“Our survival hinges on one thing – finding someone who not only can fly this plane, but didn’t have fish for dinner.” – Dr. Baird
Number of Times Seen – 1 (7 Mar 2022)
Brief Synopsis – On a flight traversing Canada, the passengers and crew get food poisoning and only a former WWII pilot can land the plane safely.
My Take on it – This is a movie that I’ve wanted to see for decades, yet never got around to it.
It is the main movie that the Zucker/Abrahams comedy Airplane (1980) takes many of its cues from both in the story and the jokes.
Watching this film reminded me so much of that spoof because of the fact that much of the dialogue and actions of the characters is pretty much the same besides the change in tone from comedy to Drama here.
Dana Andrews is superb as the lead and we can truly feel the urgency of the issues when food poisoning strikes and he must get over his own personal trauma in order to safe the passengers (including his wife and young son).
Sterling Hayden is also great as the main tasked with helping him land the plane from the ground.
Despite knowing the plot and story of Airplane (1980), this movie was quite gripping to watch since I was seeking out the various differences along the way.
The way that things play out here works so well and is a great thriller to watch unfold.
Recommended!
MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – This film is parodied in Airplane! (1980), so much so, that the producers of that comedy bought the rights to this movie and used some of the dialogue word for word. (From IMDB)
Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)
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