Before "Airport," before any of the disaster movies of the '70s, there was "The High and the Mighty," a much loved 1954 film directed by William Wellman and with a tremendous cast: John Wayne, Robert Stack, Claire Trevor, Jan Sterling, Laraine Day, Phil Harris, Robert Newton, David Brian, Sidney Blackmer, William Campbell, Paul Fix, Ann Doran, John Smith, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Regis Toomey, William Hopper and William Schallert. It was a nice mix of old faces and faces that were new at the time.
"The High and Mighty" is dated now, but that's what makes it as interesting today as it was popular in its time. Someday no one will remember that you used to be able to smoke on planes; that people waited outside the terminal as the plane landed; that your loved ones could accompany you to the gate to see you off; and that services on a plane were so personalized.
Wayne plays pilot Dan Roman, who lost his family in an air disaster where he was at the helm; he is second in command to John (Robert Stack). The plane is populated with honeymooners (John Smith and Karen Sharpe), a couple returning from a disastrous vacation (Ann Doran and Phil Harris), a blonde (Jan Sterling) who's been around the block going to meet a man she's been corresponding with (William Hopper), an unhappily married couple (Laraine Day and John Howard), a child of divorce going to visit his mother, a successful businessman (David Brian), a lonely woman (Claire Trevor), a frail old man (Paul Fix) - an assortment of people. In the beginning, there are subtle signs that the plane has a malfunction, but it later becomes apparent that the plane may have to land in the ocean.
Unlike some disaster movies (like the recent horror, Poseidon), we get to know and have feelings for many of these characters as they interact and we learn their stories. Among the most striking performances are those of the women - Sterling, Trevor, and Day, who looks beautiful though her movie star days are past. Sterling has one of the stronger stories - she's 8 years older than the photo she sent the man she's about to meet, and she's terrified that he'll reject her. In a stunning moment, she removes all of her makeup and says that she will meet him as she is.
Even in death, John Wayne remains in the top ten box office stars, an astounding accomplishment. A controversial figure to say the least, he had something that still speaks to the public. I've personally always preferred him out of a cowboy outfit as he is here. There's a solidity about Wayne, a no-nonsense, honest delivery tinged with warmth and humor, most vividly seen here when he is talking to the passengers about a possible crash landing.
For me, the film was overly long with possibly the most distracting musical score I've ever heard. The movie also has some slow patches. But it's easy to see why it's so beloved, and its downbeat ending is unforgettable. I saw this movie as a child and remembered none of it except the very end.
It's a shame that over the years, Hollywood has lost the art of the build-up and of story-telling. In a disaster movie, the disasters happen much earlier today, and the films mostly give us stereotyped characters so we can get right to the special effects. Filmmakers and writers should go back to "The High and the Mighty" to see how it was done and done well if not perfectly. They had stories and people then.
"The High and Mighty" is dated now, but that's what makes it as interesting today as it was popular in its time. Someday no one will remember that you used to be able to smoke on planes; that people waited outside the terminal as the plane landed; that your loved ones could accompany you to the gate to see you off; and that services on a plane were so personalized.
Wayne plays pilot Dan Roman, who lost his family in an air disaster where he was at the helm; he is second in command to John (Robert Stack). The plane is populated with honeymooners (John Smith and Karen Sharpe), a couple returning from a disastrous vacation (Ann Doran and Phil Harris), a blonde (Jan Sterling) who's been around the block going to meet a man she's been corresponding with (William Hopper), an unhappily married couple (Laraine Day and John Howard), a child of divorce going to visit his mother, a successful businessman (David Brian), a lonely woman (Claire Trevor), a frail old man (Paul Fix) - an assortment of people. In the beginning, there are subtle signs that the plane has a malfunction, but it later becomes apparent that the plane may have to land in the ocean.
Unlike some disaster movies (like the recent horror, Poseidon), we get to know and have feelings for many of these characters as they interact and we learn their stories. Among the most striking performances are those of the women - Sterling, Trevor, and Day, who looks beautiful though her movie star days are past. Sterling has one of the stronger stories - she's 8 years older than the photo she sent the man she's about to meet, and she's terrified that he'll reject her. In a stunning moment, she removes all of her makeup and says that she will meet him as she is.
Even in death, John Wayne remains in the top ten box office stars, an astounding accomplishment. A controversial figure to say the least, he had something that still speaks to the public. I've personally always preferred him out of a cowboy outfit as he is here. There's a solidity about Wayne, a no-nonsense, honest delivery tinged with warmth and humor, most vividly seen here when he is talking to the passengers about a possible crash landing.
For me, the film was overly long with possibly the most distracting musical score I've ever heard. The movie also has some slow patches. But it's easy to see why it's so beloved, and its downbeat ending is unforgettable. I saw this movie as a child and remembered none of it except the very end.
It's a shame that over the years, Hollywood has lost the art of the build-up and of story-telling. In a disaster movie, the disasters happen much earlier today, and the films mostly give us stereotyped characters so we can get right to the special effects. Filmmakers and writers should go back to "The High and the Mighty" to see how it was done and done well if not perfectly. They had stories and people then.