The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979)

Director:

David Lowell Rich

Writers:

Arthur Hailey (novel)
Jennings Lang (story)

Release Date:

17 August 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

At twice the speed of sound, can the Concorde evade attack?

Plot:

This film is the last of the 'Airport' genre which stars George Kennedy again in his aviation-disaster...

Plot Keywords:

Missile | Concorde | Airplane | Aviation | Terminal

Cast

Alain Delon	...	Capt. Paul Metrand
Susan Blakely	...	Maggie Whelan
Robert Wagner	...	Dr. Kevin Harrison
Sylvia Kristel	...	Isabelle
George Kennedy	...	Capt. Joe Patroni
Eddie Albert	...	Eli Sands
Bibi Andersson	...	Francine
Charo	...	Margarita
John Davidson	...	Robert Palmer
Andrea Marcovicci	...	Alicia Rogov
Martha Raye	...	Loretta
Cicely Tyson	...	Elaine
Jimmie Walker	...	Boisie
David Warner	...	Peter O'Neill
Mercedes McCambridge	...	Nelli

Also Known As:

Airport '79 (USA) (short title)
Airport '80: The Concorde (Philippines: English title)
Airport 1979 (International: English title) (informal title)
Airport 1980 (International: English title) (informal title)
The Concorde (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

123 min | USA:103 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:A | UK:PG (video rating) | Australia:PG | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Singapore:PG | USA:PG (Certificate #25694) | Finland:K-16 | Iceland:L | Norway:12

Filming Locations:

Alta, Utah, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

In its initial screening for industry members and press on the Universal studio lot, this film was laughed off screen.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Avery Schreiber's character is signing to his daughter, he is using both the American Sign Language alphabet and signs. However, since both characters are Russian, they would be using the Russian Manual Alphabet. The clearest example of this is that when he spells his daughter's name, Irina, he uses the American Sign Language letter "I", which does not not exist in Russian Manual Sign. Instead, there is another character in the Russian Manual Alphabet, which is not the letter he is signing.

Quotes:

Capt. Joe Patroni: I've flown just about every type of aircraft through three wars and forty pounds. Only thing I'm afraid of is heights. Are you afraid of anything, Metrand?
Capt. Paul Metrand: American pilots.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Mach 2 (2001)

Huh?!

One year before the hilarious Airplane! this film was released on an unsuspecting public. Its easy to see what fueled the Zucker brothers to lampoon the Airport series so shamelessly. Let's look at the cast: George Kennedy, Alain Delon, Robert Wagner, Susan Blakely..not bad so far. Not so fast, because in come the supporting cast: Mercedes McCaimbridge (as a Russian gym instructor), Martha Raye, Jimmie Walker (!), Sylvia Krystel ( as a stewardess ), Avery Schreiber, and Bibi Andersson (as a prostitute). The plot has pot holes that would do Ed Wood proud. It is so bad dramatically that it plays like a comedy. And funny it it...very very funny. Watch this on a double bill with Airplane!