Aviation in the 1930s in America was already gaining ground. Naturally, all those new planes that were going to be put into service by the Army were supposed to be tested. People like Jim Lane were needed to see how those revolutionary models being introduced, stood through a series of tests proving they were air worthy and how they handled themselves in different conditions.

"Test Pilot" directed by Victor Fleming, a favorite director of Clark Gable, the star of the film, was an ambitious project for MGM, the studio that produced it. Written by Frank Wead with the help of an uncredited Howard Hawks, a genius in his own right, the film must have been seen as a breakthrough for the way it presents all those daring men and the flying machines.

The story brings centers in the relationship among Jim Lane, the ace pilot, Ann Barton, the Kansas girl he marries, and Gunner Morris, another pilot. The story does not make much sense because at first, Ann Barton looks she is a normal, well adjusted woman, who decides to throw away her quiet life in Kansas to follow Jim into an uncertain life having just met him. If that is not a stretch of the imagination, we do not know what is.

The relationship between Jim and Gunner, the good friend, suffers because he is secretly in love with Ann; he realizes what the dashing Jim is doing to this lovely woman, but he stays out of the picture. His first loyalty is to him, not to Ann. Drinking affects Jim's life and eventually his own relationship with the woman that loved him, but he is lucky in having her stay with him.

Mr. Fleming got good performances from the three principals, Clark Gable, the lovely Myrna Loy, and Spencer Tracy. This was the second time Gable and Tracy worked together in what developed into a great pairing of buddies. There is chemistry between Loy and Gable. The supporting cast includes Lionel Barrymore, Marjorie Main, among others.

Test Pilot surprised me with how good it is. As a love story, I rank it right up there with The Way We Were.

Clark Gable plays a test pilot, Jim, who lives hard and fast. Like many who live on the edge, he is superstitious and has an addictive personality. To cope with the risks he must take, he never deals with his feelings and drowns his fears in excesses of liquor and women.

Then he meets Ann, played by Myrna Loy--a fresh-faced, wisecracking Kansas girl who falls hard for the guy. Likewise, he falls for her and before you know it, they are married.

After they are married, Ann learns quickly what life with Jim must be like. It is a harsh reality that she cannot shake; she loves the mug.

Jim's sidekick is Gunner, a guy who also loves him but has learned to cope with Jim's short-sighted view of life. When Ann enters the picture, it becomes more than he can bear; he can endure his own pain, but cannot stand to witness hers.

We see a love story that can only end in pain, made all the more painful because all three characters are lovable.

The writing in this movie is among the best I have seen. There is not a false note in the entire film. It's difficult to write this kind of banter without making it seem false or shallow. Later in the film, when the going gets tougher, the writing conveys the feelings deep within even when they are talking only about the mundane.

It has been written that Myrna Loy liked this film best of all she acted in. Personally, I would give her the Best Actress award for this performance, though she was not even nominated.

Gable holds his own. And Tracy plays Gunner with a convincing subtlety.

Victor Fleming, who directed The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind the very next year, had another winner in this one. I am surprised it does not get much mention.

I just watched this for the first time. It starts as a light romantic comedy and becomes deeper as the story evolves. The dialogue is especially well-written, fast-paced and witty. Myrna Loy's performance is a stand-out - not to slight Gable and Tracy in any way! - with nuance that grows more complex as the movie progresses. I was particularly impressed by the screenwriter's skill in developing the relationships among the three lead characters; Tracy's gradual love and respect for Loy; Gable's discovering the depth of his feelings for her; and her struggle to be the wife of a man who constantly puts himself in harm's way. It's the kind of measured (thoughtful, not boring) film that rarely gets made today, when the emphasis would be on the action scenes. Just an excellent, intelligent film all 'round.