Airport (1970)

Director:

George Seaton
(more)

Writers:

Arthur Hailey (novel)
George Seaton (written for the screen by)

Release Date:

5 March 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The #1 novel of the year - now a motion picture!

Plot:

Melodrama about a bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.

Plot Keywords:

Airport | Melodrama | Airplane | Pilot | Bomb

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Mel Bakersfeld
Dean Martin	...	Capt. Vernon Demerest
Jean Seberg	...	Tanya Livingston
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Gwen Meighen
George Kennedy	...	Joe Patroni
Helen Hayes	...	Ada Quonsett
Van Heflin	...	D. O. Guerrero
Maureen Stapleton	...	Inez Guerrero
Barry Nelson	...	Capt. Anson Harris
Dana Wynter	...	Cindy Bakersfeld
Lloyd Nolan	...	Harry Standish
Barbara Hale	...	Sarah Bakersfeld Demerest
Gary Collins	...	Cy Jordan
John Findlater	...	Peter Coakley
Jessie Royce Landis	...	Mrs. Harriet DuBarry Mossman
Larry Gates	...	Commissioner Ackerman
Peter Turgeon	...	Marcus Rathbone
Whit Bissell	...	Mr. Davidson
Virginia Grey	...	Mrs. Schultz
Eileen Wesson	...	Judy Barton
Paul Picerni	...	Dr. Compagno
Robert Patten	...	Capt. Benson - Pilot
Clark Howat	...	Bert Weatherby
Lew Brown	...	Reynolds
Ilana Dowding	...	Roberta 'Robbie' Bakersfeld
Lisa Gerritsen	...	Libby Bakersfeld (as Lisa Gerritson)
James Nolan	...	Father Steven Lonigan (as Jim Nolan)
Patty Poulsen	...	Joan - Stewardess
Ena Hartman	...	Ruth - Stewardess
Malila Saint Duval	...	Maria - Stewardess
Sharon Harvey	...	Sally - Stewardess
Albert Reed	...	Lt. Ned Ordway
Jodean Lawrence	...	Marie Patroni (as Jodean Russo)
Nancy Ann Nelson	...	Bunnie
Dick Winslow	...	Mr. Schultz
Lou Wagner	...	Schuyler Schultz
Janis Hansen	...	Sister Katherine Grace
Mary Jackson	...	Sister Felice
Shelly Novack	...	Rollings
Chuck Daniel	...	Parks
Charles Brewer	...	Diller
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fletcher Allen	...	Dispatcher (uncredited)
Merry Anders	...	Mrs. Burt Ball - Passenger (uncredited)
Ricky Anderson	...	William Downey - Passenger (uncredited)
Ray Andrade	...	Pietro Carmona - Passenger (uncredited)
Maria Andre	...	Mrs. Portola (uncredited)
Nadine Arlyn	...	Jennifer Barry - Passenger (uncredited)
Ray Ballard	...	Gilbert Price - Passenger (uncredited)
Larry Barton	...	Rabbi Leo Bernstein - Passenger (uncredited)
Michael Bell	...	Airport Bus Driver (uncredited)
Savannah Bentley	...	Virginia Lopez - Passenger (uncredited)
Chuck Bowman	...	New York Dispatcher (uncredited)
William Boyett	...	Jack Ingram (uncredited)
Chuckie Bradley	...	Dee Gilroy - Passenger (uncredited)
James Bradley	...	Jack Stone - Passenger (uncredited)
Eve Brent	...	Mrs. David Corman - Passenger (uncredited)
Robert Brubaker	...	Dr. Nash (uncredited)
Dee Carroll	...	Florence (uncredited)
Dort Clark	...	Dr. Henry Bron - Passenger (uncredited)
Ellen Clark	...	Anne Gordon - Passenger (uncredited)
Tamar Cooper	...	Carol Blake - Passenger (uncredited)
Cathleen Cordell	...	Mrs. William Donovan - Passenger (uncredited)
Nick Cravat	...	Nick Valli - Passenger (uncredited)
Susan Curtis	...	Elizabeth Yorker - Passenger (uncredited)
Carol Daniels	...	Loretta Manning - Passenger (uncredited)
Hal K. Dawson	...	Ben Bradley - Passenger (uncredited)
Ed Deemer	...	Co-Pilot Crowley (uncredited)
Larry Delaney	...	Frank (uncredited)
John Delgado	...	Ingram's Assistant - Passenger (uncredited)
John N. Denend	...	Douglas (uncredited)
John Dennis	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Marlo Dwyer	...	Elegant Woman - Passenger (uncredited)
Kaye Elhardt	...	Kay Hart - Passenger (uncredited)
John Eloff	...	Jack Elliott - Passenger (uncredited)
Reginald Fenderson	...	Dr. Grant (uncredited)
John Francis	...	Maurice David - Passenger (uncredited)
Mark Gardner	...	Richard Kalin - Passenger (uncredited)
Don Gazzaniga	...	Carlo Di Tomaso - Passenger (uncredited)
Elliott Gould	...	Voice (voice) (uncredited)
Sandra Gould	...	Millie Miles - Passenger (uncredited)
Neil Grant	...	Roger Whitney - Passenger (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Antonio Piace - Passenger (uncredited)
Michael J. Grayson	...	David Corman - Passenger (uncredited)
Larry Greenfield	...	Controller #1 - Minneapolis (uncredited)
Warren Hammack	...	Irwin Jansen - Passenger (uncredited)
Marc Hannibal	...	Sgt. Edward Washington - Passenger (uncredited)
Harry Harvey	...	Dr. Avery Smith - First passenger told to remove glasses (uncredited)
Thomas Browne Henry	...	Professor Charles Ruch - Passenger who comes out of bathroom behind Guerrero (uncredited)
Art Hern	...	Charlie Kaplan - Passenger (uncredited)
Mary Gail Hobbs	...	Mrs. Cary Jay - Passenger (uncredited)
Fred Holliday	...	Chester Jennings - Passenger (uncredited)
Wendy Howard	...	Mrs. Alan Bramson - Passenger (uncredited)
William Hudson	...	Mr. Donovan - Passenger (uncredited)
Jill Jackson	...	Mrs. Ben Bradley - Passenger (uncredited)
Frank Jamus	...	Inspector Frank Barrow (uncredited)
Andrew Johnson	...	Sterling (uncredited)
Bobby Johnson	...	Red Cap (uncredited)
Dale Johnson	...	James Mott - Passenger (uncredited)
Judy Jordan	...	Bea (uncredited)
Walter Woolf King	...	Cindy's father (uncredited)
Robert Knapp	...	Jack Dunlap - Passenger (uncredited)
Ron Koslow	...	Mark Harris - Passenger (uncredited)
Damian London	...	Praying Father (uncredited)
Marco López	...	Harold Lopez - Passenger (uncredited)
Celia Lovsky	...	Mrs. Williams - Starboard window passenger in first class (uncredited)
Adrienne Marden	...	Mrs. Gertrude Cochran - Passenger (uncredited)
Richard Mathews	...	Controller #2 (uncredited)
David Mauro	...	Mario Vitale - Passenger (uncredited)
Allison McKay	...	Mrs. Irwin Jansen - Passenger (uncredited)
Eve McVeagh	...	Mrs. Henry Bron - Passenger (uncredited)
Fredricka Meyers	...	Zena Van Dann - Passenger (uncredited)
Belle Mitchell	...	Bertha Kaplan - Passenger (uncredited)
Dallas Mitchell	...	Danny (uncredited)
Michele Montau	...	Rosa Di Tomaso - Passenger (uncredited)
Barbara Morrison	...	Mrs. James Mott - Passenger (uncredited)
Don Nagel	...	Martin Rose - Passenger (uncredited)
John Nolan	...	Richard Ross - Passenger (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Waiter at men's club (uncredited)
Kathleen O'Malley	...	Mrs. Chuck Beale - Passenger (uncredited)
Tom Pace	...	David Norton - Passenger (uncredited)
Jim Parker	...	Controller #3 (uncredited)
Vic Perrin	...	Crabby Man (uncredited)
Murray Pollack	...	Wellman (uncredited)
Pat Priest	...	Mrs. Jerry Copeland - Passenger (uncredited)
Quinn K. Redeker	...	John Reindel (uncredited)
Leoda Richards	...	White-haried lady on Dais (uncredited)
George R. Robertson	...	Richard Stout - Passenger (uncredited)
Sondra Rodgers	...	Margaret Rogers - Passenger (uncredited)
Don Ross	...	John - Weatherman (uncredited)
Marion Ross	...	Joan Myers - Passenger (uncredited)
Robert C. Ross	...	Chuck Beale - Passenger (uncredited)
Michael Rougas	...	Navigator (uncredited)
Benny Rubin	...	Sam Lasky - Passenger rubbing his face (uncredited)
Dick Russell	...	Jerry Copeland - Passenger (uncredited)
Jackie Russell	...	Holly Barry - Passenger (uncredited)
Mark Russell	...	PFC Bud Miller - Passenger (uncredited)
Frank J. Scannell	...	Ted Fields - Passenger (uncredited)
Michael Sevareid	...	Fowler (uncredited)
Johnny Silver	...	Franco Spinetti - Passenger (uncredited)
Eric Sinclair	...	David Knight - Passenger (uncredited)
Michael Stearns	...	Donald Pyne - Obnoxious Passenger 21-D (uncredited)
Mike Steele	...	Banquet M.C. (uncredited)
Ron Stokes	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Arlen Stuart	...	Sally Catalano - Passenger (uncredited)
Leslie Summers	...	Lynn Mason - Passenger (uncredited)
Towyna Thomas	...	Mrs. Smith - Passenger (uncredited)
Glenn Thompson	...	Controller #1 (uncredited)
Bee Tompkins	...	Kate Jameson - Passenger (uncredited)
Richard Van Vleet	...	Passenger in military uniform (uncredited)
Dawn Villere	...	Dawn Williams - Passenger (uncredited)
Bud Walls	...	Dr. Alan Bramson - Passenger (uncredited)
Rick Warick	...	Burt Ball - Passenger (uncredited)
Vince Williams	...	Cleveland Dispatcher (uncredited)
Frederick Worlock	...	Frederick Williams - Passenger (uncredited)

Directed by
George Seaton
Henry Hathaway		(uncredited) (winter outdoor scenes)

Writing credits
Arthur Hailey		(novel)
George Seaton		(written for the screen by)

Produced by
Ross Hunter	....	producer
Jacques Mapes	....	associate producer (as Jacque Mapes)

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Ernest Laszlo		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Stuart Gilmore

Art Direction by
E. Preston Ames
Alexander Golitzen

Set Decoration by
Mickey S. Michaels
Jack D. Moore

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Raymond Gosnell	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Donald Roberts	....	assistant director
Harvey S. Laidman	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Larry Clark Bird	....	assistant property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
David H. Moriarty	....	sound
Ronald Pierce	....	sound
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound

Visual Effects by
James B. Gordon	....	special photographic effects
Don Weed	....	special photographic effects
Scott Dougherty	....	digital restoration producer: Cinesite (uncredited)
Linwood G. Dunn	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)
Cecil Love	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)
Jerry Pooler	....	digital restoration supervisor (uncredited)
Tiffany Smith	....	digital restoration coordinator: Cinesite (uncredited)

Stunts
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nick Cravat	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carol Daniels	....	stunts (uncredited)
Donna Garrett	....	stunt double: Jacqueline Bisset (uncredited)
Joe Gray	....	stunts (uncredited)
Don Nagel	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bud Walls	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Yerkes	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Loyal Griggs	....	second cinematographer (uncredited)
Earl C. Williman	....	rigging gaffer (uncredited)

Music Department
Alfred Newman	....	conductor
Arnold Schwarzwald	....	music editor
Hugo Friedhofer	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Gus Levene	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Fred Steiner	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Lee Danielson	....	technical advisor: Air Traffic Control (as Captain Lee Danielson)
John N. Denend	....	technical advisor (as John N. Denend - F.A.A.)
Betty A. Griffin	....	script supervisor (as Betty Abbott)
Robert Werden	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents) (as Universal)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures France (UPF) (1970) (France) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1970) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Väinän Filmi (1970) (Finland) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1973) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1984) (Finland) (TV) (pan/scan)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (198?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Gaiam (1998) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Esselte Video (????) (Finland) (video)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Video (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2002) (Finland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Film Effects of Hollywood (special photographic effects)

Other Companies

• American Optical Company  Todd-AO developed by (as The American Optical Company)
• Magna Corporation  Todd-AO developed by (as Magna)
• Universal Pictures Professional Cosmetics  cosmetics by

Runtime:

137 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | France:U | Canada:PG (Ontario) | West Germany:16 (f) | USA:G (Certificate #22114) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-8 | Iceland:L | Norway:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The first of four movies in the "Airport" series.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Before the landing Capt. Demerest requests a PAR approach. The Air Traffic Control officer replies "Roger this will be a Precision Radar Approach..." which would have an acronym of PRA. However, PAR refers to Precision Approach Radar, the type of radar equipment used in the approach. The approach itself is commonly referred to as a "Precision Radar Approach" by pilots and controllers. Confusing, but the movie lines are accurate.

Quotes:

[an elderly woman walks by carrying her luggage]
Capt. Vernon Demerest: Hey, now, that's a good idea, Mel. Using little old ladies for skycaps. You keep that up. You're doing a good job.
Sarah Bakersfeld Demerest: [after Vernon leaves] For my sake, be patient with him.
Mel Bakersfeld: How you can live with that overage juvenile delinquent, I'll never know.
Sarah Bakersfeld Demerest: There's just the two of us. If I left him, what would I have?
Mel Bakersfeld: Would you have any more if he decided to leave you?
Sarah Bakersfeld Demerest: He won't. The moment a girl gets too serious, he waves his wedding ring like a flag. I'm his disaster insurance.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Executives' Wives (1971)

Disaster in More Ways Than One

I thoroughly enjoyed Airport, hands down the best of the four flicks in the serial(does Concorde count? It was MFTV). There was so much tension going on both with the airline, the airport and the lives of some of the passengers and crew members. This was a good old fashioned 60's flick, but not too cheesy. Helen Hayes is excellent as the little old lady who with all the grace and charm, has made a career out of stowing away. I love how she fights with Jacqueline Bisset's character in order to distract the mad bomber on board(Van Heflin). The tension when Joe Patroni(George Kennedy) guns the plane's engines and gets that plane out of the snow was gut wrenching. Burt Lancaster as the married and harried airport manager who has some what of an affinity for his assistant. Dean Martin gave such a surprising dramatic performance as the captain who was carrying on a love affair with Bisset's stewardess who later tells him she's pregnant. Even Gary Collins wasn't THAT bad. The film's climactic ending leaves you nothing short of disturbed and breathless. Maureen Stapleton, upon learning the plane has landed after being blown up by her husband, walks up to the injured passengers bawling her eyes out and apologizing for her husband's actions. Of course my favorite is the scene where Bisset's character Gwen(who was wounded in the blast) is being escorted by the doctor who tells the EMT's on the ground that Gwen is pregnant. Martin is also escorting her, completely bypassing his wife, who is ready to give him a hug and then soon puts two and two together. What a way to find out! That dejected look on Hale's face, who is once again playing her, oh so kind and understanding character, you can't help but hate Martin for this last scene. Hale almost never played the "bad girl." She's a favorite of mine. Airport will keep you on edge. Haley managed to intertwine the suspension and soap opera dramatics that made the prime time soap opera "Hotel" so popular. He definitely walks a fine line and doesn't go over either one.