Airport (1970)

Director:

George Seaton

Writers:

Arthur Hailey (novel)
George Seaton (written for the screen by)

Release Date:

5 March 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The #1 novel of the year - now a motion picture!

Plot:

Melodrama about a bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.

Plot Keywords:

Airport | Melodrama | Airplane | Pilot | Bomb

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Mel Bakersfeld
Dean Martin	...	Capt. Vernon Demerest
Jean Seberg	...	Tanya Livingston
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Gwen Meighen
George Kennedy	...	Joe Patroni
Helen Hayes	...	Ada Quonsett
Van Heflin	...	D. O. Guerrero
Maureen Stapleton	...	Inez Guerrero
Barry Nelson	...	Capt. Anson Harris
Dana Wynter	...	Cindy Bakersfeld
Lloyd Nolan	...	Harry Standish
Barbara Hale	...	Sarah Bakersfeld Demerest
Gary Collins	...	Cy Jordan
John Findlater	...	Peter Coakley
Jessie Royce Landis	...	Mrs. Harriet DuBarry Mossman

Runtime:

137 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | France:U | Canada:PG (Ontario) | West Germany:16 (f) | USA:G (Certificate #22114) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-8 | Iceland:L | Norway:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Final film of Van Heflin.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: As the damaged 707 approaches the end of the runway Captain Harris calls for "right rudder". Stepping on the tips of the rudder pedals activates the wheel brakes on each side of the aircraft, so in a sense calling for "right rudder" was correct.

Quotes:

Mel Bakersfeld: Joe, my neck's out about fourteen feet, sure it'll work?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Super Secret Movie Rules: Disaster Movies (2004) (TV)

The Original Disaster Flick

"Airport" is an impressive disaster epic that rises high above the ground due to its characters. Every key player adds to the plot and that fact makes "Airport" a very good film from a great decade of movies. Oscar-winner Helen Hayes, in particular, dominates when she appears on the screen. Unfortunately this film would spawn one of the most trivial genres in the history of the cinema. 4 out of 5 stars.