George Seaton (Miracle on 34th Street) directed the initial installment, which originated the entire big budget disaster genre that ruled the 1970's. The actual story is simple - there's a big snowstorm in Chicago and a flight to Rome is in danger, thanks to a down on his luck demolition expert (Van Heflin in his last role) looking to blow up the plane so that his wife (Maureen Stapleton, who won a Golden Globe for her work) can cash in. Along the way, we meet airport manager Mel Bakersfield (Burt Lancaster), whose is married to the airport over his wife (Dana Wynter from Invasion of the Body Snatchers) while a co-worker (Jean Seberg, the gorgeous star of the original Breathless whose support of the Black Panthers led to the FBI COINTELPRO hounding her for the rest of her short life) pines for him. Then there's Vernon Demerest (Dean Martin), who is married to Bakersfield's sister (Barbara Hale, mother of William Katt) but is having an affair with a stewardess (Jacqueline Bisset, The Mephisto Waltz). Then there's Mrs. Quonsett (Helen Hayes, who won an Oscar for the role), an elderly woman who sneaks her way onto planes.This big cast all interplays with one another, ending up on the seemingly doomed flight or aiding in its rescue. Will love win out? Will anyone who works in the airline industry get along with their spouses? Can Patroni shovel out a plane in time after being called in while he's trying to enjoy a night of passion with his wife? Sure. Yes. Of course.To get big stars like Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin, the producers gave that 10% of the profits after the film reached $50 million. With a US gross of over $100 million, the stars did more than fine making this one.

An airport struggles to remain open during the worst snowstorm in 25 year.Mel Bakersfield is the airport manager who must not only fight the weather, but his pilot/playboy brother-in-law, his divorce seeking wife, a deranged man with a bomb, a plane stuck in the mud and blocking the main runway, and a stowaway........among other things...You can define disaster in many ways, Many will see this film as a straightforward 'Plane is under attack movie' in the same vein as something like the much later 'Executive Decision', but there is so much more to this film than just a bomb on a plane.The disaster could be crumbling relationships, fear of losing a career, fear of not making somewhere on time, just usual everyday things that could cause 'disaster' in someones routine if things don't go to plan for them.This mainly lies on the shoulders of Burt Lancaster, whom is either sitting in an office listening to peers quite concerned, or putting on a lovely looking warm jacket and going out to the runway to look at a stalled plane.On the other hand, we have the dashing crooner Dean Martin suffering the disaster of his hair going slightly off style for a couple of minutes, or trying to deal with the 'disaster' of falling in love with someone over half his age and fathering her unborn child.The problem is, if you saw Airplane! before this, you cannot take the film seriously, and even more so if you've seen the more over the top disaster films that followed this.It has a plethora of sub-plots going on, from a know it all child, to a hilarious old woman who hitches free rides and feigns illness almost every act in the film.It's just too serious for it's own good, and there are a few passengers on board you would gladly punch in the face if you were on the same flight.The film does inject an element of humour into the script in the final third, but it's pretty blasphemous, as it consists of a Nun chugging a bottle of spirit, and a Father slapping a delusional passenger.Kennedy is the best thing about the film, and it's no wonder they bought him back for the three sequels.It's the cinematic equivalent of the picture of food you see on a menu in a chain restaurant, it looks grand, but the finished product is far less palatable.

As an avid Dean Martin fan, sure I loved this film. But watching it again now, 46 years later, it's a darned good film. A bit dated, of course. But, if you wonder what air travel was like back in 1970, this gives you a pretty good idea from terminal issues to actual flying. And of course, "Airport" spawned a whole series of sequels.Before I get into the film, I wanted to mention that I am watching this on Universal's Blu Ray edition, and it's an extremely nice transfer. However, the way the disc works with special features and restarting after a pause is rather odd.The first thing that I remember from my original viewing of this film in theaters was how interesting just seeing how airports work. There's a bit of technical stuff here than adds to the realism.The second thing remembered was how worn out Burt Lancaster looked. Of course, he was nearing 60, but a little better makeup would have helped. Nevertheless, it's a good performance, and I say that as someone who didn't always appreciate Lancaster.I remember folks wondering if Dean would be believable as an airline pilot. Well, he was, and in fact his is another very good performance, particularly in the scene just before the bomb goes off.I usually wan't impressed with Jean Seberg, although she does nicely here. Her personal life and the intrigue surrounding it were probably more interesting than many of her acting roles. I feel similarly about Jacqueline Bisset -- a little shallow as an actress. But they were both beautiful. Another actor I was never impressed with is here, too -- George Kennedy as trouble shooter; chomping on a cigar never impresses me; it's a stereotypical performance.The beloved performance by Helen Hayes as elderly stowaway Ada Quonsett.Among the most intriguing characters are Van Heflin as a failed contractor and the bomber of the airplane in question. Maureen Stapleton plays his despondent wife; a bravura performance by a talented character actress.Good performances are turned in by Barry Nelson as the co-pilot, Dana Wynter as Lancaster's wife, Lloyd Nolan as a custom's agent, and Barbara Hale as Dean's wife (Barbara was Della Street in "Perry Mason").I flew in and out of Minneapolis-St. Paul many times on the way to and from Thailand beginning a decade later, and that's where much of the film was made. I was also interested to see my old favorite airline -- Northwest Orient -- advertised in several shots. But I also was reminded how much smoking there used to be on airplanes.I thought they did a nice job with some of the very minor characters aboard the airline, even those who had no speaking parts. It added humor and detail. And, you'll recognize a few of those character actors whose names you never quite remember.There have been complaints that "Airport" is melodramatic, and it' somewhat true. And yet, the stories of any of the portrayed passengers are all realistic. And, that's the kind of film that Ross Hunter often produced, and so many of his films were so popular.It's interesting to compare this film with it's ancestor -- "The High And The Mighty", and to note how much air travel had changed from 1954 until 1970.The one problem I saw technically is my doubt that in the middle of winter during a snowstorm that men digging with shovels to make a sort of ramp for the plane was unlikely. Ever try digging with a shovel into soil in the middle of the winter? I just don't think so."Airport" is a very fine film. It was a blockbuster, and deservedly so. A $90 million profit at a time when that rarely happened.

There is a snow storm at Chicago's Lincoln International Airport. Manager Mel Bakersfeld (Burt Lancaster) is working hard to handle all the emergencies. There is a demonstration against the new runway that flies over a neighborhood. He calls in mechanic Joe Patroni (George Kennedy) to pull out a plane stuck in the snow. D.O. Guerrero (Van Heflin) intends to blow up his plane in the air so that his wife Inez (Maureen Stapleton) could collect the life insurance money. Captain Vernon Demerest (Dean Martin) keeps pushing the airport to run faster and pushes the pilot to take off. Stewardess Gwen Meighen (Jacqueline Bisset) is on board and is pregnant with the married Demerest's baby. Mrs. Ada Quonsett (Helen Hayes) is an expert stowaway.The movie has a lot of character minutiae before it gets to the drama. The cast is amazing and Helen Hayes probably won the Oscar for her body of work. The acting suffers from the scale which overshadows everything. There are too many stories to follow. I don't care about most of them. It's rather boring for much of the movie. It's a big movie that doesn't generate enough tension. I am also uncertain whether to praise its influence in starting the 70s disaster movie craze or to hate it for the camp that most of that genre represent. This is not a terribly compelling movie until they get on the plane. Basically the last half is a good disaster movie but the first half is boring as hell.