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Posted on 07/06/2013 4:42:52 PM PDT by ken5050
Well, the cable news networks are non stop with their coverage of the air crash in San Francisco. Looking at the pictures, it seems a miracle that the number of fatalities is so low. If there is one unintended consequence of this crash..at least we will be spared talk about Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman for the next few days. As the networks are talking aviation and nothing but, I thought it would be a slight diversion to discuss our favorite aviation themed movies.
Obviously, "Airplane!" comes to mind...one of the funniest films ever made. And then there are the "Airport" films..I think there were 4 or 5....the first one was OK..the rest progressively worse.
My personal favorite is an old one, "The High and the Mighty," with John Wayne and Robert Stack....which also involves an airliner attempting to make a landing in San Francisco.
It's based on the book of the same name by Ernest K. Gann, who also wrote the screenplay ( and worth downloading..it's a good read.) The film also features a hauntingly beautiful Academy award winning theme by Dimitri Tiompkin...especially if you love whistling..which you can listen to here. If you don't know the tune, I urge you to listen. But be forewarned..you'll find yourself whistling the tune, or attempting to do so, over and over.
The film turns up on AMC or TCM occasionally..definitely worth recording.
My other favorite is even older ... "No Highway in the Sky" with Jimmy Stewart and Marlene Dietrich. It's based, with some degree of authenticity, on the story of the British DeHavilland Comet, which was the world's first commercial jetliner, until it was taken out of service after several horrific crashes. It was determined that the plane had a design flaw which led to it breaking up whiled at high altitudes.
I can't stand Leonardo DiCaprio, but I mention "The Aviator" only because of Cate Blanchette's incredible portrayal of Katherine Hepburn.
And of course there is the simply superb, "United 93." Beautifully done, it is faithful to the story of the heroes of our first victory of the War on Terror.
I'm sure you all have your own faves..
Secondhand Lions
Please ping me to aviation and aerospace articles. Thank you.
If you want added to or removed from this ping list, please contact EveningStar or Paleo Conservative.
ping
Red Tails
Red Skies of Montana (1952)
Guess.
The Great Waldo Pepper
Twelve O’Clock High
“Blue Max.” I enjoyed the aerial scenes. The only thing really off about the movie was that George Peppard was way too American to be portraying a German.
Twelve O’clock High
The Blue Max
“The Langoliers” and sorry, not movies, but a few Twilight Zone episodes (one where they fly back in time and one with William Shatner).
The Right Stuff.
Many thanks for the ping!!!
When I was a kid around 1950 the local movie theater would show a serial before the movie began. My favorite was this guy who had a rocket pack on his back and the control was on his chest.
They made a movie which was similar but not even close to as good.
The Right Stuff was fairly good.
Oh yeah, The Blue Max, The Ghost of Flight 401, the original Airport(just liked the old planes...the movie blows), Twelve O’Clock High.
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