The High and the Mighty

When I read the comments of others who say this movie "does not wear well," I have to laugh at much of the trash Hollywood has made the last few years. Much of what is made today doesn't even stand up against today's low standards. The High and the Mighty actually has a STORY and characters who have conflicts, hopes, fears and loves. I was a young boy of about six when our family flew the first United Airlines DC-7 flight from Honolulu to San Francisco. I can remember what it was like to hang high above the Pacific for many hours with four massive radial engines roaring outside the cabin. This movie captures the realism of such a flight. This movie also brings back memories of how passengers DRESSED UP to fly in those days. The sloppy appearance of today's airline passengers is in marked contrast to the class exhibited by airline passengers of the fifties. I even remember the Honolulu Airport of the early fifties and the look of the counters and can remember the fragrance of fresh flower leis as we walked through the airport. I remember how we walked out into the sunshine to board the plane by climbing steps to the cabin door. Yes, this movie is a different world. It's Hawaii as a U.S. Territory, as when I lived there. It's a throwback to a time when pilots were fresh from a World War. Men acted more like gentlemen then, as they do in this movie, and ladies had a lot more class before our modern age made it acceptable for both sexes to be so crass. The writing may seem archaic by modern Hollywood standards but it fit perfectly the era in which it was made and gives us a wonderful glimpse of the beginning of the golden age of commercial aviation. This movie captures all of this brilliantly and provides a complex mix of characters living an ominous threat to their survival. I loved it as a boy and love it now. I bought the Special Edition DVD just recently and love it immensely. It has a lengthy series of featurettes and will surely please lovers of John Wayne and the rest of the cast and of this movie in particular. As an additional footnote, I want to add the following: In the late 1970's, after I received my own private pilot's license, and after reading one of Ernest K. Gann's other books, I wrote a fan letter to Mr. Gann, with my comments about sharing his love of flying. It was simply addressed to him at San Juan Island, Washington. I was overjoyed to receive a very nice personal reply from this talented writer of the book and screenplay, "The High and the Mighty." He was a brilliant writer and his writing really captured the essence of flying in those golden years.

To fully appreciate this film you have to be living in a time capsule. Let's get a reality check, please, all you JOHN WAYNE fans who seem to remember this film as being the greatest thing the Duke ever did: 1) It is so full of laughable dialog that it rivals the AIRPLANE film as a spoof of itself; 2) Far from being one of John Wayne's best performances, it is simply Wayne behaving level-headed and acting nobly under dire circumstances, no more, no less; 3) Sure, Dimitri Tiomkin deserves credit for his "High and Mighty" whistle theme, but that's all that can be said for the background music; 4) None of the characters are more than cardboard figures, no matter how hard they try to give some humanity to the passenger list; 5) Both Claire Trevor and Jan Sterling have been more impressive in any one of their many, many films. Hard to see how either one rated an Oscar nomination for this tripe; 6) Let's face it. The film belongs in a time capsule that demonstrates how clichéd the early airline films were. Not a trace of originality in any of the proceedings; 7) In this day and age of airline security, the Sidney Blackmer character is strictly for laughs. He pulls a gun on the plane and announces his grievances to the passengers while giving a weak explanation to David Brian for his actions. In no time at all he becomes remorseful for his foolishness; 8) The James Qualen character (poor fisherman) is about as corny as you can get; 9) The Phil Harris character makes you hope the plane will crash in the ocean before he can utter any more obnoxious dialog. Pity his poor wife played by Ann Doran. Only LARAINE DAY manages to maintain a poised but unhappy look throughout, probably disgusted that she had ever accepted her role as the defiant wife of JOHN HOWARD in the first place. Ironically, she has the best snappy monologue of any of the actresses when she berates her husband, but she was not even nominated along with Trevor and Sterling; Summing up: Not the masterpiece everyone was fondly remembering! No way! At least in films like AIRPLANE the laughs were intentional and ROBERT STACK was in on the joke. Here he is just plain wooden. Sorry, all you fans of nostalgia. This is a hopelessly dated airborne soap opera that never quite manages to get off the ground. I wanted to see this film as much as anyone else, but I was sorely disappointed by everything except that jaunty title tune by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worst of all is the opening segment at the airport, with Douglas Fowley as an airline clerk greeting each arriving passenger while stewardess Doe Avedon makes expository remarks on each one. You know immediately that this film has dated badly! At least it prepares you for the numerous cringes to come as each passenger is given their star turn. Much better is another recent DVD release of John Wayne's ISLAND IN THE SKY, a film about the rescue of a downed airplane that is much less pretentious (in glorious B&W) and far more riveting than this airborne soap opera.

