Wordiezett So much average

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

JohnHowardReid Dana Andrews (Ted Stryker), Linda Darnell (Ellen Stryker), Sterling Hayden (Treleaven), Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch (Captain Wilson), Geoffrey Toone (Dr Baird), Jerry Paris (Tony Decker), Peggy King (stewardess), Carole Eden (Mrs Wilson), Charles Quinlivan (Burdick), Raymond Ferrell (Joey Stryker), David Thursby (Whitmond), Russell Thorson (flight dispatcher), Joanne Wade (baby sitter), Richard Keith (station manager), Steve London (co-pilot Stewart), John Ashley (TV singer), Willis Bouchey (RCAF doctor), Maxine Cooper, Noel Drayton, Fintan Meyler, Larry Thor, Robert Stevenson, Mary Newton, Willard Sage, Will White, Hope Summers, Arthur Hanson, Roy Gordon. Narrated by Robert Beatty.Director: HALL BARTLETT. Screenplay: Hall Bartlett, Arthur Hailey, John C. Champion. Based on the television play Flight into Danger by Arthur Hailey. Photography: John F. Warren. Film editor: John C. Fuller. Production designer: Boris Leven. Assistant director: Lee Lukather. Music composed and conducted by Ted Dale. "The Glass Jump" composed by Billy Regis, played by the Billy Regis Band. Set decorator: Ross Dowd. Make-up: Steve Drumm. Script supervisor: Joan Ermin Buck. Property master: Tom Coleman. Executive secretary: Wink Blair. Assistant to the producer: Newt Arnold. Sound recording: Lyle Figland, Charles Grenzbach. Producer: John C. Champion. A Bartlett- Champion Production.Copyright 1957 by Bartlett-Champion Productions. Released worldwide through Paramount Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Loew's State: 13 November 1957. U.S. release: November 1957. U.K. release: 12 January 1958. Australian release: 6 March 1958. 7,482 feet. 83 minutes.SYNOPSIS: A passenger plane is in peril when both pilots collapse from food poisoning.NOTES: Arthur Hailey condensed his television play into a short story, then later expanded it into the novel "Airport" which was filmed in 1970, and was followed by no less than three sequels. Paramount spoofed the whole genre — and in particular Zero Hour — in "Airplane" (1980) and its sequel.COMMENT: This first and best version of "Airport" is one of the most thrilling movies ever made. Amazing isn't it that we don't see this one all the time on TV, instead of its overblown, overproduced and only mildly suspenseful remake. Just because a whole lot of money was thrown around on the remake doesn't make it any more entertaining. Rather the reverse is the case. Tension has been dissipated and undermined for the sake of production "values". As a general rule, suspense is better served by a small but adequate budget, black-and-white photography (any fool knows that color is detrimental to emotional involvement), a straightforward plot involving well-rounded but only three or four principal characters, a short time span and a limited number of settings. The remake breaks every single one of these guideposts. No wonder it's not half as gripping or exciting. Of course it must be admitted that Hall Bartlett has really excelled himself here with direction that is unusually forceful and persuasive. And he has drawn superlative performances from players such as Dana Andrews and Linda Darnell not normally noted for charisma and expertise. Sterling Hayden, Peggy King and Geoffrey Toone also enhance their portrayals with power and depth well beyond their customary range. Indeed the whole cast acquits itself admirably. One of the most enthralling and suspenseful films ever made. Producer John Champion deserves our lasting thanks from bringing this television play to the big screen — and not undermining but indeed enhancing its effectiveness, its thrillingly dramatic impact.

