The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story (TV 1988)

This made-for-television film documents the takeover of the TWA airliner in flight from Athens to Rome in 1985. The focus is on the flight attendant, Uli Derickson, whose courage and hope ... See full summary »

Director:

Paul Wendkos

Writer:

Norman Morrill

Stars:

Lindsay Wagner, Eli Danker, Sandy McPeak

Nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lindsay Wagner	...	Uli Derickson
Eli Danker	...	Castro
Sandy McPeak	...	Captain Testrake
Ray Wise	...	Phil Maresca
Leslie Easterbrook	...	Audrey
Laurie Walters	...	Jane
Joseph Nasser	...	Saiid
Barry Jenner	...	Ben Zimmerman
Valorie Armstrong	...	Woman in red coat
Jim McMullan	...	Russell
Steven Eckholdt	...	Robert Stethem
Philip Levien	...	Weisman
Lynn Tufeld	...	Mrs. Weisman
Edwin Gerard	...	Dr. Panos
Bridget Hoffman	...	Mrs. Panos

Storyline

This made-for-television film documents the takeover of the TWA airliner in flight from Athens to Rome in 1985. The focus is on the flight attendant, Uli Derickson, whose courage and hope helped save all but one of the passengers on the plane. The movie chronicles the first 2 days and the aftermath.

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Plot Keywords:

airplane hijack | terrorism | airplane | based on true story | number in title | 

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Taglines:

Take-Off Into Terror.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 May 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Flight

Filming Locations:

Stage 20, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

The word "Bundesrepublik" ("Federal Republic") on the cover of Uli's German passport is misspelled.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Castro: America murderer! America Satan!

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Crazy Credits

Disclaimer on the end credits: "Trans World Airlines has provided technical assistance but in no way has endorsed the production and is not responsible for the truth or accuracy of the content of this program."

User Reviews

Captivating!

I remember watching this TV movie as a child over and over again. It is a suspenseful documentation of the hijacking of TWA 847 in 85. Lindsay Wagner is phenomenal in this movie. All the actors do an excellent job and you feel as if you are right there in the plane. Excellent movie for aviation fan's! 10/10