The High And The Mighty film

Might try “Strategic Air Command”, a 1955 Jimmy Stewart film. Lots of great air, ground and cockpit shots of B-36, B-47, KC-97 and C-124s. Plot line a bit weak, but the aircraft are great!!!

You mean Colonel James M. Stewart, USAF (R)?

He served as Air Force Reserve commander of Dobbins Air Reserve Base in the early 1950s, and was promoted to Brigadier General on July 23, 1959.

Yep… the same guy… also flew 20 combat missions over Germany in B-24s in 1944/45.

More than Military: JIMMY STEWART Actor

Just watched this last night again,I really enjoy the flight deck/operations scenes but I have to FF through most of the cabin scenes,as JB said – you have to try and forget ‘Airplane’ 😀 (I can’t LOL :rolleyes:)
Shame because it is one of my all time favourite books !

but the theme music lingers fondly in the memory

The story goes that a TV station in Los Angeles adopted it as part of its on-air station identification. Whoever dropped that idea in the suggestion box deserved a bonus. (Yes, those notes are soaring through my head right now.)

Yes, excellent film why was the B-47 never in the forefront , the B-52 seems to get the limelight . I suppose Cold War secrecy kept it hidden from public awareness.

Hard to say, but I don’t think it was secrecy.
Three firms (Boeing , Douglas, Lockheed) made 2100 of the things which were deployed all over the world (N. Africa, UK, Europe, Pacific rim..far more than the 52 was deployed) as well as at a couple of dozen B-47 bases. The B-47 was many things, but secret was not one of them. The USAF & SAC was always pretty open about its mission and capabilities.

It’s just that the B-52 was the latest and greatest.
“Strategic Air Command” was made before the 52 was operational, so it made sense to show the B-47.
“Bombers B-52” highlights the types entry into service, while the last 52 film “A Gathering of Eagles” being filmed in the twilight of the 47s career.

Yes, excellent film why was the B-47 never in the forefront , the B-52 seems to get the limelight . I suppose Cold War secrecy kept it hidden from public awareness.

Might try “Strategic Air Command”, a 1955 Jimmy Stewart film. Lots of great air, ground and cockpit shots of B-36, B-47, KC-97 and C-124s. Plot line a bit weak, but the aircraft are great!!!

I’ll reserve judgement but thanks for the replies. I have happy memories of the Aer Turas DC-4 EI-ARS doing engine runs at some ungodly hour at Luton Airport and waking up half of Luton with it’s spitting and back firing engines !!

(And do your best to forget you ever saw Airplane!).

😀

I tried hard not to mention that…:D
You can see where some of the ideas came from though …:D

cheers baz

I don’t remember much about the film, but the theme music lingers fondly in the memory. It was probably the only piece of music that had a whistling solo, and was very ‘hummable’. Wish I could get an MP3 of it.

Bri 🙂

When you watch Island in the Sky, you may note that the WWII C-47 actually has post 1947 markings.

Also, The High and the Mighty has perhaps the worst movie B-17 model ever used….
Just to prepare yourself..in terms of situation and dialog, The High and the Mighty as as dated as the DC-4. With the exception of John Wayne’s interesting character, the aging co-pilot trying to forget persanal tragedy, it’s a real period piece.

(And do your best to forget you ever saw Airplane!).

“The High And The Mighty”

You’ll probably find yourself humming/whistling the theme tune forever! Good film, of it’s time, but imho we tend to get rather blase, and modern CG images and effects spoil us for the oldies. Good too, to hear the other incidental music…(of the four P&W Twin Wasps!) 🙂

I have ordered the DVD of the 1956 film “The High And The Mighty” by Ernest Gann,starring John Wayne as Captain. Vaguely remember watching the film in the sixties but too young to really follow. Also “Island In The Sky ” is available. Can anybody comment on the quality of aeronautical accuracy in this film ? The DC-4 portrayed in the film making landfall after an engine problem over the Pacific,was actually lost in 1964 in a real engine fire over the Pacific. Very strange how “Fate is The Hunter” ??

Sorry to be pedantic but JW played Dan Roman ?? the older co-pilot.
I think Robert Stack was Capt

cheers baz

Personally I was disappointed with ‘High and Mighty’,although I thought it was a top notch book.
I did however really enjoy ‘Island in the Sky’,although once again I thought the book was much better than the film.

cheers baz