Review of Airport: Terminal Pack (Four Discs)

Introduction

There has always been a fascination with air travel and airports, although in general films have generally focussed on the air travel aspect. As an ex-casual business traveller (rather than one of those dedicated ones who seem to spend half their life in airport lounges), I have passed through a few airports, only briefly stopping to wonder what it must be like to work there. The appearance of Airport in 1970, based on the best-selling novel by Alex Haley, gave the public the chance to see just how hectic a job it might be. Of course, with the advent of cheap travel and reality TV, we now have the dubious pleasure (if we choose - I don`t) of not only observing how stressed airport staff can be, but also just how rude and arrogant air passengers have become.

Airport is one of those big blockbuster films with a blockbuster cast. Carrying a number of storylines from the novel, each strand has its own stars. Lincoln Airport is managed by Mel Bakersfield (Burt Lancaster) who not only has to cope with the worst snow storm in five years, but also scheming socialite wife Cindy (Dana Wynter). Assisting him is Tanya Livingston (Jean Seberg), who juggles her feelings for Bakersfield with a game of cat and mouse with elderly stowaway Ada Quonsett (Helen Hayes, who won an Oscar for this role).

Captain Vern Demerest (Dean Martin) is Bakersfield`s brother-in-law, married to long-suffering Sarah (Barbara Hale) and having an affair with stewardess Gwen Meighen (Jacqueline Bisset). Demerest`s flight has been joined by loser D.O Guerrero (Van Helfin), a demolitions expert who can`t hold a job due to his poor temper. Guerrero decides to end everything by exploding the bomb in his briefcase over the Atlantic for the insurance money. His plan is discovered by another long-suffering wife, Inez Guerrero (Maureen Stapleton), but she is too late to prevent the flight taking off.

Meanwhile a plane has stranded itself on Runway 29 (two-niner) and ace airline mechanic/hotshot/trouble shooter Joe Patroni (George Kennedy) is called in to resolve the problem.

Airport won Helen Hayes a 1971 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, some 41 years after winning her first Oscar for a lead role. The film also received nine other Oscar nominations, although only one other was for acting - Maureen Stapleton.

*** This film is part of the Airport Terminal Pack featuring all four of the Airport films, but the review is based on only the first films as this was all that was provided. ***

Video

The picture is in superb condition, I couldn`t spot any artefacts or print damage (although to be fair, I was quite riveted to the screen).

Audio

Comes with a DTS track that is not utilised to the proper extent. All sound comes from the front speakers, nary a squeak coming from the rears.

Features

A trailer that demonstrates just how bad the picture could have been, really lays it on thick about Alex Haley`s book as well…

Conclusion

The 70`s saw a predilection with disaster movies, each subsequent one attempting to outdo the previous; The Poseidon Adventure, Towering Inferno, etc. They were all inspired by Airport. This glossy tale of air travel and airport management is a long slow burner of a film, but it is also quite gripping an old fashioned way. Lancaster and Martin, arguably the biggest stars on show, do the film justice in a way although neither set the screen alight. Lancaster is too staid, whilst Martin is simply playing himself. Instead the film is stolen by a combination of George Kennedy, Helen Hayes and Maureen Stapleton. It`s rather nice seeing a young Bisset again though…

Airport set the template for so many films that it eventually spawned the spoof Airplane series. Some of the stereotypes in that series can also be seen here; travelling nuns, the smart-alec kid, and the priest who slaps distraught passengers - they`re all present and correct.

Not one for those who prefer their films to be modern and fast moving, and this film and its counterparts have been Sunday afternoon TV fodder for years, looking for and receiving a particular audience. Personally I hadn`t seen this film for probably 20 years plus, so it was a welcome return. I don`t think I`d be up for watching it again, but I did enjoy this. Certainly the Terminal Pack will be aimed at die-hard fans with all four of the series in there…

*** Ratings for this release based only on Airport (1970) ***