Fugitive in the Sky (1936)

In the bustling heart of Los Angeles airport, reporter Terry Brewer bids farewell to his love, Rita Moore, a charming airline hostess. His reporter's instincts spark when he spots G-Man Mike Phelan boarding the same plane. Sensing a tantalizing story beneath the surface, he decides to tag along, trailing Phelan's shadow. The plot thickens when the plane, slicing through the azure skies, halts in picturesque New Mexico. A mysterious passenger, Mrs. Tristo, purchases a foreboding hunting knife from a local Indian. As night unfurls its cloak, a sinister figure creeps towards the slumbering Ramon Duval, driving the knife into his unsuspecting heart. With the echo of the crime still ringing in the enclosed cabin, Phelan swiftly assumes control, interrogating the unnerved passengers. The tension escalates when Wanda Terrell, a fugitive in a cunning disguise, overpowers Phelan, seizing control of the aircraft. She commands the pilot, Bob White, to navigate the plane towards Evansville, Indiana, her hometown. In a brave attempt to regain control, Rita offers the suspicious fugitive a coffee laced with a potent sleeping potion. However, the plan backfires, and the co-pilot Johnnie Martin is knocked unconscious. Agitated, the fugitive incapacitates White, forcing Rita to assume control amidst the ensuing chaos. As a fierce dust storm descends, threatening to choke the plane's motors, White regains consciousness just in time to guide the plane through the blinding storm, landing them in the heart of the tempest. The captive passengers and crew find temporary sanctuary in a nearby farmhouse, still under the fugitive’s iron grip. In a thrilling climax, the fugitive coerces White and Terry to repair the plane, unaware that Rita, armed with a farmer's shotgun, is hot on their trail. The stage is set for a riveting showdown, as Rita musters the courage to confront the fugitive, determined to reclaim control.

Fugitive in the Sky is an action movie featuring Jean Muir and directed by Nick Grinde.

Fugitive in the Sky is currently streaming on TCM.