The Spirit of St. Louis (1957)

7.1Approved135 minDirector: Billy Wilder

1957 film by Billy Wilder

The Spirit of St. Louis is a 1957 American biographical drama film directed by Billy Wilder and starring James Stewart as Charles Lindbergh. The screenplay was adapted by Charles Lederer, Wendell Mayes and Wilder from Lindbergh's 1953 autobiographical account of his historic flight, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1954.

Along with reminiscences of his early days in aviation, the film's storyline largely focuses on Lindbergh's lengthy preparation for, and accomplishment of, his history-making transatlantic flight in the purpose-built Spirit of St. Louis high-wing monoplane. His flight begins at Roosevelt Field and ends 33 hours later on May 21, 1927, when he lands safely at Le Bourget Field in Paris. The film ends with actual newsreel footage of Lindbergh's ticker tape parade in New York.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is The Spirit of St. Louis about?
The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) — Biography of Charles Lindbergh from his days of precarious mail runs in aviation's infancy to his design of a small transatlantic plane and the vicissitudes of its takeoff and epochal flight from New York to Paris in 1927.
Is The Spirit of St. Louis based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is The Spirit of St. Louis scary?
Content rating: Approved. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.