Fate Is the Hunter (1964)

A man refuses to believe that pilot error caused a fatal crash, and persists in looking for another reason.

Director:

Ralph Nelson

Writers:

Ernest K. Gann (book), Harold Medford (screenplay)

Stars:

Glenn Ford, Nancy Kwan, Rod Taylor

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Glenn Ford	...	Sam McBane
Nancy Kwan	...	Sally Fraser
Rod Taylor	...	Capt. Jack Savage
Suzanne Pleshette	...	Martha Webster
Jane Russell	...	Herself
Wally Cox	...	Ralph Bundy
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Ben Sawyer
Mark Stevens	...	Mickey Doolan
Max Showalter	...	Dan Crawford
Constance Towers	...	Peg Burke
Howard St. John	...	Mark Hutchins
Robert J. Wilke	...	Stillman (as Robert Wilke)
Bert Freed	...	Dillon
Dort Clark	...	Ted Wilson
Mary Wickes	...	Mrs. Llewlyn

Storyline

Airliner crashes near Los Angeles due to unusual string of coincidences. Stewardess, who is sole survivor, joins airline executives in discovering the causes of the crash.

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Plot Keywords:

pilot | investigation | airplane | airplane crash | airplane accident | 

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Taglines:

He played with death to prove a theory

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 October 1964 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Bezwinger des Todes

Filming Locations:

Whiteman Airport - 12657 Osborne Street, Pacoima, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arcola Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although Ernest K. Gann, who wrote book on which film was based, later claimed he was reportedly so unhappy with film that he demanded his name be removed, his name does indeed appear in credits as author of source material.

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Goofs

Replays of the ground-to-air transmissions heard when the investigators listen to the tapes, and later during the flight to simulate the crash conditions, do not accurately replay what was originally heard, with sudden pauses or missing portions of transmissions in each scene.

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Connections

Version of Island in the Sky (1953)

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Soundtracks

"Fate Is the Hunter"
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
Lyrics by Don Wolf

User Reviews

Good, Intelligent 1960s Film

This is a fine film about an airliner crash and its later repercussions. Glenn Ford brings his usual earnestness to his role as an airline executive determined to discover the cause of the crash, which killed its pilot and his good friend (Rod Taylor). Reports that Taylor had been drinking only make Ford more determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. Top cast works well with an intelligent script, which unfortunately gets a little slow and talky near the middle of the movie. The flashback scenes with Ford, Taylor, Jane Russell and Wally Cox are extremely well done, and Dorothy Malone gives a fine, uncredited performance. Perfect TV fare, good for folks who like movies from the mid-1960s era.

PS--Isn't that Joe Patridge as the First Officer at the beginning of the movie?