Disaster movie about a Navy jet and a commercial airliner heading for a mid air collision.Disaster movie about a Navy jet and a commercial airliner heading for a mid air collision.Disaster movie about a Navy jet and a commercial airliner heading for a mid air collision.
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Did you know
- TriviaA National Airlines DC-6 was repainted with fictional "Trans States" titles and insignia for a majority of the ground and aerial scenes, with the exception of a few scenes where models were used instead of the real aircraft.
- GoofsThe airliner is supposed to be a DC-7, but when it crash-lands, the #1 engine has a 3-bladed prop. The DC-7 had 4-bladed props. Therefore, the airliner has to be a DC-6.
- Quotes
Cheryl Heath: I just love banana splits. Is it all the wonderful mixed-up flavors, or is it something Freudian?
- ConnectionsReferenced in Feud: Pilot (2017)
Featured review
More soapy than most airplane films of the 1950s-70s...though I did enjoy it.
"The Crowded Sky" is an odd airplane disaster film. On one hand, I know darn well that the film has many flaws. But on the other, I still very much enjoyed the movie and do recommend you see it.
During the late 1950s-60s and then again in the 1970s, airplane disaster films were amazingly common and popular. Just off the top of my head, I can recall "No Skyway in the Sky", "Zero Hour!" (which was parodied in "Airplane!"), "The High and the Mighty", "Airport", "Airport 1975" and "Airport '77" all fall in this genre. However, "The Crowded Sky" is unusual because it stars Dana Andrews...who also starred in "Zerio Hour!".
Unlike the other films I mentioned above, "The Crowded Sky" relies much more heavily on lengthy flashback scenes....nearly all of which are pretty soapy. A few are really interesting (such as the love life of the Navy pilot and the painter and his father) and some are simply too many....which got in the way of the main story. As for the main story, it's telegraphed early and often. It's really not giving anything away to say that the T-33 Navy trainer and the DC-6 airliner WILL crash into each other sooner or later...the only questions are when and how serious this crash will be. And, until then, you see these flashback stories of the pilots of each craft as well as a few others.
Now again...I admit the film has faults. Apart from too many flashbacks, the film also is at its best AND worst after the crash occurs. On one hand, the planes are pretty obviously models...too obviously. But on the other, everything else about this is exceptionally tense and well handled. And, overall the good easily outweighs the bad....and the two leads, Dana Andrews and Efram Zimbalest Jr. both are excellent.
During the late 1950s-60s and then again in the 1970s, airplane disaster films were amazingly common and popular. Just off the top of my head, I can recall "No Skyway in the Sky", "Zero Hour!" (which was parodied in "Airplane!"), "The High and the Mighty", "Airport", "Airport 1975" and "Airport '77" all fall in this genre. However, "The Crowded Sky" is unusual because it stars Dana Andrews...who also starred in "Zerio Hour!".
Unlike the other films I mentioned above, "The Crowded Sky" relies much more heavily on lengthy flashback scenes....nearly all of which are pretty soapy. A few are really interesting (such as the love life of the Navy pilot and the painter and his father) and some are simply too many....which got in the way of the main story. As for the main story, it's telegraphed early and often. It's really not giving anything away to say that the T-33 Navy trainer and the DC-6 airliner WILL crash into each other sooner or later...the only questions are when and how serious this crash will be. And, until then, you see these flashback stories of the pilots of each craft as well as a few others.
Now again...I admit the film has faults. Apart from too many flashbacks, the film also is at its best AND worst after the crash occurs. On one hand, the planes are pretty obviously models...too obviously. But on the other, everything else about this is exceptionally tense and well handled. And, overall the good easily outweighs the bad....and the two leads, Dana Andrews and Efram Zimbalest Jr. both are excellent.
helpful•40
- planktonrules
- Dec 2, 2020
Details
- Runtime1 hour 45 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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