MAYDAY AT 40,000 FEET
US, 1976, 100 minutes, Colour.
David Jansson, Don Meredith, Margaret Bligh, Broderick Crawford, Linda Day George, Tom Drake, Christopher George, Marjoe Gortner, Philip Baker Hall, Ray Milland.
Directed by Robert Butler.
By this stage of cinema history, audiences can say that they have seen this story many times. However, here is a 1970s version, made between Airport 1975 and Airport 1977, capitalising on the popularity of that genre at that period.
David Jansson is the pilot who has to struggle to bring a plane down after a killer fires a gun on board his plane. Amongst the passengers are a number of veterans from old-time movies including Broderick Crawford and Tom Drake as well as some of the television stars of the period, Christopher George and his wife Linda Day George.
The film was directed by Robert Butler, a prolific director of television material from 1960 to 2000, winner of a number of Emmy awards for The Blue Knight and for Hill Street Blues during the 1980s.
1. Commentators called this an Airport for the box. Is this an adequate summary of the film? Was it better or worse than this summary?
2. Comment on the film as a television movies cinematic style, the characters, the crises and their presentation for home viewing? The stars and their impact?
3. The content of the film for telemovie viewings the character delineation, of the persons, the complexities of the plot? The melodramatics of the crises? How much adaptation of characterisation for home viewing?
4. The appeal of commercial plane flights and dangers, the presentation of the staff, the interest in the mechanical side of flying the plane, the importance of dangers and consequent heroism? How well did this film use
these ingredients?
5. Audience response to the cross-section of people on the plane from crew to passengers? The crosscutting of the screenplay to illustrate the various characters, the backgrounds of their lives? The accidents of their being on
the plane and involved in danger? The challenge of danger to various personalities? Why are these questions of perennial interest?
6. The focus on Pete Douglas as pilot, person, his skill? Relationship with his co-pilots? How important was the subplot of his concern for his wife and the exploratory operation? The personality of Kitty? Her undergoing the
operation while he was in danger? The structure of the film in crosscutting between the two?
7. The personalities of Burkhart and Susan? Their presence, past, danger, romance? Fuller and his contribution to the plot and the situations? Kathy as hostess and her heroism?
8. The background of the Marshal and his illness? Audience interest in him as a character and his job? Audience interest in Greco and his type, homicidal, maniacal? His threats? His utilising the Marshal's illness and causing havoc? His arrogance? How good a delineation of a criminal type?
9. The subplot of Dr. Mannheim and his drinking, cynicism and criticism, the background of malpractice, his being, challenged and rising, to the occasion? The importance of Susan and her challenge of him, her being wounded?
10. The behaviour of the passengers, the various types and expected responses?
11. The entertainment value of this kind of crisis film? The significance and tone of the title? A commercial presentation of basic human values?
