| Photos (see all 10 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 2) |
| John Wayne | ... | Dan Roman | |
| Claire Trevor | ... | May Holst | |
| Laraine Day | ... | Lydia Rice | |
| Robert Stack | ... | John Sullivan | |
| Jan Sterling | ... | Sally McKee | |
| Phil Harris | ... | Ed Joseph | |
| Robert Newton | ... | Gustave Pardee | |
| David Brian | ... | Ken Childs | |
| Paul Kelly | ... | Donald Flaherty | |
| Sidney Blackmer | ... | Humphrey Agnew | |
| Julie Bishop | ... | Lillian Pardee | |
| Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez | ... | Gonzales (as Gonzales Gonzales) | |
| John Howard | ... | Howard Rice | |
| Wally Brown | ... | Lenny Wilby, navigator | |
| William Campbell | ... | Hobie Wheeler | |
| John Qualen | ... | Jose Locota | |
| Ann Doran | ... | Clara Joseph | |
| Paul Fix | ... | Frank Briscoe | |
| Joy Kim | ... | Dorothy Chen | |
| George Chandler | ... | Ben Sneed | |
| Michael Wellman | ... | Toby Field | |
| Douglas Fowley | ... | Alsop | |
| Regis Toomey | ... | Tim Garfield | |
| Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer | ... | Ensign Keim (as Carl Switzer) | |
| Robert Keys | ... | Lieutenant Mowbray | |
| William Hopper | ... | Roy (as William DeWolf Hopper) | |
| William Schallert | ... | Dispatcher | |
| Julie Mitchum | ... | Susie Wilby | |
| Doe Avedon | ... | Miss Spalding | |
| Karen Sharpe | ... | Nell Buck | |
| John Smith | ... | Milo Buck | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| John Close | ... | Mechanic (uncredited) | |
| James Conaty | ... | Mrs. Joseph's Doctor (uncredited) | |
| Robert Easton | ... | Cargo Clerk (uncredited) | |
| Dorothy Ford | ... | Mrs. Wilson (uncredited) | |
| Al Hill | ... | San Francisco Ground Crewman (uncredited) | |
| William Hudson | ... | Reporter (uncredited) | |
| John Indrisano | ... | Radar Operator (uncredited) | |
| Douglas Kennedy | ... | Boyd, Reporter (uncredited) | |
| David Leonard | ... | Scientist (uncredited) | |
| Al Murphy | ... | Lighthouse Dispatcher (uncredited) | |
| William H. O'Brien | ... | Restaurant Cook (uncredited) | |
| Walter Reed | ... | Mr. Field (uncredited) | |
| Philip Van Zandt | ... | Mr. Wilson (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| William A. Wellman | |||
Writing credits(in alphabetical order) | ||
| Ernest K. Gann | novel | |
| Ernest K. Gann | screenplay | |
Produced by | |||
| Robert Fellows | .... | producer | |
| John Wayne | .... | producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Dimitri Tiomkin | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Archie Stout | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| Ralph Dawson | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Alfred Ybarra | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Gwen Wakeling | |||
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Andrew V. McLaglen | .... | assistant director | |
Art Department | |||
| Patrick Wayne | .... | props assistant | |
Sound Department | |||
| John K. Kean | .... | sound recordist | |
Stunts | |||
| Bill Keating | .... | DC-4 stunt pilot | |
| Tom Hennesy | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| William H. Clothier | .... | aerial photographer | |
Music Department | |||
| Dimitri Tiomkin | .... | conductor | |
| Dimitri Tiomkin | .... | music arranger: "Aloha Oe", "Kaua I Ka Hua Hua'i" and "The Barber of Seville" | |
| Manuel Emanuel | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
| Paul Marquardt | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
| Charles Maxwell | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
| George Parrish | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
| John Qualen | .... | composer: additional music (uncredited) | |
| David Tamkin | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
| Herbert Taylor | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| Bill Benge | .... | aerial photography | |
| Bill Benge | .... | technical advisor | |
| Bill Keating | .... | aerial photography | |
| Muzzy Marcellino | .... | whistler: dubbing for John Wayne | |
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| Airport 1975 | Sky Giant | The Aviator | Radar Patrol vs. Spy King | Born to Gamble |
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| News articles | IMDb Action section | IMDb USA section |
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The High and the Mighty might be called Muzzy Marcellino's movie since it was his wonderful, masterful whistling of the theme that made this movie not just good, but great. It is a pity that his talents were not more appreciated, but then most people think that anyone can whistle a sonorous tune. Far from it! Very few people could whistle in orchestral color and range which is what this man did for Dimitri Tiomkin's wonderful score which well deserved the 1955 Academy Award for "Best Music" and Scoring. Yes, John Wayne did indeed make the film his own and turned in a multi-layered performance, and yes, this is the granddaddy of the 'disaster films,' which has never been surpassed in quality, but its distinction is not the primacy, nor the casting, nor even the story by a professional pilot, but the distinctive music - distinctly rendered - which one may not notice at first, but which imbues this non-epic with the caliber of stardom.
I can remember when I was in high school in the '60s some ten years after the movie was released (I have never seen it since) and Mr. Marcellino was a guest at one of our assemblies and demonstrated his amazing versatility at whistling and even performed the letters of the alphabet as an example of how he had mastered his craft. His range was phenomenal as he portrayed the instruments of the orchestra and then performed the entire Rhapsody in Blue as well as popular works all by whistling without accompaniment, but admitted that the theme for TH&TM was his proudest achievement. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has never recognized the contributions of all musical forms to the success of pictures as gauged from their mention in passing at the annual telecast Oscar ceremonies, but if they had, this singular performance would have been guaranteed a Special Oscar. Truly, once it is heard, neither it nor the film can ever be forgotten, but will haunt one for years to come! This classic film is the fitting epitaph for Messrs. Wayne, Tiomkin, and Marcellino. Would that we all could be remembered for such an achievement.