Despite its link to AIRPLANE, many forget that ZERO HOUR was the blueprint behind Arthur Hailey's acclaimed AIRPORT (1970) and for that matter, any disaster in the air movie that followed. Hailey was also associated with this production, so the end result does not come as too much of a surprise! You can also include links to the John Wayne classic, THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY, minus a substantially higher budget! If you're old enough, you probably remember this rerun forever (and in glorious black and white) because it is suspenseful, well cast and written. Here Dana Andrews, the ex-WW II pilot with a checkered past, is summoned to assist the ill pilots of a plane that could crash. Blame food poisoning for making everybody sick, and Andrews has to take hold of the controls in mid air OR ELSE! Of course, there's a sub plot with Linda Darnell as his wife (who wants nothing more to do with him!) and there's gruff Sterling Harden as his old war buddy. It took awhile, but the film has finally been released on dvd for all of us sentimental late, late show addicts who can't get enough of this stuff!
Review of Zero Hour!
