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IMDbPro

Airport

  • 1970
  • G
  • 2h 17m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
20K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,219
570
Airport (1970)
A bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.
Play trailer3:29
1 Video
99+ Photos
ActionDramaThriller

A bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.A bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.A bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.

  • Directors
    • George Seaton
    • Henry Hathaway
  • Writers
    • Arthur Hailey
    • George Seaton
  • Stars
    • Burt Lancaster
    • Dean Martin
    • George Kennedy
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    20K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,219
    570
    • Directors
      • George Seaton
      • Henry Hathaway
    • Writers
      • Arthur Hailey
      • George Seaton
    • Stars
      • Burt Lancaster
      • Dean Martin
      • George Kennedy
    • 212User reviews
    • 78Critic reviews
    • 42Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 5 wins & 19 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 3:29
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos119

    Dean Martin in Airport (1970)
    Barry Nelson in Airport (1970)
    Dean Martin and Lloyd Nolan in Airport (1970)
    Jacqueline Bisset and Dean Martin in Airport (1970)
    Burt Lancaster in Airport (1970)
    Burt Lancaster in Airport (1970)
    Burt Lancaster in Airport (1970)
    Helen Hayes and Mary Jackson in Airport (1970)
    Maureen Stapleton in Airport (1970)
    Airport (1970)
    Helen Hayes in Airport (1970)
    Whit Bissell, Van Heflin, and Helen Hayes in Airport (1970)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Burt Lancaster
    Burt Lancaster
    • Mel Bakersfeld
    Dean Martin
    Dean Martin
    • Vernon Demerest
    George Kennedy
    George Kennedy
    • Joe Patroni
    Jean Seberg
    Jean Seberg
    • Tanya Livingston
    Jacqueline Bisset
    Jacqueline Bisset
    • Gwen Meighen
    Helen Hayes
    Helen Hayes
    • Ada Quonsett
    Van Heflin
    Van Heflin
    • D.O. Guerrero
    Maureen Stapleton
    Maureen Stapleton
    • Inez Guerrero
    Barry Nelson
    Barry Nelson
    • Anson Harris
    Dana Wynter
    Dana Wynter
    • Cindy Bakersfeld
    Lloyd Nolan
    Lloyd Nolan
    • Harry Standish
    Barbara Hale
    Barbara Hale
    • Sarah Demerest
    Gary Collins
    Gary Collins
    • Cy Jordan
    John Findlater
    John Findlater
    • Peter Coakley
    Jessie Royce Landis
    Jessie Royce Landis
    • Harriet DuBarry Mossman
    Larry Gates
    Larry Gates
    • Commissioner Ackerman
    Peter Turgeon
    Peter Turgeon
    • Marcus Rathbone
    Whit Bissell
    Whit Bissell
    • Mr. Davidson
    • Directors
      • George Seaton
      • Henry Hathaway(winter outdoor scenes) (uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Arthur Hailey
      • George Seaton
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Burt Lancaster, who headlined the movie above the title with Dean Martin, made a great deal of money from the film, which was a huge hit. His contract gave him a 10% profit participation once the movie hit $50 million; it grossed $45.3 million in North America alone. Despite the financial windfall, Lancaster said that the movie was "the worst piece of junk ever made." He said he only made this film in return for the studio agreeing to finance several non-commercial films, in which he was interested.
    • Goofs
      Before the landing Capt. Demerest requests a PAR approach. The Air Traffic Control officer replies "Roger this will be a Precision Radar Approach..." which would have an acronym of PRA. However, PAR refers to Precision Approach Radar, the type of radar equipment used in the approach. The approach itself is commonly referred to as a "Precision Radar Approach" by pilots and controllers. Confusing, but the movie lines are accurate.
    • Quotes

      [the precocious nerd figures out they're turning around]

      Mrs. Schultz: Captain, our son has a question. Schuyler, here's our captain.

      Schuyler Schultz: [pointing out the window] Before, Virgo and Leo were right there, sir. Now I'm beginning to see Ursa Minor and Cassiopeia. We MUST be turning around.

      Capt. Vernon Demerest: You have a young navigator here! Well, I'll tell ya, son... due to a setslow wind, Dystor's vectored us into a 360 turn for some slow traffic. Now, we'll maintain this board and hold until we receive a Forta Magnus clearance from MELNIX.

      Schuyler Schultz: Oh... yes... of course!

      Mr. Schultz: What did he mean by that, son?

      Schuyler Schultz: Never mind, father, I'll tell you later.

