Directed by:
William A. WellmanScreenplay:
Ernest K. GannCinematography:
Archie StoutComposer:
Dimitri TiomkinCast:
John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Laraine Day, Robert Stack, Jan Sterling, Phil Harris, Robert Newton, David Brian, Paul Kelly, Sidney Blackmer, Julie Bishop (more)VOD (1)
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John Wayne delivered one of his most memorable performances in THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY, a suspenseful thrill ride that presaged the disaster films of the 1970s with the story of a commercial jetliner that suffers engine trouble on a transpacific flight from Honolulu to San Francisco. With pilot John Sullivan (Robert Stack) too panic-stricken to act, it's up to second-in-command Dan Roman (Wayne) to guide the aircraft to safety--despite being traumatized by the death of his own wife and child in a plane crash years earlier. Wayne's self-doubting copilot presides over jittery crew members and passengers whose stories are told in flashbacks and fleshed out by a stellar supporting cast. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
This would have been an excellent thriller if the creators had tried to escalate the tension a bit more. As it is, it's just too calm, but that doesn't matter so much because you'll still bond with that plane, especially with its characters, and you'll root for them to make it all work out. Surprisingly, John Wayne doesn't hog the spotlight, but lets the entire cast shine, which is a good thing.
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Photo © Warner Bros. Pictures
