(&) 
So, you probably know the gist of all the Airport films, including 1977s watery take, but here's a quick rundown just in case. Over a 10 year span (which span just happened to encompass The Golden Age of Hollywood Disaster Films, and yes, I just made that term up--happens a lot around here) we had the following Airport movies:
- Airport (1970), where we (yawn-inducingly) watch an airport manager trying to keep his airport open during a snowstorm, while a suicidal bomber tries to blow up a 707 inflight.
- Airport 1975 (1974) Hah! You thought that release date was gonna be '75, didn't you? So did I. Anyway, here we have a guy who, while flying his wee plane, has a heart attack and crashes it into an also-flying 747.
- Airport '77 (1977), where art thieves hijack a 747 and (accidentally) crash it under the ocean's surface (yikes!).
- And finally, The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979), where a corrupt arms dealer (repeatedly!) tries to down an SST that's carrying someone who's threatening to out him as a bad guy.
Yep. And, as with most film franchises, this one started out (at least somewhat) realistic in nature and with each sequel went farther and farther afield, ending with an infamous "Final Film of the Franchise" so ridiculous and making so little money, nobody ever made another one. A sad and oft-repeated Hollywood story.
For me, Airport '77 was the best of the lot. That first movie was really a drama with a bit of disaster thrown in, and all the films except '77 kept to mid-air thrills, which is fine as far as it goes. But combining mid-air thrills with trapped-beneath-the-ocean thrills? That's callin' my name long and loud. Now, '77 was towards the end of the film series, so of course there was plenty of disbelief to be suspended, but like I say, air disaster and underwater disaster?! In the very same film? I'm in. And while the premise was stretched paper thin--an airplane crash-landing in the ocean, sinking to the bottom and remaining intact with no one but the bad guys dead (at first)--it's a hell of a fun ride to this picture's end credits.
We had an all star "Disaster Movie Cast," too. (By law this requires mostly big names that are anywhere from a tiny bit to way past their Hollywood earning prime, with a few lesser known up and comers thrown in to boot.) Here was our cast for this one:
We've got Lee Grant, for being a Columbo Killer and Mrs. Colbert in In the Heat of the Night; James Stewart, for Harvey, Rear Window, etc. (Besides, he's James Stewart, amiright?); Darren McGavin, 'cause--hello!--Carl Kolchak! (And A Christmas Story, and....); Christoper Lee, so many reasons why.... except possibly not for that Howling sequel--but he even managed to class that one up a bit; Robert Foxworth, an (I think) underrated actor I've greatly enjoyed in several movies and TV shows, including The Questor Tapes (he was a Columbo Killer, too!); Monte "The Seven Million Dollar Man" Markham; Gill "Buck Rogers" Gerard; and, last but not least, Michael "Captain Barbera" Pataki.
Okay. Back to airplanes. So you probably already know the in-depth (no pun intended) drill on this movie's plot, and if you don't, Wikipedia gives you a nice rundown, so I don't think I'll go into that. I mean, there's plenty out there on this movie already, for those who want screenshots and plot details. I'll just wander along the fringes, as I'm wont to do.
I think, when it comes down to it, what does it for me in this film--what takes it above the other three movies and makes it my favorite--is the unspeakable tension of people being trapped in an air filled box that's slowly filling up with water. Oy vey, what a way to go! After all, The Poseidon Adventure is one of my very favorite disaster films of all time, and this is basically The Poseidon Adventure with wings. Well, "Poseidon Light," might be more apt to say.
You know, until I re-watched the film, I'd been under the (mistaken) impression the plane crashed just barely underwater, with it's tail fin sticking out, and that's how they were finally spotted and rescued. Not so. They were, like, hundreds of feet underwater, and pretty much invisible from the surface. But getting a look at the novelization, whose cover mirrors the movie's poster, I realized I was remembering that image versus actual film content.
By the way, give that movie poster up top a click-through to see that tail fin large-and-in-charge. It's a beautiful illustration, and researching it's artist led me to yet another amazing talent. Guy's name was Jack Leynnwood and he was mostly known for doing plastic model kit packaging art. Check out that link on his name, and this one too, for background and groovy artwork.
