The Heroic Air Battles Of The Black Baron mpeg4

The Heroic Air Battles of the Black Baron

A lighthearted spoof of Hollywood aviation "Epics"

The images in this slideshow are still captures from the film The Heroic Air Battles of the Black Baron. The film was written, filmed, directed and produced by professional photographer, filmmaker, writer and inventor, Frank Gudaitis in 1970, and it is 18 minutes long. Shot in16mm film at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, New York, it stars Cole Palen, Dick King, Dave Fox, Judy Meyers Ulfik, and members of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Repertoire Company.

Filmed as a comedy/action/romance spoof, the setting for the story is France, sometime during WWI. Rare vintage fighter aircraft are prominently featured throughout, but the focus of the film is unrequited love; a well-known theme, experienced through the ages by people of all nations. The beautiful Judy Meyers Ulfik is the irresistible center of attention and target of affection for the French, German and British aviators alike.

The aerial footage spotlighting magnificent vintage aircraft is beautifully filmed, and it captures the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in its heyday, when the first generation of Aerodrome pilots flew in weekend air shows there throughout the summer months. Featured aircraft in this film from Cole Palens collection include his Fokker Triplane (a reproduction with an original 100 hp Gnome rotary engine), Fokker D.VII (a reproduction with an original Mercedes engine), SPAD XIII (an original aircraft with a Hispano-Suiza engine) and Dick Kings reproduction Sopwith Pup (with an original 80 LeRhone rotary engine).

The Heroic Battles of the Black Baron was created as a silent film and uses intertitles (a.k.a. titlecards) to convey the limited dialogue between the actors. An original film score was written and performed specifically for this film, and custom artwork/illustrations were created for the opening and closing credits by artist Lloyd Wibble.

In the later 1950s, Frank produced another short film entitled Air Racing which told the story of Formula 1 Air Racing in the United States from the perspectives of the pilots. It was filmed over a period of four years. The short was purchased by a Paramount Pictures Corporation, and was shown at large screen theaters around the world.

Mr. Gudaitis is seeking a serious buyer to purchase the rights to this film to allow it to be seen all around the world as well, with the ultimate goal of having the film seen on the big screen as his Air Racing film had been shown years ago, or perhaps to be used in television broadcasts.

Serious inquiries can be sent to:

Frank Gudaitis

12 Yosemite Lane
Coram, NY 11727




Phone (631) 473-3364

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Short film
• Cole Palen
• Dick King
• Dave Fox
• Judy Meyers Ulfik
• Fokker
• Triplane
• Spad
• Sopwith
• Rhinebeck
• Aerodrome
• silent film
• vintage aircraft
• World War I epic
• spoof
• comedy
• romance
• action
• flying
• WW1