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The High and the Mighty ()

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When a commercial airliner develops engine problems on a trans-Pacific flight and the pilot loses his nerve, it is up to the washed-up co-pilot Dan Roman to bring the plane in safely.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
  • Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations.
  • See more »
Reviews:

Photos and Videos

55 photos | 1 video

Complete, Cast awaiting verification

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Dan Roman
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May Holst
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Lydia Rice
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John Sullivan
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Sally McKee
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Ed Joseph
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Gustave Pardee
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Ken Childs
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Donald Flaherty
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Humphrey Agnew
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Lillian Pardee
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Gonzales (as Gonzalez Gonzalez)
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Howard Rice
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Lenny Wilby, navigator
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Hobie Wheeler
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Clara Joseph
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Jose Locota
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Frank Briscoe
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Ben Sneed
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Dorothy Chen
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Toby Field
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Alsop
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Tim Garfield
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Ensign Keim (as Carl Switzer)
Robert Keys ...
Lieutenant Mowbray
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Roy (as William Dewolf Hopper)
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Dispatcher
Julie Mitchum ...
Susie Wilby
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Miss Spalding
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Nell Buck
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Milo Buck
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Coast Guard Navigator (uncredited)
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Mechanic (uncredited)
James Conaty ...
Mrs. Joseph's Doctor (uncredited)
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Cargo Clerk (uncredited)
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Mrs. Wilson (uncredited)
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San Francisco Ground Crewman (uncredited)
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Reporter (uncredited)
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Radar Operator (uncredited)
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Boyd, Public Relations (uncredited)
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Scientist (uncredited)
Al Murphy ...
Lighthouse Dispatcher (uncredited)
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Restaurant Cook (uncredited)
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Mr. Field (uncredited)
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Mr. Wilson (uncredited)

Directed by

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William A. Wellman

Written by

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Ernest K. Gann ... (screenplay)
 
Ernest K. Gann ... (novel "The High and the Mighty")

Produced by

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Robert Fellows ... producer (uncredited)
John Wayne ... producer (uncredited)

Music by

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Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by

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Archie Stout ... (photographed by)

Film Editing by

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Ralph Dawson

Art Direction by

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Alfred Ybarra ... (as Al Ybarra)

Set Decoration by

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Ralph S. Hurst ... (set decorations) (as Ralph Hurst)

Makeup Department

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Loren Cosand ... makeup artist
Margaret Donovan ... hair stylist
Web Overlander ... makeup artist

Production Management

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Nate H. Edwards ... production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Andrew V. McLaglen ... assistant director (as Andrew McLaglen)

Art Department

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Joe LaBella ... property man (as Joseph La Bella)
Patrick Wayne ... props assistant (uncredited)

Sound Department

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John K. Kean ... sound recordist

Special Effects by

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Robert A. Mattey ... special effects (as Robert Mattey)

Stunts

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Tom Hennesy ... stunts (uncredited)
Bill Keating ... DC-4 stunt pilot (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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William H. Clothier ... aerial photography (as William Clothier)
Robert E. 'Bobby' Jones ... gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Gwen Wakeling ... wardrobe designer
Joan Joseff ... costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department

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Dimitri Tiomkin ... conductor
Manuel Emanuel ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Charles Maxwell ... orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish ... orchestrator (uncredited)
John Qualen ... composer: additional music (uncredited)
David Tamkin ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Herbert Taylor ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Dimitri Tiomkin ... music arranger: "Aloha Oe", "Kaua I Ka Hua Hua'i" and "The Barber of Seville" (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Sam Freedle ... script supervisor

Other crew

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Wm. H. Benge ... technical advisor
Robert C. Cannom ... technical advisor: U.S.C.G. (as Lt. Commander Robert M. Cannom)
Al Murphy ... production assistant
Loren Riebe ... camera plane pilot
Muzzy Marcellino ... whistler: dubbing for John Wayne (uncredited)

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

On a flight from Hawaii to California, the engine dies on the plane Dan is flying. As he prepares for a crash landing, the passengers reassess their lives. The template for disaster movies with an Oscar-winning score and a cast list that reads like a who's who of 1950s film. Written by Jwelch5742

Plot Keywords
Taglines The 2-year best seller blasts to the screen with every kind of love there is! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • William A. Wellman's The High and the Mighty (United States)
  • William A. Wellman's The High and the Mighty (United Kingdom)
  • Écrit dans le ciel (France)
  • Escrito en el cielo (Spain)
  • A gőgös (Hungary)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 147 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $1,470,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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Trivia At the time of filming, Hawaii was not a state, but it was a territory of the United States, and going through immigration between Honolulu and the mainland was not necessary. No passports for U.S. citizens were ever shown nor needed. See more »
Goofs During the flight,when the problems appear,the pilot opens the airplane door so to let the heavy luggage fly away.This is impossible because as soon as the door was opened the pressure would have made people and all the whole interior of the plane to be expelled out of the aircraft. The above is incorrect. The C-54 military version and the DC-4 civil version had an option for pressurization but the vast majority of delivered versions were unpressurized. Since the aircraft was unpressurized there would have been no expelling of the passengers and contents of the aircraft. See more »
Movie Connections Edited into The FBI Story (1959). See more »
Soundtracks The High and the Mighty See more »
Quotes Alsop: She may be put together with paste and flour, but that woman has something. What would you say it was?
Miss Spalding: Practice. Plenty of practice.
See more »
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