As the cast list rolls up in front of a background of clouds, I thought could this be the first All Star Disaster Epic Movie? The action takes place on an airliner bound for New York and the passenger list reads like a who's who of up and coming names - Diane Cilento, Virginia Maskell, Marty Wilde, future TV star Paul Eddington, established stars - Mai Zetterling, Elizabeth Sellers, Megs Jenkins, David Kossoff, Stanley Baker and acting royalty in the form of Dame Sybil Thorndyke. In the 40s and 50s, before he became a "grand" director, Richard Attenborough was one of the best young character actors in Britain. In 1948 he came to notice in 3 outstanding Rank films - "Brighton Rock" (playing a baby faced psychopath), "London Belongs to Me" (a bumbling murderer) and "The Guinea Pig" (a poor school boy who is given a scholarship to an exclusive boy's school). His name in a film cast came to be associated with diverseness and versatility.
Among the passengers are the usual suspects, harassed parents, a jet setting pop star, a TV comedian (Harry Secombe), sensible elderly citizen, people with secrets etc. Among the latter is Ernest Tilley (Richard Attenborough) a rather worried looking man, traveling with his caring wife (Mai Zetterling). He is a man on a mission - he has followed a man on board who he believes is responsible for killing his little girl in a hit and run. He is bitter at the world and has had a vendetta against this man for two years. He has bought on board a device that he intends to use to blow up the plane but his ramblings are heard by two other passengers and they alert the Captain.
Sharing dramatic kudos with Attenborough is Stanley Baker (who else?) as the caring level headed Captain, who tries to talk some commonsense into Tilley, but to no avail. As the film progresses the passengers get to hear of it and the plane divides into the Sensible and Dignified Verses the Fearful and Excitable (Hermione Baddeley is great as a hysterical passenger). The F and E stage a revolt but the plan goes wrong and the man at the centre of the dispute (the hit and run driver) is sucked out of the plane window. As a last resort, a little boy is sent down to Tilley, to appeal to his deep down kindness of heart.
"Jet Storm" is an excellent blend of excitement and intense suspense, the sort of film that Britain did so well.
Highly Recommended.
Among the passengers are the usual suspects, harassed parents, a jet setting pop star, a TV comedian (Harry Secombe), sensible elderly citizen, people with secrets etc. Among the latter is Ernest Tilley (Richard Attenborough) a rather worried looking man, traveling with his caring wife (Mai Zetterling). He is a man on a mission - he has followed a man on board who he believes is responsible for killing his little girl in a hit and run. He is bitter at the world and has had a vendetta against this man for two years. He has bought on board a device that he intends to use to blow up the plane but his ramblings are heard by two other passengers and they alert the Captain.
Sharing dramatic kudos with Attenborough is Stanley Baker (who else?) as the caring level headed Captain, who tries to talk some commonsense into Tilley, but to no avail. As the film progresses the passengers get to hear of it and the plane divides into the Sensible and Dignified Verses the Fearful and Excitable (Hermione Baddeley is great as a hysterical passenger). The F and E stage a revolt but the plan goes wrong and the man at the centre of the dispute (the hit and run driver) is sucked out of the plane window. As a last resort, a little boy is sent down to Tilley, to appeal to his deep down kindness of heart.
"Jet Storm" is an excellent blend of excitement and intense suspense, the sort of film that Britain did so well.
Highly Recommended.