Leynnwood did a lot of extremely cool stuff, including some amazingly detailed aviation illustrations, but my two favorites (from those I came across today) are most definitely not aviation themed:
Right?
So, the novelization for Airport '77 was actually done by the film's two screenwriters, which I figure is often-but-not-always a good thing, since a screenwriter's going to know their story and characters well right off the bat and can more easily flesh things out for a novel. Assuming said screenwriter is talented to begin with, and these two fellows seem to have been talented enough.
David Spector has a whopping two writing credits on IMDB: the screenplay for this film, and another disaster (tele)film called Skyway to Death from 1974. Michael Scheff was a bit more prolific, Hollywood-wise anyway, with 23 credits of mostly TV stuff, including Murder She Wrote, Hart to Hart and (ouch) Mrs. Columbo. (He also worked on Skyway to Death.)
And who's to say what else these guys have done? IMDB doesn't keep track of anything but Hollywood, so one or both might have gone on to do a lot of non-Hollywood writing or whatnot. My quick and dirty search didn't yield even enough information to know if they're both still living, let alone what else they've accomplished professionally in their lifetimes. I'll just assume they've both made good in life and either died happy or are still enjoyably plugging along until I hear different.
As for the novelization itself, it's a trim little book, clocking in at just over 200 pages (hijack begins on 75 and they hit the oil rig on 104, to give you an idea of the pacing). Not a lot of padding or extra scenes (in fact I don't recall any scenes not in the movie), but it does have plenty of silent dialog (is that a real term? probably not), what with the various characters thinking things to themselves, that you obviously wouldn't have in the film. (Man, that would be annoying, hearing an entire ensemble cast's silent-thought-voice-overs all throughout a movie like this.) But for the book it works nicely, giving us backstory and more depth for pretty much everyone involved.
Oh, you know what? There is a short scene in the book where a guy named Callahan delivers the knockout gas to the two art thieves. We get a little back story on him as he drives to the rendezvous point and hands over the canister. So that's a book thing not in the movie. That's the only one I remember, but there might have been one or two more little things. Still, nothing major to be found here versus the film.
Let's see, what else did I notice as I went through the book? Mostly little differences, like:
For those not in the know, George Kennedy was the only actor who appeared in all four films, recurring his role as Joe Patroni. The character differs wildly from film to film, going from being a chief mechanic in Airport, to a vice president of operations in Airport 1975, to a consultant in Airport '77, and finally an airline pilot in The Concorde ... Airport '79. Not only does Patroni's job title change, the character's personality is all over the map from movie to movie. Just as well to have him out of this story, I think--wasn't missed by me, obviously, since I didn't notice his omission 'til after I'd finished the book. And it seems to me the character had the least to do in this movie, anyway. So yeah.
And that's it for this go around. I don't know what is it about seeing a 747 go down that's so alluring to me. Obviously, it's a horrifying scenario in real life, but fictionalized versions of this kind of thing are so fascinating to me. Hmm. Makes me wonder why I don't have more disaster films here at DMB. Might have to rectify that....
Oh, and in the way of brain counts, I'd have to say both the film and its novelization are pretty much even-steven as far as enjoyment factor goes. Neither offers more or less Disaster Glee than the other, but getting the same story through such differing mediums is interesting enough in itself that you'd do well to give both a shot. In my humble opinion. So I'm giving both the book and the film:
THREE AND A HALF HIGH-ALTITUDE-TO-CRUSHING-DEPTHS BRAINS
For me, Airport '77 was the best of the lot. That first movie was really a drama with a bit of disaster thrown in, and all the films except '77 kept to mid-air thrills, which is fine as far as it goes. But combining mid-air thrills with trapped-beneath-the-ocean thrills? That's callin' my name long and loud. Now, '77 was towards the end of the film series, so of course there was plenty of disbelief to be suspended, but like I say, air disaster and underwater disaster?! In the very same film? I'm in. And while the premise was stretched paper thin--an airplane crash-landing in the ocean, sinking to the bottom and remaining intact with no one but the bad guys dead (at first)--it's a hell of a fun ride to this picture's end credits.
