Airport '77   

By Patrick Mondout

What's worse than having the chartered 747 you're traveling in make an unscheduled landing in the Atlantic? If it's the superstitious Super70s, it's having it land in the Bermuda Triangle! A trio of hijackers take over the 747 - loaded with valuable art treasures and VIPs - by using noxious gas to cause the passengers and crew to lose consciousness. But the plane crashes into the sea and it is a race against the clock to rescue everyone before they either run out of oxygen, drown from the seawater entering various cracks, or get crushed to death in an implosion.

Jack Lemmon does his usual excellent job as Captain Don Gallagher while James Stewart, Olivia de Havilland, Lee Grant, and, of course, George Kennedy (he starred in all four Airport movies) round out the all-star cast.

See Also: Airport (1970), Airport '75 (1974), Concorde Airport '79, Disaster Movies of the Super70s.

Academy Awards

Airport '77 received Academy Awards nominations for Art Direction/Set Decoration (George C. Webb - Art Direction, Mickey S. Michaels - Set Decoration) and for Costume Design (Edith Head, Burton Miller).

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		Your Memories Shared!

"Could of been a really "great" film if the recovery operation at the end of the flick hadn't become one big "borefest." I thought I was watching a training video for the U.S. Navy!" --A.J.

"Believe it or not, this happens to be one of my all time favorite movies. I will never forget going to the theater with my parents back in 1977 (of course) to see this incredible film. I was already a fan of disaster flicks such as Airport, Poseidon Adventure, Airport '75 and Towering Inferno. So, when this baby came out, I was totally swept away. The star studded cast probably had a lot to do with the reason why I love it so much, after all, I have always adored both Jack Lemmon and Darren McGavin, and Jimmy Stewart and Olivia DeHavilland will always be legendary. I cannot get enough of this classic, thank goodness I have it on video. Brings back some magical memories. Thank you for giving me the chance to express myself, hard to find anyone who shares my feelings for this fine film." --Sparky

"I have to admit it. I'm a sucker for disaster movies. But this was a very good one. Movies like this were done well, and were done without computers or fancy modern special effects. Was very impressed with Jack Lemmon's performance. It's the "hero" role, but without a lot of melodramatics." --Anonymous

"I always remember seeing Airport ’77, at the 2. 15pm session on Saturday 21 May 1977 at the Civic Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand. This is a genuine atmospheric movie palace, and looks even better today than it did to an eight-year-old back then. I’d had my tonsils out the previous week and had begged to be able to see this film, having cut all the newspaper ads out and seen the trailer on TV countless times. Standing outside the theatre I was fascinated with the poster artwork and the lobby cards on display. The film played with a Woody Woodpecker cartoon, featuring Woody and co. in scuba gear. I was riveted by the film’s special effects, especially during the crash sequence, and was positively on the edge of my seat during the final sequence as I was sure Brenda Vaccaro was headed for watery grave. This experience has remained with me since and I still count this film among my guilty pleasures." --BJ