Scott LeBrun It seems impossible now to review or comment on this suspense favourite without mentioning the comedy classic "Airplane!", which came along 23 years later and quite effectively spoofed this film. In fact, if you're like this viewer and have seen "Airplane!" multiple times, you'll be amazed at how faithful Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker were to the story here, and how many lines are lifted verbatim from this script. Of course, you'll also be conditioned to expect the zingers to happen as well.Still, regardless of whether or not this story *had* ever been spoofed, it really is a tense, effective, and sweat inducing thriller, highly quotable, and appropriately atmospheric. Hall Bartlett - who also wrote the screenplay with producer John Champion and story author Arthur Hailey - does a masterful job with the direction, getting lots of mileage out of a minimum of sets.The acting is sincere all the way down the line as Dana Andrews stars in the film as Ted Stryker, war veteran and former pilot who can't get over his wartime trauma. Teds' fed-up wife Ellen (Linda Darnell) takes off with their young son (Ray Ferrell), and he follows them onto a plane where the flight crew (among them, football great Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch as the pilot) and several of the passengers fall victim to food poisoning. It's up to the neurotic Ted to pilot the plane through a heavy storm to make it to an airport in time to save the afflicted people.One particular element that should be of delight to any Canadian viewer is the fact that this tale takes place in Canada and the air above it. My own hometown is mentioned repeatedly.The solid cast also includes Sterling Hayden as Captain Treleaven, the cranky guy (and old wartime comrade of Teds') who must talk our hero through the situation, Geoffrey Toone as the dedicated doctor, Jerry Paris as passenger Tony Decker, Peggy King as his stewardess girlfriend Janet Turner, Charles Quinlivan as ground controller Harry Burdick, and Steve London as co-pilot Walt Stewart.Highly entertaining all the way through, and at just over 81 minutes, it doesn't go on any longer than it really should, or waste any time.Eight out of 10.

vincentlynch-moonoi When you hear that the spoof "Airplane" was based on this film, you immediately think this must be a lousy film. Well, you're wrong. At worst, this film is dated. And there are a couple of things that seem not right to me. But overall, this is decent film and well worth watching if you like this genre.The 2 things that don't ring true to me: Living in the third world for a while, I had my share of food poisoning and knew quite a few others who also had it. I guess it's possible, but what kind of food poisoning doesn't create diarrhea or vomiting, but does cause severe cramps? Well, while that seems odd to me, I was kinda glad they handled it this way...if you know what I mean. The other thing that seems odd to me -- and I'll let you watch the film to see what I'm talking about, but just why does Dana Andrew's wife take the copilots chair????? The other problem here -- although it;s temporary since both the regular pilot and co-pilot become unconscious -- but they were terribly wooden actors.So the big question of the film is: will World War II pilot Dana Andrews, who crashed during the war and blames himself for the death of his fellow fliers, and who has not flown in a decade, be able to land the plane without cracking up? So, the balance of the film rests on the acting.Dana Andrews, an underrated and much forgotten actor is top notch here, just as he was a few years later in another airplane disaster film ("The Crowded Sky"). Linda Darnell, an actress that is no favorite of mine, does nicely here as his wife, and, of course, they're estranged. The real weakness in the film, at least in terms of the main roles, is that of Sterling Hayden, the pilot who "talks" Andrews down. The two have a bad history from World War II, so it's interesting, if unlikely. Frankly I always felt Sterling Hayden had serious limitations as an actor, and it shows here.Make no mistake, this isn't the greatest airline disaster film ever made, but it's a very good film providing you can put yourself back in flying in the 1950s. Most of you never flew in a prop plane, but I remember doing so; a different time, so don't be too dismissive of what you see here. Recommended to watch...at least once.

Prismark10 The moment the plot of Zero Hour! starts to take off a wry smile entered my face as I recalled some of the characters, dialogue and plotting was familiar.This was the basis for the Zucker Abrahams Zucker Airplane films which kick started Leslie Nielsen's later career for parody films.Ted Stryker is an ex-World War II fighter pilot who is still haunted by death of several of his men in a botched landing. Unable to hold down a regular job his wife and son have left him to fly to Vancouver and he quickly follows them and joins them on the plane and wants her to change her mind. However the pilots, their son anyone who had the dodgy halibut get severe food poisoning and its up to Stryker to land the plane without turning to jelly. A former air force comrade talks to him on the radio to guide him but he thinks Stryker is not up to it.Anyone who has watched Airplane will realise how familiar this movie is. In fact ZAZ took so many elements even taking whole scenes and dialogue. To the hysterical passenger, the passenger disapproving of the neighbouring passenger drinking, the sturdy doctor who even pops in to say good luck and when the kid goes in to see the cock pit.In fact it actually makes the viewing experience uplifting and gives this film a new lease of life. Its rather strange everybody playing it straight and po faced. I just wonder if the original writers ever realised how ripe their film was to be later poked fun of.