    • Crazy credits
      Unusually, the Universal Pictures logo animation is not shown at the beginning of this movie...it's instead shown at the end. The in-credit notice "UNIVERSAL presents" replaced the usual opening logo.
    • Alternate versions
      TV prints and early videotape pan and scan versions have alterations beyond simple pan and scan. On some of the multi image scenes, instead of panning to the image best serving the scene, they substitute a full screen version of that segment that was originally part of the multi image shot. Like the scene where Burt Lancaster is talking to his wife and 2 daughters all at once. The theatrical version(and present wide screen DVD) maintained images of his wife, him and both daughters separately(recent pan and scan editions temporarily letterbox or otherwise modify the theatrical composition). On the early TV and video versions, only the person talking is seen in a full screen shot used for that multi image shot(showing more image information then when it was composed as part of the theatrical multi image shot). Also, on the split screen shot of Dean Martin in a cab and Jackie Bisset getting out of the shower, the split screen is recomposed for 4:3, cropping each image to better fit.
    • Connections
      Featured in Sneak Previews: Take 2: Movies That Changed the Movies (1979)

    User reviews212

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Air Plot
    In 1968, Arthur Hailey's best selling novel Airport was a fixture atop the best seller's lists. It was an intricate detailed telling of the inner workings of fictional Lincoln International Airport trying desperately to function during one of the worst snow storms in decades. Hailey had researched the book for five years, and as he weaved his soap opera storyline magic, we gained a fascinating behind the scenes look of airport operations, why airlines function the way they do, and a detailed look at the stressful lives of air-traffic controllers. It was these details that made the novel great. Hailey wrote his characters with substance, digging deep into their personalities, motivations and psyche, so that we always understood their actions and reactions. The basic plot lines may have been high class soap-opera but the book as a whole was one of great substance and readability.

    In 1970, Hailey's book hit the big screen as an all star glitzy Hollywood production. Unable to put the complex details of Airport operations onto the big screen, director and writer George Seaton gave us all melodrama and not much technical details. As Hollywood spectacle it's fun to watch and taken on that level you won't mind giving it a look. If you've read Hailey's novel, you'll probably be disappointed.

    Of course in a film such as this with enough plots to make six movies, you are bound by the unwritten law of Hollywood to have a recognizable all star cast. So get your pens and pencils out and get ready to draw a chart. Headlining Airport are Burt Lancaster as Mel Bakersfield the airport manager, and Dean Martin as his Mel's brother-in-law and a philandering pilot, Vern Demerest. Lancaster is easily the better of the two. He has this aura about him that makes us believe he could be running a Metropolitan Airport. Martin is not quite as successful as Lancaster. He is Dean Martin playing Dean Martin pretending to be the aforementioned playboy pilot. Heck, though, he makes the character a likable enough guy that you won't mind it a bit. Another disappointment is that Martin and Lancaster only have one brief scene together. It would have been nice if Seaton would have added a few more, just so we could watch two legends work together.

    Jean Seberg plays Tonya Livingston, an airline representative who has designs on Mel despite the fact that Mel is still married. We believe her as the airline rep., but the chemistry between Seberg and Lancaster never really clicks. If the relationship were gone into in more detail then perhaps one would feel differently. Unfortunately that's one thing this film is in short supply of is important details.

    Next up in our role call is Jacqueline Bisset, who plays stewardess and Mistress Gwen Meighen who also happens to be pregnant (Captain, we have an extra passenger on board). As Gwen, Bisset gives us one of the more believable characters in this film, making us understand her feelings for Vern enough that though she never says it we see her love for him. George Kennedy provides comedy relief as Joe Patroni, an ace airline mechanic brought in to remove an airliner mired in the snow and blocking a key runway. Helen Hayes is on hand as an airplane stowaway. Though she may look like a sweet little old lady, don't be fooled. Having won an Oscar in 1932 for The Sin of Madelon Claudet, she would pick up another on thirty eight years later as a supporting actress for her role as Ada Quonsett.

    The very best in this film though are Van Heflin as D.O. Guerrero, a down on his luck, out of work construction worker, who hatches a chilling desperate plan to change the financial fortunes of his family. As his wife Inez, Maureen Stapleton may not have copped the Oscar, but should have. Her portrayal of Inez has some of the more touching moments in Airport.

    One of the other great stars of Airport is the snow storm itself. In scenes filmed by Ernest Lazlo and directed by Henry Hathaway, the outdoor settings of snow blanketing the airport are so realistic; you'll be going to the closet to grab a coat. Alfred Newman's lush score blends right into the goings on, and his opening title overture will suck you right into the film.

    Ross Hunter was the producer on airport. His involvement in glitzy Hollywood soap operas of the past such as Imitation of Life, Madame X, would help to explain much of the goings on in this film. On another note, I was unimpressed with Edith Head's costume design for the stewardesses. They are unattractively bland, and seem almost matronly.

    Airport will never be confused with great film making. None the less, it is still highly watchable entertainment. It gives us a lot of plots, a lot of stars, a lot of snow and a some suspense. And for all that you get my grade which is: B
    helpful•59
    12
    • clydestuff
    • Feb 18, 2004

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 5, 1970 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Аеропорт
    • Filming locations
      • Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
    • Production company
      • Ross Hunter Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $10,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $100,489,151
    • Gross worldwide
      • $100,489,151
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      2 hours 17 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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