I just got done watching the DVD edition of this 1950s "peril in the plane" picture. Some fans have been extraordinarily critical of it saying it is full of "clichés" and unbelievable situations. What many of these critics seem to forget is that this film was made in the 1950's. You can't compare movies of that era with this era. If you want movies without clichés, then the director, screenwriters, and actors would have to have much more freedom than was allowed in the 1950s. The censorship boards of that time would not allow certain language in those days. Also remember that movies of that age where much more plot and character driven than today's Special Effects Bonanzas. To me the thing about this movie that made it enjoyable was that there was a certain amount of tension. The script took time to give us some character studies of the passengers. We actually care for some of the passengers at the end of the movie. Any movie that puts you on the end of you seat worrying about the fate of the characters has done its job. So for those of you who nit pick about clichés, unbelievable situations, melodrama etc. This film was produced as entertainment, not as a treatise on believability in movie stories. The main question.....Did this movie entertain. The answer is a resounding YES.

I watched it because it purported to be a John Wayne action film about piloting a crippled plane across the Pacific. It had 3.5 stars out of 4. Man, what a disappointment. For starters, it's not a John Wayne movie. He's the co-pilot, so Robert Stack the pilot has more lines than the Duke. It's an ensemble cast of stereotypes: the faded beauty, the young couple, the Asian immigrant, the bloviated Englishman, the unflappable stewardess, the shrewish wife, etc. To fill time (I guess), we get waaaay to many details into all their private lives. Phil Harris reliving his ruined Hawaiian vacation of a lifetime is particularly worthless. Others have rightly pointed out how one passenger fires his pistol at another - and nothing is done about it! (Another passenger takes the gun, then later gives it back??) But this flying soap opera is only part of the problem. Potemkin hammers overly dramatic melodies at every opportunity. The angle of a sailor on a ship relaying message is totally unnecessary. It seems like the whole West Coast scrambles when the plane issues a mayday - accompanied by more dramatic tunes. Perhaps the worst part is the handling of the emergency itself. The passengers remain totally calm and cooperative. There's little actual drama to it. Endless shots of the plane flying through stormy skies - and yet none while flying over San Francisco?? 1950s aviation may have been different, but I cannot believe it was solely the pilot's discretion to keep flying right over a major city with a crippled aircraft that by their own calculation was already out of fuel! There's hardly any communication with the tower on this. But they'll make it because, well, because John Wayne knows they will. His "If we can just make it for 30 more seconds." utterance tells you how poorly the sense of suspense was handled. The epilogue sums it up how bad this film was. The plane taxis right up to the terminal like nothing happened. Each passenger dramatically exits one-by-one as the score blares away, breezing through the press and marching off to a better and brighter future. Even the little boy who slept through it all. (How about waking him up to handle the expected crash landing?) The one (?!) airline official stoically puffs his stogie. The crew finally exits, spiffed up like it'd been a normal flight. No reports? No debrief? No nothing? Nope, just an "I'll call you." The best that can be said about this film is that it was the original airplane disaster film. Fans of "Airplane!" should definitely watch, as it borrowed heavily from this particularly the overly-dramatic utterances of Stack (aka Rex Kramer). I want these 2.5 hours of my life back.

