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| Airport '77 - 1977 |
Coming up next is 1977's "Airport '77", the third installment in the iconic Airport franchise. This film sees a 747 get lost in the Bermuda Triangle. The plane's passengers must struggle to survive as their craft lies under the water.
The film's cast includes Jack Lemmon, Lee Grant, Brenda Vaccaro, Joseph Cotten, Olivia de Havilland, James Stewart, George Kennedy, Darren McGavin, Christopher Lee, M. Emmet Walsh, Michael Richardson, Pamela Bellwood, Maidie Norman, Anthony Battaglia, Monte Markham, Kathleen Quinlan, Arlene Golonka, Elizabeth Cheshire, Robert Hooks, and Monica Lewis.
In Palm Beach, Florida, wealthy philanthropist Philip Stevens is opening his home and art collection to the public as a museum. (Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami served as the locale of Stevens' Palm Beach mansion.)
He's flying guests down to Palm Beach to celebrate in a brand-new, state of the art 747 aircraft.
The plane is in the very able hands of Captain Don Gallagher, who has just completed a test run with the aircraft.
The guests will be in the very able hands of Eve Clayton, who also happens to be Captain Gallagher's girlfriend.
The VIP guests include Philip Stevens' daughter and grandson, whom he hasn't seen in a very long time.
Another wealthy philanthropist, Emily Livingston, is also aboard. She plays one mean game of poker. She also marvels at the luxurious accommodations on board the plane.
A young girl and her mother are also among the guests. The young girl was chosen by her class to present a picture to Mr. Stevens. She proudly shows off the picture to fellow passenger Dorothy.
Martin and Karen Wallace are a married couple who are constantly bickering. Their time on the plane will test their marriage to its limit.
Emily gets a surprise blast from the past when she sees an old familiar face. It's one she hasn't seen since London, 1936. Her old friend, Nicholas St. Downs, "Nicky".
Nicky and Emily hurry towards each other and spend the duration of the flight in each other's company.
Guests aren't the only things traveling aboard the plane. A large part of Mr. Stevens' art collection is also making the trip to Palm Beach.
Things begin well, although art thieves dressed as flight crew (with the assistance of the co-pilot) have other plans for the evening.
They hook up some noxious gas to the cabin's main filtration system, which knocks out the passengers. Then, they proceed to hijack the airplane.
Things go wrong and the plane ends up several hundred miles off course. It has to crash land in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle.
The passengers, by now awake, begin to get frantic and start to panic as they realize what is happening.
The plane eventually sinks to the ocean floor. Though at a shallow enough depth for a rescue operation to be mounted, the water pressure causes serious complications, and water begins to seep through into the main cabin, further alarming the passengers.
The passengers must now hope and pray that they can be rescued. Many are severely injured and several are dead.
Working with the US Navy, Philip Stevens is able to pinpoint the location of his submerged aircraft. Miraculously, Captain Gallagher was able to escape and is able to help with the rescue operation.
The Navy launches a daring rescue mission. They use balloons to lift the plane from its resting place so they can access one of the cabin doors.
It gets a little crazy as the frightened passengers begin pouring out of the plane into waiting lifeboats. They make it just in time. One of the balloons pops, sending the plane back to the seabed.
It's a bittersweet ending for the passengers. Some are very glad to be reunited with their loved ones, others are beginning a romance, and still others are mourning the loss of friends they had on board.
Cast rundown:
Jack Lemmon...................................Capt. Don Gallagher
Lee Grant.........................................Karen Wallace
Brenda Vaccaro.................................Eve Clayton
Joseph Cotten...................................Nicholas St. Downs III
Olivia de Havilland.............................Emily Livingston
James Stewart..................................Philip Stevens
George Kennedy................................Joe Patroni
Darren McGavin.................................Stan Buchek
Christopher Lee.................................Martin Wallace
M. Emmet Walsh................................Dr. Herbert Williams
Michael Richardson............................Walker
Pamela Bellwood................................Lisa
Maidie Norman...................................Dorothy
Anthony Battaglia...............................Benjy
Monte Markham.................................Banker
Kathleen Quinlan................................Julie
Arlene Golonka..................................Jane Stern
Elizabeth Cheshire..............................Bonnie Stern
Robert Hooks.....................................Eddie
Monica Lewis.....................................Anne
And that's it for Airport '77. Joan Crawford was originally offered the role of Emily Livingston. She declined it, and the role was accepted by Olivia de Havilland. This was the third film where Olivia de Havilland took over for Joan Crawford. Christopher Lee accepted his role in the film because it allowed him the opportunity to work with Jack Lemmon. However, Jack Lemmon said he made a big mistake in accepting his role. For me, this film is the strongest of the four Airport movies.
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