The disaster does not occur until the last half-hour of this frenzied time capsule. With a motley group of passengers on an aircraft, including a stunning stewardess (Anne Francis) in love with the co-pilot (John Kerr), each time a passenger has thoughts, the camera zooms in for a closeup, with the actor's thoughts voiced in the background. It's a kick! My favorite character is Jean Willes, a beauty in the Ava Gardner mold, portraying a thrice-married woman who sits next to an old boyfriend (Keenan Wynn), who does not recognize her. She still is stewing even after the air disaster. When the aircraft is hit by a smaller plane, Francis advises passengers to get ready for a crash position, and to take false teeth out, even jokingly saying she won't tell anyone. All this when they don't even know that they will live or die! Trivia note: Dana Andrews pilots the big aircraft, while Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. commands the small plane; in 1974 their roles were reversed for the similar "Airport 1975."
Review of The Crowded Sky
