A 747 jet in flight is struck by a smaller plane, leaving a large gaping hole in its cockpit, and nobody left to fly it except for one very nervous stewardess (Karen Black). Old reliable Charlton Heston heads this all-star cast, though most of the others collecting a paycheck weren't very big. We've got passengers like Jerry Stiller, comedian Sid Caesar, Gloria Swanson (playing herself), Norman Fell, Helen Reddy (playing a singing nun with a guitar), Linda Blair (as a sick girl awaiting an urgent kidney transplant), Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Dana Andrews, and yes - that's even Heston's gal Nova from PLANET OF THE APES (as Ms. Swanson's secretary; she changed her name from Linda Harrison to "Augusta Summerland" for this flick).
Heston is a pilot who's in love with stewardess Black, though not on board at the time of the tragedy. When she gets into a heap of trouble it's up to Chuck to help her fly the airplane herself by talking her through it over the radio. The scene in which the two interact nervously while Heston's attempting to guide her through the mechanics of flying is one of the best and most tense moments in the picture. George Kennedy is on hand as the head of the airline and he works with Heston feverishly every step of the way. Ultimately they have no choice but to attempt a mid-air transfer to place a pilot inside the wrecked 747.
Thanks in part to Heston's heroic presence, AIRPORT '75 is, for me, the most enjoyable of all the AIRPORT movies (which may not be saying much). There was a time back in the '70s where a book called THE GOLDEN TURKEY AWARDS nominated this movie as "one of the worst of all time", and like many other entries in that misguided guide, this is just not the case. AIRPORT '75 may not be a good film, but it's entertaining and there are far worse. CONCORDE: AIRPORT '79, for instance. **1/2 out of ****
Heston is a pilot who's in love with stewardess Black, though not on board at the time of the tragedy. When she gets into a heap of trouble it's up to Chuck to help her fly the airplane herself by talking her through it over the radio. The scene in which the two interact nervously while Heston's attempting to guide her through the mechanics of flying is one of the best and most tense moments in the picture. George Kennedy is on hand as the head of the airline and he works with Heston feverishly every step of the way. Ultimately they have no choice but to attempt a mid-air transfer to place a pilot inside the wrecked 747.
Thanks in part to Heston's heroic presence, AIRPORT '75 is, for me, the most enjoyable of all the AIRPORT movies (which may not be saying much). There was a time back in the '70s where a book called THE GOLDEN TURKEY AWARDS nominated this movie as "one of the worst of all time", and like many other entries in that misguided guide, this is just not the case. AIRPORT '75 may not be a good film, but it's entertaining and there are far worse. CONCORDE: AIRPORT '79, for instance. **1/2 out of ****