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IMDbPro

Airport

  • 19701970
  • GG
  • 2h 17m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
20K
YOUR RATING
Airport (1970)
A bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.
Play trailer3:29
1 Video
99+ Photos
ActionDramaThriller
A bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.A bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.A bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
20K
YOUR RATING
    • George Seaton
    • Henry Hathaway(winter outdoor scenes)
    • Arthur Hailey(from the novel by)
    • George Seaton(written for the screen by)
  • Stars
    • Burt Lancaster
    • Dean Martin
    • George Kennedy
    • George Seaton
    • Henry Hathaway(winter outdoor scenes)
    • Arthur Hailey(from the novel by)
    • George Seaton(written for the screen by)
  • Stars
    • Burt Lancaster
    • Dean Martin
    • George Kennedy
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 208User reviews
    • 88Critic reviews
    • 42Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 3:29
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos105

    Dean Martin in Airport (1970)
    Barry Nelson in Airport (1970)
    Dean Martin and Lloyd Nolan in Airport (1970)
    Jacqueline Bisset and Dean Martin in Airport (1970)
    Burt Lancaster in Airport (1970)
    Burt Lancaster in Airport (1970)
    Burt Lancaster in Airport (1970)
    Helen Hayes in Airport (1970)
    Maureen Stapleton in Airport (1970)
    Airport (1970)
    Helen Hayes in Airport (1970)
    Whit Bissell, Van Heflin, and Helen Hayes in Airport (1970)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Burt Lancaster
    Burt Lancaster
    • Mel Bakersfeld
    Dean Martin
    Dean Martin
    • Vernon Demerest
    George Kennedy
    George Kennedy
    • Patroni
    Jean Seberg
    Jean Seberg
    • Tanya Livingston
    Jacqueline Bisset
    Jacqueline Bisset
    • Gwen Meighen
    Helen Hayes
    Helen Hayes
    • Ada Quonsett
    Van Heflin
    Van Heflin
    • D.O. Guerrero
    Maureen Stapleton
    Maureen Stapleton
    • Inez Guerrero
    Barry Nelson
    Barry Nelson
    • Anson Harris
    Dana Wynter
    Dana Wynter
    • Cindy
    Lloyd Nolan
    Lloyd Nolan
    • Harry Standish
    Barbara Hale
    Barbara Hale
    • Sarah Demerest
    Gary Collins
    Gary Collins
    • Cy Jordan
    John Findlater
    John Findlater
    • Peter Coakley
    Jessie Royce Landis
    Jessie Royce Landis
    • Mrs. Harriet DuBarry Mossman
    Larry Gates
    Larry Gates
    • Commissioner Ackerman
    Peter Turgeon
    Peter Turgeon
    • Marcus Rathbone
    Whit Bissell
    Whit Bissell
    • Mr. Davidson
      • George Seaton
      • Henry Hathaway(winter outdoor scenes) (uncredited)
      • Arthur Hailey(from the novel by)
      • George Seaton(written for the screen by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Burt Lancaster, who headlined the movie above the title with Dean Martin, made a great deal of money from the film, which was a huge hit. His contract gave him a 10% profit participation once the movie hit $50 million; it grossed $45.3 million in North America alone. Despite the financial windfall, Lancaster said that the movie was "the worst piece of junk ever made." He said he only made this film in return for the studio agreeing to finance several non-commercial films, in which he was interested.
    • Goofs
      Before the landing Capt. Demerest requests a PAR approach. The Air Traffic Control officer replies "Roger this will be a Precision Radar Approach..." which would have an acronym of PRA. However, PAR refers to Precision Approach Radar, the type of radar equipment used in the approach. The approach itself is commonly referred to as a "Precision Radar Approach" by pilots and controllers. Confusing, but the movie lines are accurate.
    • Quotes

      Ada Quonsett: My late husband played the violin. Not professionally, but he was very good. He once played the Minute Waltz in 58 seconds.

    • Crazy credits
      Unusually, the Universal Pictures logo animation is not shown at the beginning of this movie...it's instead shown at the end. The in-credit notice "UNIVERSAL presents" replaced the usual opening logo.
    • Alternate versions
      TV prints and early videotape pan and scan versions have alterations beyond simple pan and scan. On some of the multi image scenes, instead of panning to the image best serving the scene, they substitute a full screen version of that segment that was originally part of the multi image shot. Like the scene where Burt Lancaster is talking to his wife and 2 daughters all at once. The theatrical version(and present wide screen DVD) maintained images of his wife, him and both daughters separately(recent pan and scan editions temporarily letterbox or otherwise modify the theatrical composition). On the early TV and video versions, only the person talking is seen in a full screen shot used for that multi image shot(showing more image information then when it was composed as part of the theatrical multi image shot). Also, on the split screen shot of Dean Martin in a cab and Jackie Bisset getting out of the shower, the split screen is recomposed for 4:3, cropping each image to better fit.
    • Connections
      Featured in Sneak Previews: Take 2: Movies That Changed the Movies (1979)

    User reviews208

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Classy action
    Airport is a film that has been unfairly tarnished by having spawned three `sequels' which were really just variations on the aviation disaster plot-line with little in common with this film. In fact there is a whole lot more to this film than aviation disaster but at no point is there the feeling of `gee I wish the plane would hurry up and crash'. Much of the running time is taken with exploring the personal dramas of the various personalities of Lincoln Airport; Mel Bakersfield (Burt Lancaster) must contend with stacked up planes and a snow-bound airport, a bitter wife, and philandering and antagonistic brother-in-law Vernon Demerest (Dean Martin). Between dealing with complaints by nearby residents and airport officials, Mel loves Tania Livingstone (Jean Seberg), the calm and efficient Airport administrator who spends her time at the airport dealing with complaining customers, customs cheats, and little old lady stowaway Ada Quonset (Helen Hayes). Meanwhile Vernon, married to Mel's sister Sarah also loves flight attendant Gwen Mieghan (Jacqueline Bissett) who has just announced her pregnancy. Much sympathy is generated for struggling older woman Inez Guerrero (Maureen Stapleton, who is excellent) who discovers that her heavily insured husband D O Guerrero (Van Heflin, also excellent in one of his last roles) who has claimed to have found demolition work in Milwaukee, has actually booked a one-way ticket to Rome. Inez frantically travels to the airport but arrives after the plane has taken off... with Vernon, Gwen and Ada amongst those on board.

    The film is an classy, old-fashioned drama which does not feel at all like the wave of disaster films that followed. The acting and characterisation is good and the subplots genuinely involving. There is also an interesting use of split-screen type devices, and a nice line in comedy. A great film if you can ignore all those silly disclaimers insisting that Boeing 707s are excellent aeroplanes, etc. (Not that they aren't good planes or anything...)
    helpful•16
    1
    • Rrrobert
    • Feb 12, 2000

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 5, 1970 (Canada)
      • United States
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
    • Production company
      • Ross Hunter Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 2 hours 17 minutes

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