Dismissed by a lot of film critics when it was released, "Airport" was a big hit with audiences. It is easy to see what critics were critical of but just as easy to see what made audiences like it so much (it was the second highest grossing film of 1970 behind "Love Story").
The main action takes place at the fictional Lincoln Airport in Chicago during a big snowstorm. There's Burt Lancaster as the airport's general manager, Mel Bakersfeld. His love interest, Tanya works for the fictional airline Trans Global and is played by Jean Seberg, (who is a strong presence in the film). Dean Martin is Vernon Demerest, a pilot for Trans Global and brother in law to Mel Bakersfield. Rounding out the main characters is Gwen Meighen, a chief stewardess for Trans Global and mistress of Vernon Demarest played by a very lovely Jacqueline Bisset and last (and definitely least) is Ada Quonsett, an elderly woman who also happens to frequently stowaway on Trans Global's flights and is played by Helen Hayes.
These characters and many others converge on the airport and play out a kind of "Grand Hotel" style film. Just like "Grand Hotel", "Airport" makes no pretensions that it is nothing more or less than soap opera melodrama and if you like that kind of thing when it is done well (I DO! I DO!) then I'm certain you will enjoy "Airport".
One could quibble about how old fashioned the film making is (and it is). Film critic Judith Crist nailed it when she called "Airport" "the best film of 1944". That's a bit harsh. I think 1954 is more like it. For a film made in 1970, "Airport" looks and plays very "retro". Examples (IMO) include Jean Seberg's hair (did women ever wear their hair like this?), the sickeningly cute character of Ada Quonsett, and the laughable music that plays when Bissett and Martin have scenes together. The worst performance in the film has to be Dana Wynter as Cindy, Mel Bakersfeld's wife. She comes across as shrewish and icy cold. The special effects are, at times, and laughable.
But one could also point out a lot of good things about "Airport" and in my opinion, there is a lot.
I will not get into every single one of them but for starters there's Maureen Stapleton as Inez Guerrero. She is the wife of the suicide bomber (played by Van Heflin) who attempts to blow up the plane to get insurance money for her. Stapleton's performance is a knockout. She seems to acting in a different film. Every time she comes on, "Airport" really comes alive and feels real. Just check out her apologizing to the passengers of the plane her husband tried to make crash. Remarkable.
Jacqueline Bisset is touching and lovely as Gwen. She adds a modern touch to the film. Jean Seberg is believable as Tanya. She has a few clunky line readings (like her reaction to Ada Quonsett) but Seberg still keeps us on her side and her performance feels fresh. Dean Martin is surprisingly good as Vernon Demerest.
The film is also edited nicely. There are some good, quick cutaways. And say what you will about the direction by George Seaton, "Airport" is solid and well-paced. The camera is where it needs to be move the story along. It is amazing to me how so many film makers do not have the basics of film direction down or think using them isn't "artful" or something.
The story, characters and pacing of "Airport" (not to mention its Star Power) is what brought audiences out to see it en masse. Perhaps the film's retro look was overlooked by audiences at the time. They also probably knew what they were getting into considering "Airport" was produced by Ross Hunter, a producer whose specialty was high gloss soap opera melodrama. Lastly, it is said that Burt Lancaster profited handsomely from the box-office profits of "Airport" (something like 10% of the gross after the film's take exceeded $50 million which it did in the United States alone) but called the movie "junk". He's being too hard on the movie. Perhaps "Airport" is junk. But like junk food, it's got some tasty parts.
The main action takes place at the fictional Lincoln Airport in Chicago during a big snowstorm. There's Burt Lancaster as the airport's general manager, Mel Bakersfeld. His love interest, Tanya works for the fictional airline Trans Global and is played by Jean Seberg, (who is a strong presence in the film). Dean Martin is Vernon Demerest, a pilot for Trans Global and brother in law to Mel Bakersfield. Rounding out the main characters is Gwen Meighen, a chief stewardess for Trans Global and mistress of Vernon Demarest played by a very lovely Jacqueline Bisset and last (and definitely least) is Ada Quonsett, an elderly woman who also happens to frequently stowaway on Trans Global's flights and is played by Helen Hayes.
These characters and many others converge on the airport and play out a kind of "Grand Hotel" style film. Just like "Grand Hotel", "Airport" makes no pretensions that it is nothing more or less than soap opera melodrama and if you like that kind of thing when it is done well (I DO! I DO!) then I'm certain you will enjoy "Airport".
One could quibble about how old fashioned the film making is (and it is). Film critic Judith Crist nailed it when she called "Airport" "the best film of 1944". That's a bit harsh. I think 1954 is more like it. For a film made in 1970, "Airport" looks and plays very "retro". Examples (IMO) include Jean Seberg's hair (did women ever wear their hair like this?), the sickeningly cute character of Ada Quonsett, and the laughable music that plays when Bissett and Martin have scenes together. The worst performance in the film has to be Dana Wynter as Cindy, Mel Bakersfeld's wife. She comes across as shrewish and icy cold. The special effects are, at times, and laughable.
But one could also point out a lot of good things about "Airport" and in my opinion, there is a lot.
I will not get into every single one of them but for starters there's Maureen Stapleton as Inez Guerrero. She is the wife of the suicide bomber (played by Van Heflin) who attempts to blow up the plane to get insurance money for her. Stapleton's performance is a knockout. She seems to acting in a different film. Every time she comes on, "Airport" really comes alive and feels real. Just check out her apologizing to the passengers of the plane her husband tried to make crash. Remarkable.
Jacqueline Bisset is touching and lovely as Gwen. She adds a modern touch to the film. Jean Seberg is believable as Tanya. She has a few clunky line readings (like her reaction to Ada Quonsett) but Seberg still keeps us on her side and her performance feels fresh. Dean Martin is surprisingly good as Vernon Demerest.
The film is also edited nicely. There are some good, quick cutaways. And say what you will about the direction by George Seaton, "Airport" is solid and well-paced. The camera is where it needs to be move the story along. It is amazing to me how so many film makers do not have the basics of film direction down or think using them isn't "artful" or something.
The story, characters and pacing of "Airport" (not to mention its Star Power) is what brought audiences out to see it en masse. Perhaps the film's retro look was overlooked by audiences at the time. They also probably knew what they were getting into considering "Airport" was produced by Ross Hunter, a producer whose specialty was high gloss soap opera melodrama. Lastly, it is said that Burt Lancaster profited handsomely from the box-office profits of "Airport" (something like 10% of the gross after the film's take exceeded $50 million which it did in the United States alone) but called the movie "junk". He's being too hard on the movie. Perhaps "Airport" is junk. But like junk food, it's got some tasty parts.