RIDING ON AIR (1937)
Article #1270 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 9-5-2004
Posting Date: 2-2-2005
Directed by Edward Sedgwick
Featuring Joe E. Brown, Guy Kibbee, Florence Rice

A small-town reporter becomes the target of a crooked financier when he wins $5000.

I’m tempted some time to start keeping a list of fantastic concepts that become trendy enough for a while to have several movies made about them. This movie includes one of them; I’m sure I’ve seen several movies dealing with the concept of radio-controlled airplanes. It’s a minor concept here; except for a handful of gag moments, the concept is largely used as a Macguffin to drive the swindling aspect of the plot. On its own terms, this is another Joe E. Brown vehicle, and though I like him well enough, he’s usually more effective in smaller roles; his own vehicles seem to be rather ordinary, and this one is no exception.