Airport (1970)
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An airport manager must navigate a paralyzing snowstorm and a suicide bomber's plot to destroy a Boeing 707.
The story
During a severe January snowstorm at Chicago's Lincoln International Airport, a Trans Global Airlines flight becomes stranded in the snow, closing a primary runway. Airport manager Mel Bakersfeld is forced to work overtime to manage the crisis, creating tension in his personal life. Meanwhile, a demolition expert with a history of mental illness plans to detonate a bomb on a flagship international flight to collect a life insurance payout. As the airport faces noise complaints and operational hurdles, the staff must coordinate a complex response to the weather and the looming threat of an aviation disaster.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
During a severe January snowstorm at Chicago's Lincoln International Airport, a Trans Global Airlines flight gets stuck in the snow, closing Runway 29. Airport manager Mel Bakersfeld struggles with work pressure and a strained marriage while dealing with noise complaints and a disabled plane. Simultaneously, demolition expert Dominic "D.O." Guerrero boards a flight to Rome with a bomb, intending to kill himself for an insurance payout for his wife, Inez. An elderly stowaway, Ada Quonsett, also boards the flight. After the crew discovers Guerrero's intent, they turn the plane back to Chicago. A passenger, Marcus Rathbone, accidentally triggers the bomb, killing Guerrero and damaging the fuselage. The plane is forced to return to Lincoln International Airport. Because the primary runway is still blocked by the disabled plane, Bakersfeld orders it to be pushed off by snowplows. Mechanic Joe Patroni successfully moves the plane, reopening the runway just in time for the crippled flight to land safely. In the aftermath, Demerest decides to support his pregnant mistress, and Bakersfeld reconciles with his colleague Tanya.
- First release year
- 1970
- Runtime (minutes)
- 137
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- George Seaton
- Writers
- George Seaton · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Burt Lancaster · Mel Bakersfeld; Dean Martin; Jean Seberg; Jacqueline Bisset; George Kennedy · Joe Patroni; Helen Hayes · Ada Quonsett; Van Heflin; Maureen Stapleton
- Genres
- disaster; drama; thriller
- Themes
- aviation safety; sacrifice; duty; family conflict
- Tone and mood
- tense; dramatic; glossy
- Premise and plot tags
- disaster; aviation; thriller; stowaway
- Source material / true-story basis
- Arthur Hailey's 1968 novel
- Franchise connections
- Airport film series
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success, becoming Universal's highest-grossing film at the time. Critical reception was mixed, with some praising its production values and others criticizing its predictability and clichés.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 72% · review count: 18; Metacritic · score: 42 · scale: 100 · review count: 5
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · win
- Production trivia
- The film was scored by Alfred Newman's final project.; The 707 set was used in 'The Andromeda Strain' and 'Ironside'.; The film was a commercial success that surpassed 'Spartacus' as Universal's highest-grossing film at the time.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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