SKYWAY TO DEATH

US, 1974, 75 minutes, Colour.
Ross Martin, Stephanie Powers, Bobby Sherman, Severn Darden, Nancy Malone, John Astin, Joseph Campanella.
Directed by Gordon Hessler.

A routine telemovie in the atmosphere of the disaster films. It takes a cable car going up a mountain to be trapped and four people to be rescued. There are the expected variety of passengers who are terrified and of course reveal themselves to me another. The film is beautifully photographed and is quite enjoyable of its kind.

1. Tone of the title? The quality of the film as a telemovie, style, content, reaching the home audience in terms of content, excitement, insight into human nature?

2. The expectations from the title? The disaster trends of the 70s,? The perrennial interest in accidents and people's lax response to the accident and saving people? How well did the film fall within this category?

3. The plausibility of the overall situation? The nature of the accident? the people represented and involved? An American group? How universal?

4. Audience interest in reactions to accidents and potential disaster? Reaction to the mechanical and technological problems? To the fears? Panic and the variations to human reaction from cowardice to heroism? Well illustrated here?

5. The presentation of the skyway especially during the credits, the emphasis on the natural beauty? The nature of the risk? The problems and the fact that there can be a technological solution? The vagaries of nature and human error?

6. The credibility of Walter Benson as a character, his plea with Sam, his madness and revenge? His being the cause and blame for this? Did he redeem himself sufficiently by his help?

7. Sam and Bill as ordinary technicians and managers trying to cope? Their wisdom, common sense, the measures that they took, means of communication, handling the situation with Barney? Could they have done any better?

8. Barney as a young man, his skill with people, his control of the situation, responsibility of what happened because of his presence there, his heroism, his almost falling, his helping at the end?

9. The man with acrophobia and his trying to control himself, his fainting, his impulsive heroism and the reassurance, yet the fear when he had time to think? Could audiences identify with this feeling?

10. Bob and Nancy as hero and heroine? Their discussion about marriage? Their taking Louise for the outing? Bob and his skill in helping? Nancy and her panic but support of Bob? Louise with the humour and wisdom of old age?

11. The presentation of the Leonards, the loudmouth man his wife confronting him with the truth? The film emphasised their marriage problem and gave much of the dialogue to solve their problems? How convincing? How real the problem and their lines for absolution? The importance of the pickpocket and his presence there, with the wallet? His consistency with picking a pocket at the end?

12. How well did the film blend the dangers and the human elements? Sentiment?

13. Involvement with crises, the human element? The optimism that a solution can be found, the happy ending?