Mayday At 40,000 Feet! (Full 1976 TV Movie)

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• published: 07 Oct 2013
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MAYDAY AT 40,000 FEET! is pure '70s kitsch, entertaining both despite and because of its '70s style! I love it!! This TV-movie, in the tradition of other star-filled, hokey-yet-fun '70s aviation films such as AIRPORT (1970), SKYJACKED (1972), and AIRPORT 1975 (1974). Captain Pete Douglass (David Janssen) and his co-pilot Stan Burkhart (Christopher George) are each feeling a bit distracted as they pilot a Transcon Airways Boeing 727-100 from L.A. to New York via Salt Lake City: back in New York, Pete's wife Kitty (Jane Powell) is unexpectedly undergoing surgery for a lump in her breast, and Stan has just reconnected with and proposed to his old flame Susan (Margaret Blye), who's on the plane as a passenger. Also on the plane is a psycho killer, played by Marjoe Gortner, who was also the psycho National Guardsman in EARTHQUAKE (1974). He's guarded by a marshal (Broderick Crawford) who makes the mistake of taking the flight despite feeling unwell and having left arm pain (hint, hint). No one watching is surprised when the killer gets loose and shoots up the airplane, seriously wounding Pete, Susan, and the plane's hydraulics system. Will co-pilot Stan and his flight engineer Mike (Don Meredith) be able to safely land the plane?! As with other films of its type, this 96-minute film is silly yet quite enjoyable, thanks in part to the interesting cast, which boasts not one but two Best Actor Oscar winners. Broderick Crawford's limited role as the worn-out marshal ends early on, but Ray Milland is in it for the long haul as a cranky, inebriated doctor turned hero. Beyond the cast, it must be mentioned that some of the '70s set and costume designs are nearly blinding in their awfulness. Christopher George and Margaret Blye have a scene in a hotel room with yellow walls and a rather hideous TV set on a stand that's simply cringe inducing, and there are other similarly so-bad-they're-good visual moments. It's interesting how some past eras look different to the modern viewer, yet still attractive -- for instance, '40s hairstyles or the '50s bobbysoxer look -- but the '70s, well...not so much! Unsung, but enjoyable & well-made disaster TV-movie with a great cast. I'm a sucker for this kind of film!