Panik in den Wolken

I too remember seeing this film, first time (I believe) as part of the "ABC's Tuesday Night Movie Of The Week" series, back in the early 70's, then racked into those late night repeats, that seemed to have lasted for the whole first part of that decade! But I have yet to ever see "Terror..." released in VHS or DVD form...not even BETA, hence the early days! All to say McDowall seemed to shine as a straight-faced, but yet very intense physician...that showed only two types of emotion...Silence & Rage! And, McClure acted exceptionally well in his role...an X-Vietnamer, with all that very clear war imagery still freshly pent up in his mind...hence adding a good dose of paranoia & neurosis, that really added believable chaos and a wee bit of craziness to the script. You see, he flew a "chopper" in Nam...therefore was "elected" by the panicked gang of passengers, to bring the aircraft to a "safe" landing, hence both the pilots incapacitated due to food poisoning. Excellent film still, for them late night video sojourns...but my only question is...why has not any one company ever released this little gem...even to go directly into the $5.99 bargain bin? I will never know...and will forever covet them to do so!

This film begins in Milwaukee, with a passenger airplane taking off for Seattle, Washington. While flying, one passenger complains of feeling very ill, prompting a man named "Dr. Ralph Baird" (Roddy McDowell) to assist. Soon after, several other passengers also get sick, leading Dr. Baird to suspect food poisoning. However, this concern is overshadowed when he learns that both the pilot and co-pilot ate the same meal and are now sick, meaning there might be no one left qualified to fly the plane. There is, however, a passenger named "George Spencer" (Doug McClure), a Vietnam War helicopter pilot. Despite struggling with trauma from his military service, he might be able to save everyone on board--if he can learn to fly a four-engine passenger plane without any training. Instead of revealing more, I'll just say this was an entertaining made-for-television movie, largely thanks to Roddy McDowell's acting, which seemed perfectly suited for the role. Likewise, Lois Nettleton (as stewardess "Janet Turner"), Leif Erickson ("Marty Treleavan"), and Doug McClure also delivered solid performances. Admittedly, other films have used a similar plot, but this one was enjoyable in its own right, and I rated it accordingly.

I saw this TV movie a long time ago but still remember the excitement that took me for its hour and half duration time. Seen by today standards it would be a very common story, due to the fact that the plot has been painstakingly cloned by hundreds of very bad film killers. But not this one. It's atmosphere involves you in a special way and makes you feel as if you're one of the unfortunate passengers caught on that death trap. Doug McClure is mostly convincing in this role of a Vietnam war ex-chopper pilot,

obliged to recall his skills to lead that plane into a safe landing, counting only on the help from the voice of a controller who gives him an instant training on flying that special aircraft. I've missed this one for many years to be issued in video or in DVD, and hope that someday it will, for the joy of the genre fans.

"Terror in the Sky" is a remake of "Zero Hour!"...and offers no improvements at all over the original. In fact, in most ways (especially the cast), the original is a far better film.

Speaking of "Zero Hour!", this film is the one that was parodied in "Airplane!". Despite this, it's a very good air disaster movie...one of the best of the 1950s.

A rowdy group of folks have chartered a plane cross-country...not realizing that they nearly paid the ultimate price for not flying commercial! It's because the food aboard the craft is tainted...and anyone eating the chicken pie will become deathly ill. Unfortunately, that means BOTH the pilot and co-pilot...so it's up to one of the passengers to try to land the craft.

If "Zero Hour!" had never been made, I probably would have enjoyed "Terror in the Sky" much more. But again and again, I couldn't help but think the original was just so much better than this cheap made for TV version.

When I first saw Airplane! (1980), it reminded me of Terror in the Sky (1971). However, the primary inspiration for Airplane was actually Zero Hour! (1957). Arthur Hailey wrote both Zero Hour and Terror, as well as Airport (1970).

This movie was typical Movie of the Week fare: The budget was low, the story was old, the plot has holes. MOTW was something different from episodic television, and that made it popular for a few years, but very few of them are worth seeing again.

Many MOTW shows were remakes of black and white movies. Hailey may have intended the novel on which this film is based as a rewrite of Zero Hour!, as opposed to an entirely original work. However, this movie was never billed as a remake.