Women in the Wind

Women in the Wind

Year: 1939

Runtime: 63 mins

Language: English

Director: John Farrow

Adventure

THESE ARE THE WOMEN NO MAN DARES LOVE! They search for thrills other women fear! A famous aviator helps an amateur enter a cross-country air race for women.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Women in the Wind (1939)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Women in the Wind (1939). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1930s

Set in the era of early cross-country air races during the Great Depression, the film highlights the technical daring and public appetite for speed. It portrays how aviation progress and risk intersect with personal debts, family obligations, and romantic entanglements in the late 1930s.

Location

Los Angeles, Wichita, Cleveland

The story follows the women’s air derby route from Los Angeles to Cleveland, stopping at Wichita where Janet first makes her mark. Airfields, farms, and urban airports become stages for competition, spectacle, and the growing public fascination with female pilots. The settings contrast slick city airports with rural airstrips, capturing 1930s aviation culture.

✈️ Aviation 🏁 Race 👩 Empowerment

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:37

Main Characters – Women in the Wind (1939)

Meet the key characters of Women in the Wind (1939), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Janet Steele (Kay Francis)

A resourceful, determined young aviator entering the women's air derby to fund her brother Bill’s operation. She pushes technical and strategic boundaries, using Ace’s aircraft to prove her skill while navigating competing loyalties and personal risk.

👩‍✈️ Protagonist ✈️ Pilot 🏁 Determined

Ace Boreman (William Gargan)

A record-setting pilot who is initially reluctant to help Janet but ultimately becomes a pivotal ally. He orchestrates the plane swap via Denny’s aircraft, balancing pride, protectiveness, and the evolving trust he develops with Janet.

🧭 Mentor ✈️ Race 🤝 Complex

Frieda Boreman (Sheila Bromley)

Ace’s estranged wife who pursues the prize as part revanche and control, schemes to sabotage Janet, and manipulates everyone around her. Her actions test loyalties, but she also revels in the drama and ultimately reveals a legal upheaval that changes the stakes.

💃 Rival 🧪 Saboteur 🕊️ Complex

Kit Campbell (Eve Arden)

A supportive ally to Janet, Kit helps in the tight-knit crew and becomes a confidante who shares crucial information, including a revealing letter from Doc. She embodies steadiness and practical help in moments of crisis.

🤝 Ally 🧭 Strategist 🗨️ Messenger

Denny Corson (Eddie Foy Jr)

The speed record holder who lends Janet his home-built aircraft’s use through Ace’s arrangement, a key plot device that creates tension and turns the race into a moral puzzle about deception and trust.

🔥 Speed 🧭 Involvement 🪛 Mechanic

Doc (Victor Jory)

A physician who loves Janet and communicates his feelings through a letter, revealing the emotional core behind the race’s stakes. His message clarifies who truly engineered Janet’s opportunity and complicates romantic and professional loyalties.

💌 Love 🩺 Healer 🧭 Truth

Bill Steele (Charles Anthony Hughes)

A pilot friend of Ace who is bedridden after a crash, whose medical need motivates Janet’s race funds. He anchors the personal cost behind the derby and frames the emotional stakes of Janet’s victory.

👨‍⚕️ Family 🛩️ Inspiration 💔 Illness

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:37

Major Themes – Women in the Wind (1939)

Explore the central themes of Women in the Wind (1939), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

✈️ Aviation Triumph

A determined pilot battles mechanical odds and adverse weather to win the prize, underscoring skill, nerve, and persistence. Janet’s ascent as a female aviator showcases competence in a male-dominated arena. The theme celebrates courage and perseverance amid setbacks.

🤝 Rivalry & Sacrifice

Competition drives the drama, with sabotage and strategic manipulation testing loyalties. Frieda’s schemes and Janet’s resolve create friction that threatens friendships and love. Acts of selflessness—like forgoing victory for safety—shape the race’s outcome.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:37

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Women in the Wind Summary

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Women in the Wind Summary

Women in the Wind Timeline

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Women in the Wind Timeline

More About Women in the Wind

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