Hollywood producer/director Arlo St. John has put out an unusual call to local talent agencies, seeking actors with "classic good looks, fit physiques, and credible aviation skills." In casting his new series of aviation-adventure pictures, St. John is convinced that reality-films are the wave of the future. "People see the Hollywood Knights in the paper, they read the magazines—folks are in the know about what real pilots are like. Trying to take actors and make them pilots is backwards. By using real pilots my pictures will have an authenticity that others don't. The public demands the real thing, and I aim to give them what they want."

Originally he had tried to form his own studio, Sky Pictures, but financial support was slow in coming, so St. John has partnered with Colossal Studios to raise the necessary capitol and distribution for his endeavor. "Colossal Studios is glad to be working with an artist of Arlo's vision," said Colossal Studio's acting head, Johnny Johnson, at a press gathering to announce the partnership deal. "We have every confidence that his ideas will lead to thrilling motion picture experiences for the public."

It remains to be seen whether this strategy will enable St. John's work to gain notice over producers with far higher budgets and big-name stars. However, one has to admit it's a compelling argument. How many films about pilots have fallen flat because of the complete lack of credibility of the main actors when put behind a stick? How many careers went down in flames with Chasing the Sunset—supposedly a sure-fire hit—when audiences balked at the simplistic portrayal of militia pilots? And can anyone see Lana Cooper I wrestling a wounded Firebrand down onto the runway, no matter how much money the studio spends on her pictures?

Several recent films about pilots have done poorly (Zero Visibility, The Mysterious Squadron, Giants in the Sky), leading to questions about whether the public is growing bored with the same old rehashed pilot tales. Cecil B. DeMille thinks they want bigger pictures, with staggering budgets and over-the-top stunts, and promises a new level of production with his long-delayed Red Skies. St. John thinks they want gritty realism and pilots who come across as the genuine article.

Which one do you want? Cast your vote at your local theater.

—Hollywood Correspondent Tom Thompson (Staff Writer for The Tinseltown Tattler)