Born in the Philippine Islands to an U.S. Army surgeon, Jack Lambie was a United States Army pilot from 1933 to 1936, prior to joining Eastern Airlines as a co-pilot to the renowned aviator Dick Merrill, flying the New York to Miami route. In 1937, at the tender age of 27, he was selected as the co-pilot of the inaugural commercial Trans-Atlantic flight, affectionately known as the 'Daily Express', tasked with transporting newsreel footage of the coronation of King George VI, which took place from May 9th to May 13th, 1937. As a result, Lambie and Merrill became instant national celebrities, with Lambie receiving a substantial sum of $2500 as co-pilot of the historic flight.
Merrill and Lambie's newfound fame led to the production of the Monogram quickie-B picture 'Atlantic Flight' in 1937, which began filming in July of that year. Although both actors' careers were relatively short-lived, they eventually returned to their roles at Eastern Airlines. Dick Merrill retired from the airline in 1961, whereas Jack Lambie went on to retire as a Captain, Director of Operations Training in the 1970s.
