THE LEGEND OF PANCHO BARNES AND THE HAPPY BOTTOM RIDING CLUB chronicles the thrilling life and extraordinary times of aviation pioneer Florence Lowe “Pancho” Barnes, one of the most colorful and accomplished women pilots of the early 20th century.
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Narrated by Tom Skerritt, with Kathy Bates as the voice of Barnes, THE LEGEND OF PANCHO BARNES employs newly discovered personal files, never-before-seen photos and rare movie footage to tell her story.
If you’ve ever seen movie or read the book The Right Stuff, then you’ve met “Pancho” Barnes. A tough and cantankerous woman who owned a bar located next to Edwards Air Force base — known as the Happy Bottom Riding Club — , Pancho was friends with all of the great test pilots of the 1940s and 50s. Chuck Yeager and the Bell X-1 team partied at Pancho’s the day he became the first man to break the sound barrier, and Jimmy Doolittle, Bob Hoover, and Scott Crossfield hung out in the bar. But before she’d been a hostess, Pancho was a famous pilot herself who took on all comers, including Amelia Earhart and Howard Hughes.
The Legend of Pancho Barnes is an award-winning documentary profile of a woman who was not only one of the 20th Century’s most accomplished women pilots, but most memorable characters. Featuring never-before-seen film footage and photographs, and interviews with astronaut Buzz Aldrin, test pilots Bob Cardenas, Bob Hoover, Chuck Yeager, and biographers Lauren Kessler and Barbara Schultz, The Legend of Pancho Barnes is a poignant, yet fun-filled romp through one woman’s life in aviation.
Narrated by Tom Skerritt with Kathy Bates as the voice of Pancho Barnes. Directed by Amanda Pope. Produced and written by Nick T. Spark.
The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club ©2009-2010 Nick Spark Productions, LLC. The name and likeness of Pancho Barnes, and affiliated trademarks and logos, are subject to copyright by Pancho Barnes Enterprises. For more information about the film visit the website www.LegendofPanchoBarnes.com.