Airport 1975 (1974)

Airport '75

This sequel to the original "Airport" is much better written and acted. Unlike the first "Airport" this film actually has suspense and a plot. A small place crashes into a 747 (right into the cockpit, wouldn't you know) and either kills or severely injures the flight crew. A stewardess is left to bring the jumbo jet safely back to earth.

Charlton Heston gives a pretty good performance as the boyfriend of the pilot/stewardess and other cast members like George Kennedy (how did he get so lucky to be in all of these movies?) and Karen Black portray believeable, if not a bit predictable, characters. I will say the guys in the Salt Lake City air traffic control tower leave a lot to be desired, but they are the weakest of the film's cast.

In the end all is well and things work out. While this is not a great movie, it is far superior to the extremely boring original. November 2, 2008

MORE TENSE THAN THE ORIGINAL, BUT...........

Watching 'Airport 75' after all these years, I didn't remember very much of it. It's cast reminded me of a predecessor to the 'Love Boat' even more than the first film! Like most of these films the first three quarters of an hour or so is just meeting the cast and setting up the inevitable disaster that will unfold, but once this one gets going it has some tension....just don't think about the credibility of it too long! It's available on a box set with the other 3 Airport films at a bargain price so it your a fan of the series....... July 21, 2008

Good Stuff

Today's sequels stink. Karen Black and Charlton Heston (R.I.P.) make this one work. John Cacavas wrote a good score as well. May 3, 2008

Too Much Fun to Watch

The best of the 1970s disaster films was undoubtedly 1972's THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. It spawned a series of other disaster movies, giving jobs to all kinds of special effects people and half of Hollywood throughout that decade. People loved the mayhem back then.

AIRPORT 1975 didn't have as many Oscar winners or the symbolic storyline that grabbed so many people as POSEIDON did, but it is filled with enough stars to make it worthwhile. Charlton Heston is in a Charlton Heston role. You have two actresses from the classic SUNSET BOULEVARD, Nancy Olson as the mother of the sick girl (Linda Blair!) and Gloria Swanson as Gloria Swanson (that's Linda Harrison, the incredibly hot Nova from the original PLANET OF THE APES as Gloria's assistant--but it's stewardess Karen Black who gets Charlton Heston in this movie). Normal Fell (Mr. Roper from TV's "Three Company") and Jerry Stiller (from "Seinfeld" and "King of Queens") as loud tipsy passengers. Erik Estrada is the navigator and Roy Thinnes ends up literally in "The Outer Limits" as the doomed co-pilot. Dana Andrews, Myrna Loy, Larry Storch, Syd Cesear, not to mention George Kennedy, Susan Clark and Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

But even if you're not a movie buff this particular disaster is fun to watch: you'll recognize many scenes that would end up in the 1980 spoof, AIRPLANE! (I'm laughing right now as I watch it as I see scenes taken directly from the movie).

There are also some great shots of a Boeing 747 flying THROUGH the Rocky Mountains. April 19, 2008

Gloria Swanson's final film

I saw this movie first run in 1974 and never get tired of watching it. Karen Black is amazing and very believable as the stewardess that is left to fly the plane. It is rare in disaster films to see such a strong female character that is not nasty or demanding. She really carries the film. Charlton Heston, plays his normal stoic self. The disaster itself and the photpgraphy is very good. Most of the all star cast are passengers; Gloria Swanson looks fabulous in her last film. She's very classy playing herself, Susan Clark, Linda Blair, Sid Caesar, Augusta Summerland (who was Heston's co-star in Planet of the Apes billed as Linda Harrison), Nancy Olson (Miss Swanson co star in Sunset Blvd), Martha Scott, Myrna Loy and Helen Reddy. Also stars George Kennedy (who starred in all 4 Airport films), Dana Andrews, Beverly Garland, Roy Thinnes and Erik Estrada. It is ashame they do not make films with such stellar casts any more. July 6, 2007

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