The High and the Mighty might be called Muzzy Marcellino's movie since it was his wonderful, masterful whistling of the theme that made this movie not just good, but great. It is a pity that his talents were not more appreciated, but then most people think that anyone can whistle a sonorous tune. Far from it! Very few people could whistle in orchestral color and range which is what this man did for Dimitri Tiomkin's wonderful score which well deserved the 1955 Academy Award for "Best Music" and Scoring. Yes, John Wayne did indeed make the film his own and turned in a multi-layered performance, and yes, this is the granddaddy of the 'disaster films,' which has never been surpassed in quality, but its distinction is not the primacy, nor the casting, nor even the story by a professional pilot, but the distinctive music - distinctly rendered - which one may not notice at first, but which imbues this non-epic with the caliber of stardom. I can remember when I was in high school in the '60s some ten years after the movie was released (I have never seen it since) and Mr. Marcellino was a guest at one of our assemblies and demonstrated his amazing versatility at whistling and even performed the letters of the alphabet as an example of how he had mastered his craft. His range was phenomenal as he portrayed the instruments of the orchestra and then performed the entire Rhapsody in Blue as well as popular works all by whistling without accompaniment, but admitted that the theme for TH&TM was his proudest achievement. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has never recognized the contributions of all musical forms to the success of pictures as gauged from their mention in passing at the annual telecast Oscar ceremonies, but if they had, this singular performance would have been guaranteed a Special Oscar. Truly, once it is heard, neither it nor the film can ever be forgotten, but will haunt one for years to come! This classic film is the fitting epitaph for Messrs. Wayne, Tiomkin, and Marcellino. Would that we all could be remembered for such an achievement.

This review DEFINITELY contains spoilers, because in order to justify my criticism, I have to make this point: it seems to me - and call me crazy if you will - but doesn't a disaster film have to have a disaster in it somewhere? This film does begin by leading you through the typical formula for latter day films of the genre. We are introduced to numerous characters. We are introduced to the minutia of their troubles and hang ups, which is Hollywood's way of fleshing out their humanity. The idea is that when the terrible calamity eventually occurs, we are suppose to really care about what is happening to these folks. Unfortunately, the characters are as dreary and forgettable as their mountain-out-of-mole hill, soap opera-ish problems, and the calamity never occurs. And that is what is unique about this "disaster" film: that it is lacking any kind of disaster! The viewer sits through hours of character melodrama and "buildup"of the plane running out of gas just to see the plane safely land on an airport runway (with thirty gallons of fuel to spare, we are told)! And to the strains of Dimitri Tiomkin's heavenly choirs, no less! Speaking of which, this is a hideous soundtrack (as usual) by the vastly overrated Tiomkin whose great strength was to make a melodramatic film seem even more so with his lack of subtlety. Unlike a Rozsa, Newman, or even a Korngold, Dimitri's soundtracks have not aged gracefully. Tremendous waste of the Duke as well, especially with the embarrassingly woeful gimmick of him perfectly whistling - with the help of all-too obvious dubbing - the main theme throughout the film. This film is not ABOUT a disaster, it IS a disaster.

The Oscar people should give a special award once in a while to someone who delivers a terrific performance in a terrible film. Like Doe Avedon in "The High And The Mighty." In an opening sequence that may have inspired the intro to every "Love Boat" episode, Avedon as stewardess Miss Spaulding exchanges corny exposition with a wisecracking clerk as she greets passengers. When it's a producer played by Robert Newton, she compares him to "a tired walrus on a rock." When an ingratiating immigrant maiden (Joy Chen) shows up, Spaulding muses: "A moon and a willow tree." All of this Avedon delivers with such finesse you almost think it could be the way humans really talk, somewhere, at some time. Amazingly, she keeps this up for the entire film. Most of her co-stars are less successful at this illusion, until it seems their stricken airliner is held aloft by windy exposition and hot air. A dopey script by Ernest K. Gann reveals that while the writer may have known flying and the men who flew, he really didn't have the same handle on average, everyday people. No one is average aboard this flight. Each carries enormous personal luggage, revealed by director William Wellman through long flashbacks and breathless soliloquies. "You hate me!" whines the glowering paranoiac (Sidney Blackmer) who brings a gun on board. "All of you hate me, and only because I tried to do what was right!" "How can I ever be afraid when you hold me like this?" moans newlywed Nell (Karen Sharpe) to her man. "Thanks for knocking some sense into my head," says pilot Sully (Robert Stack) after getting slapped by his co-pilot. The co-pilot is played by the film's co-producer, John Wayne, in what is only a nominal leading role, Dan Roman. Often Wayne takes a backseat here, sometimes even literally, though his spotlight moments stand out for his relaxed, sympathetic cool. But even the Duke can't save this sick albatross. The big problem here is time. "The High And The Mighty" eats up too much of it before getting to the crisis more than an hour in, with long spotlight sections on most of the 22 people on board. Then, after engine #1 blows, there's exposition bits on the rest of the cast in between the stuff about trying to reach San Francisco without getting a mouthful of the Pacific. It's two-and-a-half hours that never feels like a second less, especially when Phil Harris and Ann Doran, "the Waikiki Kids," tell us of their awful vacation in a painfully overstretched comic flashback. In a DVD introduction, critic Leonard Maltin tells us this is "very much a film of its time" and that we need to "step back in time, and meet the movie on its own terms." He wouldn't have had to say that about "Casablanca," or even Wellman's earlier "Public Enemy" and "Wings." The latter film is silent, too. "High And The Mighty isn't a silent. You just wish it were.

