The Flying Irishman (1939): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1939, The Flying Irishman is a drama film directed by Leigh Jason, running about 71 minutes. “See the "inside story" of his flight in this exciting drama of life!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. This is the story of the historic 1938 flight of Douglas 'Wrong Way' Corrigan. Mr. Corrigan starred in this film, which chronicled his infamous flight. On July 17, 1938, Mr. Corrigan loaded 320 gallons of gasoline (40 hours worth) into the tiny, single engine plane. While expressing his intent to fly west to Long Beach, CA, Mr. Corrigan flew out of Floyd Bennett Field heading east over the Atlantic. Instrumentation in the plane included two compasses (both malfunctioned) and a turn-and-bank indicator. The cabin door was held shut with baling wire. Nearly 29 hours later, he landed in Baldonnel near Dublin. He forever claimed to be surprised at arriving in Ireland rather than California. He returned to the US as a hero, with a ticker tape parade in New York and received numerous medals and awards.

Who’s in it. The Flying Irishman stars Douglas Corrigan as Douglas Corrigan, Eddie Quillan as Henry Corrigan, Paul Kelly as Butch Brannen and Robert Armstrong as Joe Alden, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 4.5/10, The Flying Irishman has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Flying Irishman page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Flying Irishman tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.