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Here’s a fairly obscure movie that I recently stumbled upon. I hadn’t known—as I imagine is the case with most people—that Zero Hour (1957; Paramount Pictures) was the basis for the hit spoof Airplane! (1980). Although elements of other airplane drama movies are incorporated, Zero Hour far and away provides most of the material. Indeed, much of Airplane!’s script is lifted verbatim from Zero Hour and even the main character’s name is the same, Ted Striker, though the spelling is slightly different in the earlier film's credits (Stryker).
Zero Hour stars Dana Andrews as the anything but confident emergency pilot and Sterling Hayden (Captain McCluskey in The Godfather years later) as the senior airline captain who must talk down his former fellow Canadian fighter squadron pilot who hasn’t even been on a plane in ten years let alone flown one. As with Airplane!, some unspecified friction exists between them. Linda Darnell plays Stryker’s wife who, also as in Airplane!, was in the process of leaving her husband which is why Ted forced himself to follow her and their son onto the airplane despite his fear of flying, having been shell shocked during the war.
An interesting note is that while Airplane! updates the year and the film occurs aboard a jet airliner, Zero Hour occurs aboard a DC4, a four engine piston workhouse of the era. A couple of third world airlines still use it.
The plot is, of course, terribly contrived but enjoys a taut script, with Arthur Hailey being one of three co-writers, and yeoman acting. Many might be unable to take it seriously having first seen Airplane!, but I found it suspenseful and appreciated its lesson of: “It’s amazing what one can do when one has to.” I’d give it three stars out of four. Fifties period piece; clean as a whistle. (Stryker’s son does visit the cockpit but the pilot doesn’t inquire if the boy likes gladiator movies, for example!)
Zero Hour stars Dana Andrews as the anything but confident emergency pilot and Sterling Hayden (Captain McCluskey in The Godfather years later) as the senior airline captain who must talk down his former fellow Canadian fighter squadron pilot who hasn’t even been on a plane in ten years let alone flown one. As with Airplane!, some unspecified friction exists between them. Linda Darnell plays Stryker’s wife who, also as in Airplane!, was in the process of leaving her husband which is why Ted forced himself to follow her and their son onto the airplane despite his fear of flying, having been shell shocked during the war.
An interesting note is that while Airplane! updates the year and the film occurs aboard a jet airliner, Zero Hour occurs aboard a DC4, a four engine piston workhouse of the era. A couple of third world airlines still use it.
The plot is, of course, terribly contrived but enjoys a taut script, with Arthur Hailey being one of three co-writers, and yeoman acting. Many might be unable to take it seriously having first seen Airplane!, but I found it suspenseful and appreciated its lesson of: “It’s amazing what one can do when one has to.” I’d give it three stars out of four. Fifties period piece; clean as a whistle. (Stryker’s son does visit the cockpit but the pilot doesn’t inquire if the boy likes gladiator movies, for example!)
Last edited by Don Schneider; 04-24-17 at 05:06 PM.