I am quite a fan of Wellman as a director, John Wayne as an actor, Claire Trevor as an actress and Dimitri Tiomkin as a composer. Having said all this, I cannot say that I thought this film any good at all. John Wayne looked as if he'd have rather been somewhere else, and Robert Stack's wooden acting was even more wooden than usual. I just thought the whole thing was just as cheesy as it could be. When Sid Blackmer shot his gun and the engine caught fire, why was he not roped and gagged? When the plane finally did land, why was he not turned in and then arrested? I just thought the plot was silly and the whole thing poorly acted. I'm sure many out there will think I'm writing sacrilege, but I've gotta call 'em as I see 'em!

"The High and the Mighty", the granddaddy of air disaster movies, often falls into almost campy melodrama, but under the direction of the legendary 'Wild Bill' Wellman, and punctuated by one of Dimitri Tiomkin's most bombastic yet exciting scores (earning him an Oscar), the film maintains such a level of intensity that it remains constantly entertaining. With John Wayne heading an ensemble cast (including several co-stars from the past, as well as personal friends), it is certainly an essential for any 'Duke' film library. Produced by Wayne-Fellows Productions, and 'owned', eventually, by the Wayne family's Batjac Productions (along with "Hondo", "McLintock!", and "Island in the Sky"), the film was a BIG hit, when released, and offered one of Wayne's better performances, then gained even greater stature as it was unseen for a generation. I've always held the belief that the family planned to release the entire quartet of films in 2007, to mark the centennial of Duke's birth, but two events changed the plan; first, an unauthorized, 'remixed' VHS version of "McLintock!" was released, with rumors that a version of "Hondo" was also in the works, forcing Michael Wayne, then President of Batjac, to release authorized VHS versions of the two films, rather than have the market glutted with bad copies; second, with Michael's death, in 2003, the Wayne family rethought the master plan, deciding to release the entire collection on DVD earlier. For whatever reason, seeing "The High and the Mighty" again is a cause to celebrate! Based on Ernest K. Gann's bestseller (which would inspire Arthur Hailey's later novel, "Airport"), the story centers around a routine commercial flight between Honolulu and San Francisco, which becomes a life-and-death drama when one engine explodes, just beyond the 'Point of No Return'. With limited fuel, in deteriorating weather, the crisis brings out the best and worst in both passengers and crew. Wayne as the co-pilot, is quite good, playing a character older than he actually was (the role had been written for Spencer Tracy, who pulled out, just prior to filming); Robert Stack almost foreshadows his character in "Airplane!" as the no-nonsense pilot who goes ballistic when stressed. For cockpit 'overacting', however, the award has to go to Wally Brown, as the navigator, with his bugged-out eyes, visions of his shrewish wife, and WILDLY unruly hair... While the passengers are all stereotypes, several actors are quite good in their roles, with standout performances by Claire Trevor and Jan Sterling (both Oscar-nominated), Robert Newton, Paul Kelly, and Paul Fix. While Phil Harris attempts to inject humor into his role, it only works sporadically (and Ann Doran, as his wife, plays 'hysterical' so convincingly that you want to STRANGLE her!) Laraine Day, third-billed (and, with Trevor, a previous Wayne leading lady), is remarkably unlikable as a rich wife with a 'bought' husband (John Howard); Sidney Blackmer plays the 'mandatory' unbalanced type; and veteran character actor John Qualen adds another 'ethnic' portrayal to his long list, as a Latin family man (with a Norwegian accent!) A bit of trivia: The young boy on board was portrayed by director Wellman's son! Almost as fascinating as the story is seeing how much has changed, since the film was released; the plane's 'tail' is controlled by pulleys and wires in a rear compartment; the sole flight attendant is a "stewardess"; and everyone smokes (especially in the cockpit). On a more somber note, there is NO security, and one passenger boards easily, carrying a gun. It is, sadly, a wiser world, today... While no one would ever accuse "The High and the Mighty" of being a film classic, it's role in creating the 'airplane disaster' genre can't be denied, and it continues to be a vastly enjoyable John Wayne feature. It's great to have it back!

