This was a made for tv film aired on NBC. Even though Serling wrote the script and it is one of his earlier efforts on NBC instead of CBS, the cast is actually an A list one for a tv film. One thing about it besides the clever ending (a Serling touch) is a plot rype that would get reused in Hollywood on several films much later (Airport in the 1970's for example).
CBS did take note of this film as Jack Lord's character is pretty much a clone of his Steve McGarrett on Hawaii Five O later. Greg Morris (Mission Impossible) has a small supporting role. Ed Asner (with black dyed hair before he was totally bald) co-stars with Lord here. Asner would go on to Mary Tyler Moore and Lou Grant on TV along with many other career roles.
Edmund O'Brien is the mad man whose only obvious motive in planting the bomb is to get $100,000 dollars. In the process of the movie, he gets bombed. Serling puts Lord's wife on the plane, along with a Vietnam Vet (wow in 1966). The bomb planted on the plane will go off when the plane lands unless they can find out where the bomb is hidden. Van Johnson does a good job as the pilot of Flight number 6.
There is plenty of good drama here and the ending is much more positive than the later disaster films of the 1970's using planes. It is not the first film involving planes in trouble, but it is one that is worth catching if your a Rod Serling fan. It is currently available via You Tube.
CBS did take note of this film as Jack Lord's character is pretty much a clone of his Steve McGarrett on Hawaii Five O later. Greg Morris (Mission Impossible) has a small supporting role. Ed Asner (with black dyed hair before he was totally bald) co-stars with Lord here. Asner would go on to Mary Tyler Moore and Lou Grant on TV along with many other career roles.
Edmund O'Brien is the mad man whose only obvious motive in planting the bomb is to get $100,000 dollars. In the process of the movie, he gets bombed. Serling puts Lord's wife on the plane, along with a Vietnam Vet (wow in 1966). The bomb planted on the plane will go off when the plane lands unless they can find out where the bomb is hidden. Van Johnson does a good job as the pilot of Flight number 6.
There is plenty of good drama here and the ending is much more positive than the later disaster films of the 1970's using planes. It is not the first film involving planes in trouble, but it is one that is worth catching if your a Rod Serling fan. It is currently available via You Tube.