We had an all star "Disaster Movie Cast," too. (By law this requires mostly big names that are anywhere from a tiny bit to way past their Hollywood earning prime, with a few lesser known up and comers thrown in to boot.) Here was our cast for this one:
- Jack Lemmon as Capt. Don Gallagher
- Lee Grant as Karen Wallace
- Brenda Vaccaro as Eve Clayton
- Joseph Cotten as Nicholas St. Downs III
- Olivia de Havilland as Emily Livingston
- James Stewart as Philip Stevens
- George Kennedy as Joseph "Joe" Patroni
- Darren McGavin as Stan Buchek
- Christopher Lee as Martin Wallace
- Robert Foxworth as Chambers
- Robert Hooks as Eddie
- Monte Markham as Banker
- Kathleen Quinlan as Julie
- Gil Gerard as Frank Powers
- James Booth as Ralph Crawford
- Monica Lewis as Anne
- Maidie Norman as Dorothy
- Pamela Bellwood as Lisa Stevens
- Arlene Golonka as Mrs. Jane Stern
- Tom Sullivan as Steve
- M. Emmet Walsh as Dr. Williams
- Michael Pataki as Wilson
- George Furth as Gerald Lucas
- Richard Venture as Commander Guay
- Elizabeth Cheshire as Bonnie Stern
- Anthony Battaglia as Benjy
 |
| We've been hijacked! By vampires! |
Okay. Back to airplanes. So you probably already know the in-depth (no pun intended) drill on this movie's plot, and if you don't, Wikipedia gives you a nice rundown, so I don't think I'll go into that. I mean, there's plenty out there on this movie already, for those who want screenshots and plot details. I'll just wander along the fringes, as I'm wont to do.
I think, when it comes down to it, what does it for me in this film--what takes it above the other three movies and makes it my favorite--is the unspeakable tension of people being trapped in an air filled box that's slowly filling up with water. Oy vey, what a way to go! After all, The Poseidon Adventure is one of my very favorite disaster films of all time, and this is basically The Poseidon Adventure with wings. Well, "Poseidon Light," might be more apt to say.
 |
| Has anyone seen my friend? About 6 feet tall, with floppy ears? |
By the way, give that movie poster up top a click-through to see that tail fin large-and-in-charge. It's a beautiful illustration, and researching it's artist led me to yet another amazing talent. Guy's name was Jack Leynnwood and he was mostly known for doing plastic model kit packaging art. Check out that link on his name, and this one too, for background and groovy artwork.
Leynnwood did a lot of extremely cool stuff, including some amazingly detailed aviation illustrations, but my two favorites (from those I came across today) are most definitely not aviation themed:
Right?
So, the novelization for Airport '77 was actually done by the film's two screenwriters, which I figure is often-but-not-always a good thing, since a screenwriter's going to know their story and characters well right off the bat and can more easily flesh things out for a novel. Assuming said screenwriter is talented to begin with, and these two fellows seem to have been talented enough.
David Spector has a whopping two writing credits on IMDB: the screenplay for this film, and another disaster (tele)film called Skyway to Death from 1974. Michael Scheff was a bit more prolific, Hollywood-wise anyway, with 23 credits of mostly TV stuff, including Murder She Wrote, Hart to Hart and (ouch) Mrs. Columbo. (He also worked on Skyway to Death.)
And who's to say what else these guys have done? IMDB doesn't keep track of anything but Hollywood, so one or both might have gone on to do a lot of non-Hollywood writing or whatnot. My quick and dirty search didn't yield even enough information to know if they're both still living, let alone what else they've accomplished professionally in their lifetimes. I'll just assume they've both made good in life and either died happy or are still enjoyably plugging along until I hear different.
As for the novelization itself, it's a trim little book, clocking in at just over 200 pages (hijack begins on 75 and they hit the oil rig on 104, to give you an idea of the pacing). Not a lot of padding or extra scenes (in fact I don't recall any scenes not in the movie), but it does have plenty of silent dialog (is that a real term? probably not), what with the various characters thinking things to themselves, that you obviously wouldn't have in the film. (Man, that would be annoying, hearing an entire ensemble cast's silent-thought-voice-overs all throughout a movie like this.) But for the book it works nicely, giving us backstory and more depth for pretty much everyone involved.
