Bezenby Let's not beat around the bush here. This film is chronic. Basically an inventor has invented a plane that can be controlled remotely and wants to sell it to some big wig with the help of his eight foot tall buddy, probably named buddy. Basically, there's a point in this when you realise that absolutely nothing is going to happen for the duration of this film except romantic misunderstandings, a crappy battle of the sexes, some slapstick and a healthy dose of racism. Not much action until the last few minutes. Jesus. Only saved from getting a one from the random appearance of Jimmy Krankie at the end.

MartinHafer While you cannot blame the original film makers, the DVD copy of "Emergency Landing" was VERY rough--with a lot of choppy scenes and a scratchy print. I sure that looks like it comes from a '20 Movie Pack' for $5 by Mill Creek--which it did.A very young and inexperienced Forrest Tucker stars in this film. While he later became a good supporting character playing various tough or gruff roles, here he just looks young and lost. I think casting him as the handsome hero was a bit of a mistake and Tucker's personality in the film does nothing to sell the material.The film is about a radio control device for airplanes. I loved the crappy special effects when they tried it out on a model plane, as the plane made completely impossible turns and it made it obvious that it was on a wire. Well, apparently the US Army Air Corps is not the only group who want this ridiculous machine and 'the enemy' have sent out spies to steal it. Since the film came out just before the US entered WWII and this studio was afraid to make waves, they just used generic baddies and made them neither German nor Japanese.There is a guy named 'Pedro' in the film who superficially looks a lot like Leo Carillo's 'Pancho' from "The Cisco Kid"--but Pedro is played in a much broader and cheesier manner. He's like a walking bad stereotype of a 1940s Mexican. I am sure many will cringe when they watch his antics. And, they might cringe when a lady automatically calls Pedro by name. He is surprised she knows his name and she responds "...every Mexican is named Pedro...or Pancho". Wow...how enlightened! But unfortunately, the non-Mexican characters aren't a lot better. Women whine, act petulant and cry, guys stare as if they can't stand the studio lights and the actors look mostly like they're in a high school play.The bottom line is that the film is bad--really bad. The script, editing, direction by William Beaudine and acting are all uniformly bad. And, unfortunately, while the film is about spies, it's amazingly stiff and dull.

wes-connors "A test pilot and his weather observer partner are trying to develop a robot-controlled plane they hope their employer can sell to the army. Foreign agents learn of their work and sabotage the plane, hoping to stop the inventors and allowing the spies to steal the invention. Our inventors hope to thwart the plans of the spies and deliver the robot plane to the army, thus saving the country," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.After making an impression in 1940's popular "The Westerner", young Forrest Tucker (as Jerry Barton) is piloted into a starring programmer role. "Emergency Landing" (inappropriately re-titled "Robot Pilot") is an unimpressive vehicle for Mr. Tucker, who would find later success in television's "F Troop". Listen for an amusing exchange between leading lady Carol Hughes (as Betty Lambert) and aunt Evelyn Brent (as Maude Marshall): on their way to tinsel town, Ms. Brent wonders what she will do in Hollywood. Ms. Hughes replies, "Barrymore is single again." Brent appeared with John Barrymore in "Raffles" (1917) and "Night Club Scandal" (1937); indeed, he had just received his fourth divorce.

BaronBl00d Emergency Landing, a film I saw under the title Robot Pilot, is essentially a romantic comedy disguised by a story of war production of planes, an invention of a new navigational remote control system, and foreign spies and intrigue. Forrest Tucker , a very young Forrest Tucker, plays Jerry Barton, a pilot trying to convince a big airplane producer to see his friend's navigational remote control system. The test fails and Barton goes home with Doc - only to soon both become "wardens" to the pretty daughter of the fly tycoon and his sister Aunt Maude - for their complicity in stealing gasoline. You get then a bunch of scenes of the two- Tucker and the spoiled brat Carol Hughes fighting against each other only to fall in love and the same for Maude and the inventive Doc. As far as romantic comedies made on the real cheap, you could do far worse. Director William "One Shot" Beaudine has some skill with the camera and all of the actors are engaging - something you seldom see in these kind of movies. Tucker is amiable if nothing else, Hughes does a believable job, Emmett Vogan plays his part as Doc with great gusto, and Evelyn Brent does the best job as Aunt Maude with great style and a wonderful sense of humour. Even the worst actor, Thornton Edwards playing Pedro - a Mexican stereotype that would have every civil liberties group out against you today, has moments that are funny. The real problem with this film is that is is advertising to be what it is obviously not - a spy thriller or war picture or science fiction film even. It really is nothing close to any of those things. It is a simple little comedy that is cheaply made and has some good scenes working with the materials at hand. I was entertained at the very least although I was expecting something else. A minor bonus: Midget extraordinare Billy Curtis makes a brief cameo as a hard-dealing, justice-giving judge of the West. Funny and cute!