It's sad that THE HIGH AND MIGHTY has vanished into thin air. The Ernest Gann novel was translated into a star-filled drama of the highest degree. This was the first movie I attended upon my return from Korea in l954 and the memory of this movie is still vivid as is THE QUIET MAN which was one of the last movies I viewed before leaving for Korea. As you can see, I am an unabashed fan of the Duke and in these two movies he displayed an acting range that had been barely recognized by the average movie-goer. THE HIGH AND MIGHTY is unique because almost all of the action is inside a stricken luxury airliner and the director,William Wellman,had the nerve to photograph this action in a wide-screen process. But Wayne as the first officer,Dan Roman,is not the only outstanding character although it is Roman's steadfast belief in his skills and the aircraft that brings the passengers to safety. Robert Stack as the Captain, Paul Fix as an aging passenger, Phil Harris as a jokester who has just endured a painful vacation in Hawaii with his wife, John Howard and Lorraine Day as an at-odds married couple, David Brian(Mr,D.A.) as a man suspected by Sidney Blackmer of being the gentleman in whom Blackmer's wife is having an affair and Doe Avedon as the flight attendant all play major roles in this dated, but still relevant movie. But the ladies, Claire Trevor and Jan Sterling as hardened women of the evening also bring to us a mix of pathos, self doubt and humor. John Qualen, a fixture in a number of John Wayne movies,plays a patented role as a simple fisherman on his way home to his rather large family. Paul Kelly plays a disillustioned scientist. The story of THE HIGH AND MIGHTY ,written by Ernest Gann, is simple; A four-engined aircraft bound for San Francisco from Hawaii, has an engine explode and hang at a precarious angle from the wing. The fates of the passengers are in the hands of the flight crew, headed by Robert Stack. The Wayne character, Dan Roman,is a veteran pilot who lost his wife and son in a crash of an airliner he was piloting years before.While the drama is unfolding in the cockpit the passengers review their lives and most make promises to change if they survive. Wayne's character has to convince the captain that they can make it to the mainland. The action inside the aircraft is electric and more exciting that any of the aircraft disaster movies that followed. Of course John Wayne prevails and the passengers walk off into a rainy San Francisco night to return to the lives they had known before they made their promises. Dimitri Tiomkin's score is highlighted by threading the familiar HIGH AND MIGHTY theme throughout the movie. The closing scene is classic; Wayne walking with a limp into the foggy evening and whistling the theme. Ernest Gann's novel rings true because of his first-hand knowledge of aviation. As the author of several flying novels, most notably FATE IS THE HUNTER, Gann is able to make us understand that flying in those days was a mixture of wisdom, experience and a feeling in the seat-of-the-pants. I give this adaptation the highest marks although the story is dated, the characters are of another age and the formula is now tried-and-true. But the story does emphasis that there are unseen heroes that walk among us and come forth when needed.How many times did John Wayne portray this character?