paul Mantz's most dangerous films." Two crashes punctuated the action and in one of them, Mantz suffered a broken collar bone when he rolled out of a careening aircraft and was struck by the tailwheel. Reception Mordaunt Hall in his review of Central Airport for The New York Times, did not see it more than "... a most obvious affair". The only redeeming aspect was an exciting final scene, "This closing sequence, which takes place in Havana waters, is moderately effective, with scores of automobiles all tooting their horns to direct the aviator lost in the supposedly thick fog. Aviation film historian Michael Paris in Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation (1984), considered Central Airport as "... the first feature to look seriously at civil aviation ... it does show something of the background of the development of air transport and the workings of a busy commercial airport." Box office According to Warner Bros, Central Airport earned $393,000 domestically and $354,000 foreign. Preservation The Library of Congress has an archived print of Central Airport. See also John Wayne filmography References Notes Citations Bibliography Beck, Simon D. The Aircraft-Spotter's Film and Television Companion. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company, 2016. . Farmer, James H. Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1984. . Paris, Michael. From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1995. . Pendo, Stephen. Aviation in the Cinema. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. . Wynne, H. Hugh. The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots