Skyjacked (1972)

Director:

John Guillermin

Writers:

David Harper (novel)
Stanley R. Greenberg

Release Date:

8 September 1972 (Finland)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The Sky's The Limit For Suspense

Plot:

A crazed Vietnam vet bomber hijacks a Boeing 707 in this disaster film filled with the usual early '70s stereotypes...

Plot Keywords:

Disaster Film | Disaster | Vietnam | Suspense | Airplane

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Capt. Henry 'Hank' O'Hara
Yvette Mimieux	...	Angela Thacher
James Brolin	...	Jerome K. Weber
Claude Akins	...	Sgt. Ben Puzo
Jeanne Crain	...	Mrs. Clara Shaw
Susan Dey	...	Elly Brewster
Roosevelt Grier	...	Gary Brown
Mariette Hartley	...	Harriet Stevens
Walter Pidgeon	...	Sen. Arne Lindner
Ken Swofford	...	John Bimonte
Leslie Uggams	...	Lovejoy Wells
Ross Elliott	...	Harold Shaw
Nicholas Hammond	...	Peter Lindner
Mike Henry	...	Sam Allen
Jayson Kane	...	William Reading (as Jayson William Kane)
Toni Clayton	...	Jane Burke
John Hillerman	...	Walter Brandt
Kelley Miles	...	Hazel Martin
Maureen Connell	...	Mrs. O'Hara
John Fiedler	...	Robert Grandig
Ed Connelly	...	First-Class Passenger #1
Forrest Wood	...	First-Class Passenger #2
Wesley Lau	...	Stanley Morris
Jenifer Shaw	...	Cosmetic Salesgirl
Jack Denbo	...	Thompson
Roy Engel	...	Pilot
Joe Canutt	...	Hunter
Grahame Pratt	...	Branson
Genadii Biegouloff	...	Russian Leader
Craig Shreeve	...	Airline Attendant
Lorna Thayer	...	Weber's Mother
Dan White	...	Weber's Father
William Martel	...	General

Directed by
John Guillermin

Writing credits
David Harper		(novel "Hijacked")
Stanley R. Greenberg

Produced by
James C. Pratt	....	associate producer (as James Pratt)
Walter Seltzer	....	producer

Original Music by
Perry Botkin Jr.

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Jr.

Film Editing by
Robert Swink

Art Direction by
Edward C. Carfagno

Set Decoration by
Charles B. Pierce		(as Charles Pierce)

Costume Design by
Jack Bear

Makeup Department
Siegfried H. Gelke	....	makeup artist
Gloria Montemayor	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James W. Gavin	....	second unit director
Dick Moder	....	assistant director

Art Department
Carl Beondé	....	property master (as Carl Beonde)

Sound Department
Harry W. Tetrick	....	sound
Charles M. Wilborn	....	sound
Tommy Goodwin	....	foley mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ralph Swartz	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Bill Hansard	....	background projection

Stunts
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert Sands	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ralph Gerling	....	camera operator (as Ralph R. Gerling)
Donald M. Morgan	....	photographer: second unit (as Don Morgan)
Doug Byers	....	electrician (uncredited)

Music Department
William Saracino	....	music editor

Other crew
Ed Connelly	....	technical advisor
Esther Stephenson	....	script supervisor
Arthur Wilde	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Walter Seltzer Productions Inc.

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM-EMI (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Fox-MGM Film (1972) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1973) (France) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Fred Roos and Associates  casting
• World Airways  boeing 707 provided by

Also Known As:

"Sky Terror" - USA (TV title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The 'Global Airways' plane used in the movie was a World Airways Boeing 707 (N374WA). World Airways home base at the time was Oakland Metropolitan Airport, where just about all of the airport scenes in the movie were filmed.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The Moscow airport scenes at the end of the movie were actually done at Oakland Metropolitan Airport. You can clearly see its distinctive looking control tower to the right of the screen in the DVD wide screen version of the film.

Quotes:

[first lines]
John Bimonte:[Hank is doing his walk-around the aircraft] Hey, Hank! Ready to go.
Capt. Henry 'Hank' O'Hara:Wrong! You got a broken cowling latch here.
John Bimonte:What the hell? I'll get right on it.
Capt. Henry 'Hank' O'Hara:Take all the time you want, John. You got 10 minutes.

Movie Connections:

Edited into "Dr. Shrinker" (1976)

Enjoyable time capsule.

"Skyjacked," one of many "air disaster" films from "The High and the Mighty" to "Airport", is one of the best in the genre. Featuring a star-studded cast headed by Charlton Heston (as the pilot, of course) and Yvette Mimieux (head stewardess), it's a fast-paced, efficient study in suspense. Basically a story involving the attempted hijacking of a commercial airplane, it focuses on a small group of first class passengers who provide both the drama and occasional (intended) humor. Among them are a middle-aged couple (Ross Elliot and Jeanne Crain) worried about yet another job transfer, a senator and his son (Walter Pidgeon and Nicholas Hammond) a "hippie girl" (Susan Dey, on leave from "The Partridge Family" in her screen debut), a jazz musician (former football great Rosey Grier) and of course, a pregnant woman (Mariette Hartley), who is due any minute (apparently, the nun missed this flight). Also aboard is a young sergeant (James Brolin, who fit this in between seasons of "Marcus Welby MD). Last, but not least is Leslie Uggams making her film debut, as an assistant stewardess.

Despite the occasionally unintentionally funny dialogue and predictable situations which, let's face it, go with the territory, the film has enough action and melodrama to be consistently entertaining. The cast give it their all. Far more interesting than the love triangle between Heston, Mimeux and co-pilot Mike Henry (which is established in a few ludicrous, but mercifully short flashbacks) are the performances of those who play the passengers. Crain, as lovely as ever, (in her first film in five years) gets to assist in the delivery of Hartley's baby, as well as a chance to attack the villain. Pidgeon doesn't have to say much to give his character authority, Hartley is charming, and Susan Dey is both natural and appealing. As for Grier, he displays a genial screen presence while Brolin even evokes a bit of viewer sympathy.

"Skyjacked" was a big hit when it was first released and got a big audience rating when it was shown on television as "Sky Terror". The photography is excellent, the music by Perry Botkin, Jr. ("Nadia's Theme") is unobtrusively effective, and the main theme is beautiful. Although "Airport 1975" was waiting in the wings, so to speak, "Skyjacked" holds it's own. It will be released this June on DVD in it's original panavision aspect ratio. I for one, can't wait!