Zero Hour! (1957)

A routine flight turns into a major emergency as passengers and crew succumb to food poisoning - is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane? If that sounds vaguely familiar, it's... See full summary »

Director:

Hall Bartlett

Writers:

Arthur Hailey (screenplay), Hall Bartlett (screenplay),

Stars:

Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell, Sterling Hayden

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dana Andrews	...	Lt. Ted Stryker
Linda Darnell	...	Ellen Stryker
Sterling Hayden	...	Capt. Martin Treleaven
Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch	...	Capt. Bill Wilson
Geoffrey Toone	...	Dr. Baird
Jerry Paris	...	Tony Decker
Peggy King	...	Stewardess Janet Turner
Charles Quinlivan	...	Harry Burdick
Patricia Tiernan	...	Mrs. Joan Wilson (as Carole Eden)
Steve London	...	First Officer Walt Stewart
Jo Ann Wade	...	Treleaven's Baby Sitter
Ray Ferrell	...	Joey Stryker (as Raymond Ferrell)
John Ashley	...	TV Singer
Willis Bouchey	...	British Army Doctor
Robert Stevenson	...	Air Traffic Controller

Storyline

A routine flight turns into a major emergency as passengers and crew succumb to food poisoning - is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane? If that sounds vaguely familiar, it's because 'Airplane' was a send-up of this forerunner of the 1970s disaster movie..

---

Plot Keywords:

pilot | passenger | food poisoning | airplane | disaster | 

---

Taglines:

It Builds to the Tensest 50 Minutes in the History of the Screen!

---

Genres:

Thriller | Drama

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

714 antwortet nicht

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bartlett-Champion Productions, Carmel Productions, Delta Enterprises Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

To guard against food poisoning FAA regulations forbid the serving of the same type meal (fish, meat or fowl) to a pilot and co-pilot.

---

Goofs

The stricken airliner was to land at Vancouver, British Columbia. At one point it was indicated on a map that the Vancouver airport was bordered by dense clusters of apartment buildings and various other civilian structures in close proximity. In reality, the Vancouver airport is situated on an island at the mouth of the Fraser River, is bordered all around by water, and has no such apartment complexes or other civilian structures anywhere nearby.

---

Quotes

Lt. Ted Stryker: [enters the cockpit] Oh doctor, the stewardess said...
[Stryker sees the pilot and co-pilot seats empty and the plane on automatic pilot]
Lt. Ted Stryker: BOTH pilots?
Dr. Baird: Can you fly this airplane and land it?
Lt. Ted Stryker: Not a chance!

---

Connections

Remake of Flight Into Danger (1956)

---

Soundtracks

"Zero Hour"
Song and Theme composed by Arthur Hamilton

User Reviews

If you're an Airplane! fan, you've got to see this film.

I was always told that Airplane! was a take off of the Airport movies of the 70s. It might have been, but the main source for the film was Zero Hour! This film is hilarious if you're a big Airplane! fan. As I watched ZH, I was reciting the same Airplane! dialogue in my head. I've never seen two movies that are so similar. It's quite a hoot!