Airport '77

Airplane! is a comedy I have enjoyed for many years with its ludicrously high number of jokes per scene and is always an easy film to return to but I had no idea it was spoofing a series of airplane related disaster films from the 1970s until after watching Airport '77. This was the third of four films in the series that would, just like The Towering Inferno, collect together a starry cast and place them in a perilous situation. The trailer looked entertaining enough and so I thought I would checkout this film that seems virtually anonymous to anyone who wasn't around during its release.

The basic premise sees a private Boeing 747 and its VIP guests being hijacked but the plane crashes in the Bermuda triangle, and sinks to the sea bed. With hijackers knocking out any communications, the survivors have to figure out a way of reaching the surface to get rescue before the plane buckles under the pressure of the ocean. It sounded like a fun idea and with a host of familiar faces, including James Stewart, Jack Lemmon, Christopher Lee, Olivia de Havilland and Joseph Cotten, I was excited to see how the story would unfold.

Directed by Jerry Jameson, who also made Raise the Titanic, Airport '77 is an unfortunately uneven experience that lacks the craftsmanship of The Towering Inferno due to a weak screenplay and muddled pacing. Everything from the handling of the character introductions, establishing the situation and eventual climax feels rushed, almost even accidentally comical at times despite how straight-faced everyone is. A spoof was certainly in need and audiences would only have to wait three years before Airplane!.

There is still a charm in seeing the older cast interact, even if Stewart spends most of the time acting against a prop telephone (phoning it in you say?), and the mix of practical effects and on location filming towards the end gives the story some excitement but there is no escaping the fact that this is very much a B-movie. Lemmon would go on to regret this film while Lee was only interested in working alongside him. Cotten gets a very small appearance here and, like the weary looking Stewart, probably came for the money while the producers hoped they might attract older viewers. Any attempts at drama really do fall flat and its the effects that salvage this.

I don't mean to sound too harsh on the film because if you set your expectations low then there is some fun to be had here but a disaster film classic it ain't. I'm not sure if I will check out the other three films from the series but I still found myself enjoying parts of this with its old-school charm despite the jumbled storyline that needed a few more drafts. Ultimately this is one for hardcore enthusiasts while everyone else would do well to watch Airplane!.