Oh, you know what? There is a short scene in the book where a guy named Callahan delivers the knockout gas to the two art thieves. We get a little back story on him as he drives to the rendezvous point and hands over the canister. So that's a book thing not in the movie. That's the only one I remember, but there might have been one or two more little things. Still, nothing major to be found here versus the film.
Let's see, what else did I notice as I went through the book? Mostly little differences, like:
- Joseph Banker, who is the lead bad guy in the book (seemed like Wilson was in charge in the movie), doesn't do the fake mustache and cheek inserts thing when he puts on that maintenance man disguise in the airport's locker room.
- Eve Clayton has close cropped hair, actress Brenda Vaccaro did not.
- Copilot Chambers is a lot more nervous and subservient, and it's actually pointed out with backstory he's being coerced/blackmailed due to gambling debts, which I'm pretty sure wasn't a thing in the film.
- There's a lot more Air Traffic/Coast Guard/Navy descriptive rah-rah stuff in the book... which is to be expected. You gotta offset the whole plane going down thing with how amazing and efficient the rescue efforts would be in a story like this.
- We get to witness Banker's death in the cargo hold--crushed and drowned--in more excruciating detail, and it's better explained that the cargo hold breach is what sinks the plane so quickly. Probably technically in the film too, but things are moving so fast onscreen it's hard to pick up all the details.
For those not in the know, George Kennedy was the only actor who appeared in all four films, recurring his role as Joe Patroni. The character differs wildly from film to film, going from being a chief mechanic in Airport, to a vice president of operations in Airport 1975, to a consultant in Airport '77, and finally an airline pilot in The Concorde ... Airport '79. Not only does Patroni's job title change, the character's personality is all over the map from movie to movie. Just as well to have him out of this story, I think--wasn't missed by me, obviously, since I didn't notice his omission 'til after I'd finished the book. And it seems to me the character had the least to do in this movie, anyway. So yeah.
And that's it for this go around. I don't know what is it about seeing a 747 go down that's so alluring to me. Obviously, it's a horrifying scenario in real life, but fictionalized versions of this kind of thing are so fascinating to me. Hmm. Makes me wonder why I don't have more disaster films here at DMB. Might have to rectify that....
Oh, and in the way of brain counts, I'd have to say both the film and its novelization are pretty much even-steven as far as enjoyment factor goes. Neither offers more or less Disaster Glee than the other, but getting the same story through such differing mediums is interesting enough in itself that you'd do well to give both a shot. In my humble opinion. So I'm giving both the book and the film:
THREE AND A HALF HIGH-ALTITUDE-TO-CRUSHING-DEPTHS BRAINS
I love air disaster movies. In fact, I like all of disaster movies. Second-best are books and third are documentaries.
ReplyDeleteI never really enjoyed G Kennedy as an actor, and that continues with these films.
Still, he’s part of the history.
Well reviewed n expertly written.
Air disasters: https://youtu.be/yxghozqc1Ho
Concord: https://youtu.be/b8yizEzRDzc
Lee, McGavin, Stewart and more?
ReplyDeleteI forgot about the star filled cast.
It just became a “must-see.”
Hey Todd. I saw both your comments in the email notification Blogger sends me, but apparently only your second one showed up online. Dunno why it does that once in awhile. Anyway, enjoyed your comments and glad you enjoyed the post. And I agree with you on George Kennedy--never did much for me either....
ReplyDeleteOne thing to note. "Airport '77" was expanded significantly for its TV broadcast and this included not just scenes left on the cutting room floor from the original shoot (specifically the ones that establish Kathleen Quinlan's crush on blind piano player Tom Sullivan and why she's so distraught later; another has James Stewart giving injured bartender Robert Hooks the good news that his pregnant wife has given birth to twins and is okay) but there were also other scenes shot after the fact just for TV, most notably some "flashback" sequences that are inserted when some of the trapped passengers have a moment of introspection. Lee Grant has one thinking back to a happier moment in her marriage to Christopher Lee. There's also a new scene at the beginning showing Banker and Wilson stealing the gas they use to knock out the passengers later.
ReplyDelete