Airport (1970)

Nice effects though.

Memorable, crazy movie

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

As an avid Dean Martin fan, sure I loved this film. But watching it again now, 46 years later, it's a darned good film. A bit dated, of course. But, if you wonder what air travel was like back in 1970, this gives you a pretty good idea from terminal issues to actual flying. And of course, "Airport" spawned a whole series of sequels.Before I get into the film, I wanted to mention that I am watching this on Universal's Blu Ray edition, and it's an extremely nice transfer. However, the way the disc works with special features and restarting after a pause is rather odd.The first thing that I remember from my original viewing of this film in theaters was how interesting just seeing how airports work. There's a bit of technical stuff here than adds to the realism.The second thing remembered was how worn out Burt Lancaster looked. Of course, he was nearing 60, but a little better makeup would have helped. Nevertheless, it's a good performance, and I say that as someone who didn't always appreciate Lancaster.I remember folks wondering if Dean would be believable as an airline pilot. Well, he was, and in fact his is another very good performance, particularly in the scene just before the bomb goes off.I usually wan't impressed with Jean Seberg, although she does nicely here. Her personal life and the intrigue surrounding it were probably more interesting than many of her acting roles. I feel similarly about Jacqueline Bisset -- a little shallow as an actress. But they were both beautiful. Another actor I was never impressed with is here, too -- George Kennedy as trouble shooter; chomping on a cigar never impresses me; it's a stereotypical performance.The beloved performance by Helen Hayes as elderly stowaway Ada Quonsett.Among the most intriguing characters are Van Heflin as a failed contractor and the bomber of the airplane in question. Maureen Stapleton plays his despondent wife; a bravura performance by a talented character actress.Good performances are turned in by Barry Nelson as the co-pilot, Dana Wynter as Lancaster's wife, Lloyd Nolan as a custom's agent, and Barbara Hale as Dean's wife (Barbara was Della Street in "Perry Mason").I flew in and out of Minneapolis-St. Paul many times on the way to and from Thailand beginning a decade later, and that's where much of the film was made. I was also interested to see my old favorite airline -- Northwest Orient -- advertised in several shots. But I also was reminded how much smoking there used to be on airplanes.I thought they did a nice job with some of the very minor characters aboard the airline, even those who had no speaking parts. It added humor and detail. And, you'll recognize a few of those character actors whose names you never quite remember.There have been complaints that "Airport" is melodramatic, and it' somewhat true. And yet, the stories of any of the portrayed passengers are all realistic. And, that's the kind of film that Ross Hunter often produced, and so many of his films were so popular.It's interesting to compare this film with it's ancestor -- "The High And The Mighty", and to note how much air travel had changed from 1954 until 1970.The one problem I saw technically is my doubt that in the middle of winter during a snowstorm that men digging with shovels to make a sort of ramp for the plane was unlikely. Ever try digging with a shovel into soil in the middle of the winter? I just don't think so."Airport" is a very fine film. It was a blockbuster, and deservedly so. A $90 million profit at a time when that rarely happened.

I still remember those disaster flicks from the seventies with buildings, boats and airplanes. Now that they are all available on DVD or Blu Ray it's time to pick up those you still remember seen with your parents back then. At a convention I found the Airplane box knowing that they go from good to a, no pun intended, disaster I started this classic.At the end I was surprised that the disaster itself only took maybe 30 minutes of this flick but don't worry. I kept watching it and before I knew it it was over and done. It wasn't that bad at all, the way they edited conversations was way before their time. And it works. On the other hand the way the pilots and stewardesses are presented gave me a smile too. Here they all are cheating and are doing it when they have night stops with each other. And the pilots are smoking when attending flying. Go figure that one out. And they do smoke a lot in the plane and the movie itself. There's also a bit of comedy to catch here and there even as it is all about the bomb and the disaster.The effects used are rather good for the time being, even as you can spot the fake airplane in the air it didn't bother me at all, just have a look at the last entry with the Concorde, the effects used their are laughable.A lot of blah blah indeed but still even as you know how this is going to end it's worth seeing.Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0,5/5

There is a snow storm at Chicago's Lincoln International Airport. Manager Mel Bakersfeld (Burt Lancaster) is working hard to handle all the emergencies. There is a demonstration against the new runway that flies over a neighborhood. He calls in mechanic Joe Patroni (George Kennedy) to pull out a plane stuck in the snow. D.O. Guerrero (Van Heflin) intends to blow up his plane in the air so that his wife Inez (Maureen Stapleton) could collect the life insurance money. Captain Vernon Demerest (Dean Martin) keeps pushing the airport to run faster and pushes the pilot to take off. Stewardess Gwen Meighen (Jacqueline Bisset) is on board and is pregnant with the married Demerest's baby. Mrs. Ada Quonsett (Helen Hayes) is an expert stowaway.The movie has a lot of character minutiae before it gets to the drama. The cast is amazing and Helen Hayes probably won the Oscar for her body of work. The acting suffers from the scale which overshadows everything. There are too many stories to follow. I don't care about most of them. It's rather boring for much of the movie. It's a big movie that doesn't generate enough tension. I am also uncertain whether to praise its influence in starting the 70s disaster movie craze or to hate it for the camp that most of that genre represent. This is not a terribly compelling movie until they get on the plane. Basically the last half is a good disaster movie but the first half is boring as hell.

So it was the start of 70's where special effect guys were still struggling to give out the best.This one is quite enjoyable although special effects were sought of cheesy.It lacks the glamor of big budget with mediocre sound track.Star cast was promising which delivers as expected.Sometimes dialogs feels like you are watching a 50's movie only in color which i suppose due to the fact that book came in 1958. The old stowed away lady provided the much needed comic relief.Only thing that got me was the post marital relationship was taken as too casual.In the end everyone gets along with the ladies and not with their spouses. Go watch this flick you will never get bored.