I read Arthur Hiller's work on this and this script is very faithful to it. It is the first movie of it's time and kind and made a lot of money for Universal along with Dean Martin and Lancaster who got pieces of the box office. The cast is loaded and yet only Helen Hayes won a best supporting actress for it. This series drama inspired some terrible sequels and then a series of Airplane Comedy films.
This one is the drama and played straight. Funny how Dean Martin does so well in drama films including this one as his persona proved many times over he could act. He actually upstages the great Lancaster in this one but then he got a better role. Lancaster is only the manager of the airport, not as dramatic as being a pilot on the plane. That might have influenced his opinion of the film as his script is not well written compared to his other films.
This is one of the few films which had Jacquelin Bisset Pregnant and hurt. This film was prior to her becoming the ultimate wet tee shirt model. Now over 70, I am hoping she has aged well after becoming a lot of men's fantasy but this movie as a stewardess, though younger she does not jump out at you though she has a good role.
Watching it now, the slap scenes in it show you what inspired the same on the air plane series.
This movie has a lot of reasons to watch as it shows how team work can save lives and though the technology looks ancient today, great drama ages well.
This one is the drama and played straight. Funny how Dean Martin does so well in drama films including this one as his persona proved many times over he could act. He actually upstages the great Lancaster in this one but then he got a better role. Lancaster is only the manager of the airport, not as dramatic as being a pilot on the plane. That might have influenced his opinion of the film as his script is not well written compared to his other films.
This is one of the few films which had Jacquelin Bisset Pregnant and hurt. This film was prior to her becoming the ultimate wet tee shirt model. Now over 70, I am hoping she has aged well after becoming a lot of men's fantasy but this movie as a stewardess, though younger she does not jump out at you though she has a good role.
Watching it now, the slap scenes in it show you what inspired the same on the air plane series.
This movie has a lot of reasons to watch as it shows how team work can save lives and though the technology looks ancient today, great drama ages well.