THE SKY PILOT
starring Colleen Moore and John Bowers
PICTURE PLAY
July, 1921
As a good outdoor story, "The Sky Pilot" also deserves a recommendation. It is adapted from the novel by Ralph Connors and directed by King Vidor, whose work, like Neilan's, has distinction. "The Sky Pilot" is a neat combination of Western melodrama and religion. Vidor's pictures are clean and wholesome, and they carry a message to those who are looking for messages. "The Sky Pilot" gives evidence of Vidor's sincerity of purpose and of his keen sense of character drawing. Do you remember "The Jackknife Man?" "The Sky Pilot" is just another such story. The principal roles are played by Colleen Moore, John Bowers and David Butler.
THE SKY PILOT
starring Colleen Moore and John Bowers
MOTION PICTURE CLASSIC
May, 1921
Another admirable photoplay effort is King Vidor's visualization of Ralph Connor's novel, "The Sky Pilot" (First National).
Any effort of Mr. Vidor merits unusual attention from lovers of the best in the film, and "The Sky Pilot" is no exception. Actually, it is Mr. Vidor's own story, since the changes are so radical that you will hardly recognize the old opus.
"The Sky Pilot" is now a story of faith rewarded, for Connor's hero now goes triumphantly thru all sorts of experiences, with his religion as his only shield. These range from ruthless cattle thieves to a stampede. Incidentally, he brings God to an old herder, and health to the man's crippled daughter.
"The Sky Pilot" is not the equal of Mr. Vidor's "The Jack-Knife Man." Doubtless it will be more popular with the exhibitors, who decide what audiences shall or shall not see. It has all the so-called "punches," from fights to the burning of a church, not to enumerate the aforementioned stampede. We hope, however, that Mr. Vidor will stick to his ideals of production and life. Here and there he achieves his usual fine moments. For this reason, we place "The Sky Pilot" above the average.
The Vidor-Connor story is well played, particularly by John Bowers as "the sky pilot," and Colleen Moore as the girl.
THE SKY PILOT
starring Colleen Moore and John Bowers
NEW YORK TIMES
April 18, 1921
King Vidor's latest work, "The Sky Pilot," is at the Strand this week, and, despite some obtrusive faults and an overdone ending, it is a corking melodrama. Pictorially it is exceptional. Mr. Vidor's chief talent seems to be for making magically lighted, atmospheric moving pictures which convey meanings to spectators, though he seems to take special pride himself in his moral earnestness. Some will probably find much of the latter in "The Sky Pilot," but others will have to ignore it in order to enjoy the melodrama. It may be added, too, that if Dr. Crafts is successful in barring from the screen all pictures that "offend the religious belief of any person," "The Sky Pilot" may run into difficulties, for surely there are professed Christians who believe in a spiritual and rationalized, rather than a physical and superstitious, church militant. How faithful a translation of Ralph Connor's novel the picture is, the writer cannot say.
The best acting is done by David Butler, as a ranch foreman. John Bowers as the missionary is satisfactory most of the time, and Colleen Moore does well enough except when her Broadway make-up and cabaret smile are too conspicuous.
For more information, see"The Sky Pilot" as our "Feature of the Month"