Zero Hour! (1957)

Director:

Hall Bartlett

Writers:

Arthur Hailey (screenplay) &
Hall Bartlett (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

13 November 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Drama

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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...

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Passenger | Food Poisoning | Airplane | Disaster

Cast

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
Maxine Cooper	...	Sick Woman on Plane
Mary Newton	...	Mrs. Purty, Landlady
David Thursby	...	Whitmond the Argo Fan
Will Sage	...	Vancouver Radar Controller
Noel Drayton	...	Vancouver Control Man
Will J. White	...	Vancouver Policeman (as Will White)
Fintan Meyler	...	Hysterical Woman
Hope Summers	...	Mrs. Summers
Larry Thor	...	Vancouver Radio Dispatcher
Richard Keith	...	Station Manager
Russell Thorson	...	Vancouver Flight Dispatcher
Arthur Hanson	...	Reporter
Roy Gordon	...	Frank Graham
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Woody Chambliss	...	Whitmond's Drinking Buddy (uncredited)
William Conrad	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Duane Grey	...	Plane Passenger (uncredited)
S. John Launer	...	Vancouver Switchboard Operator (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)
Katherine Warren	...	Mrs. Purdy (uncredited)
John Zaremba	...	Passenger with Sick Wife (uncredited)

Directed by
Hall Bartlett

Writing credits
Arthur Hailey		(screenplay) &
Hall Bartlett		(screenplay) &
John C. Champion		(screenplay) (as John Champion)
Arthur Hailey		(teleplay "Flight Into Danger")

Produced by
John C. Champion	....	producer
Hall Bartlett	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Ted Dale

Cinematography by
John F. Warren		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John C. Fuller

Production Design by
Boris Leven

Set Decoration by
Ross Dowd

Makeup Department
Steve Drumm	....	makeup artist
Kay Shea	....	hair stylist
Lillian Shore	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Lee Lukather	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Buddy Messinger	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Tom Coleman	....	property master
Ben Mantz	....	sketch artist

Sound Department
Lyle Figland	....	sound recordist
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Norman O'Skeete	....	special effects
Al Henley	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Thomas Morris	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Gene Polito	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eddie Armand	....	wardrobe (as Eddie Armand Scheffer)
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Ted Dale	....	conductor

Other crew
Newt Arnold	....	assistant to producer
Wink Blair	....	executive secretary
Harold Cope	....	technical advisor
Joan Eremin	....	script supervisor (as Joan Eremin Buck)
Paul Mantz	....	night aerial footage (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bartlett-Champion Productions
• Carmel Productions
• Delta Enterprises Inc.
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Television (????) (USA) (TV) (syndication)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #18728) | Sweden:15 | Norway:16

Company:

Bartlett-Champion Productions

Trivia:

Peggy King, who plays stewardess Janet, was in an episode of Dragnet (also known as Badge 714). The flight number in Zero Hour! is 714.

Goofs:

Continuity: Although the subject plane is a C-54/DC-4, several of the exterior shots used stock footage of DC-6, M-404, CV-240 planes.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Treleaven:Ted, that was probably the lousiest landing in the history of this airport. But there are some of us here, particularly me, who would like to buy you a drink and shake your hand. We're coming over.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

Soundtrack:

The Gliss Jump

A template for more than Airplane!>

Yes the others are spot on when Airplane! is invoked...but I think a truly great film maker also watched and lifted the character of Zero Hour! Stanley Kubrick. The cockpit scenes are so Dr Strangelove looking and feeling that one has to consider if this is where Kubrick looked for production design inspiration for the classic Slim Pickens scenes. Certainly looks and feels that way to this viewer. A Kubrick documentary has some bits about how the Dept of Defense was very curious about how accurate Stanley was in the instruments and layout of the Strangelove plane. Watch ZH and I think its pretty odvious. And a big Thank You TCM for putting Airplane! and ZH back-to-back for what is undoubtedly great film viewing.