The Crowded Sky

One of the first modern day airline disaster movies, this 1961 film contains all the elements of suspense, humor and drama that one would expect of its genre. With the only drawback of a weak supporting cast, the story line is a solid one.

In this film, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. plays a navy pilot on a collision course with a commercial jet piloted by Dana Andrews. Years later, in one of the later Airport series, the roles are reversed and Andrews plays the pilot of a small plane on a collision course with a commercial aircraft piloted by Efrem Zimbalist.

Troy Donahue does a creditable job as a young sailor hitching a ride with Zimbalist to get home. An interesting device in this film is the close-up thought technique, particularly when used with the character played by Keenan Wynn.

If you consider this film only among the other members of its generation, it comes out well.

A commercial DC-6 with 62 passengers, flying too high due to the inexplicable actions of arrogant pilot Dana Andrews, is soon in the pathway of a two-pilot Navy jet that has lost all radio communications. The wooden performances and variable special effects of "The Crowded Sky" simply add to its kitsch factor; some audiences can't help laughing at it, but nevertheless enjoying themselves at the same time. The pilots and nearly all the passengers have a great deal on their minds, and the running theme of the close-up followed by the ominous voice-over followed by the flashback lapses into amusing self-parody. Handsome Warner Bros. production, with tidy airplane interiors and all the men wearing skinny black ties, provides instant nostalgia, while the overripe dialogue is frequently laugh-out-loud funny. **1/2 from ****

Drama , emotion and tension in a hazardous voyage on a trans-airline flight . Disaster and nail-biting movie about a Navy jet and a commercial airliner heading for a mid air catastrophe , as passengers fasten your belts to a strong disaster . As a navy jet (piloted by Efrem Zimbalist Jr , Troy Donahue) with a defective radio system and a passenger plane (piloted by Dana Andrews , John Kerr) get in danger of collision. As crew , passengers (Keenan Wynn , Jean Willes , Joe Mantell , Patsy Kelly..) , flight attendant (Anne Francis) gripping their seats for the bumpy ride ahead . During the initial scenes , characters are shown describing some life scenes prior to boarding the airplane . And in flashbacks we learn about the personal problems of the pilots and most of the crew. From the suspense packed best seller and the great international tradition of ¨The High and the Mighty¨. The most fascinating people the gods of chance ever swept up into high adventure!

The picture contains drama , suspense , moderate tension and is quite entertaining although with some flaws and gaps .This is a predecessor in the "Airport" series that achieved splendor in the 70s and 80s . It's exciting and entertaining but heavily paced , full clichés and stereotypes with passable acting by all star cast , including a great deal of unexpected zooms . Based on the novel by Hank Searls and screenplay by Charles Schnee , it blasts to the screen with every kind of love , thrills , and intrigue . Plastic acting and stock characters detailing a hectic flight . The film is dealing with a tumultuous flight and the relationship among passengers . All clichéd and stock roles with regurgitation of all usual stereotypical situations from disaster films . This thrilling tale may remind some spectators ¨The High and the Mighty¨ written by Ernest Kann , directed by William A Wellman with John Wayne , to which , especially with its star-studded casting and plot , it bears a more than coincidental resemblance . It matches the notorious talents of prestigious actors , some of then old TV favourite as Efrem Zimbalist Jr. of 77 Sunset Strip against those of the more screen-seasoned as Dana Andrews , John Kerr , Rhonda Fleming . And a long support cast , such as : Keenan Wynn , Troy Donahue , Jean Willes , Troy Donahue , Joe Mantell , Patsy Kelly, Paul Genge , Donald May , Louis Quinn , among others

It contains a colourful cinematography in Technicolor , CinemaScope by Harry Stradling Sr . Emotive as well as atmospheric musical score by Leonard Rosenman . This old-fashioned motion picture was professionally directed by Joseph Pevney . The craftsman Pevney shot all kinds of genres as Comedy , Film Noir , Mystery , Drama , such as : ¨Who is the black Dahilia ?¨, ¨The strange door¨, ¨Man of a thousand faces¨, ¨Mysterious Island of beautiful women¨, ¨Cash McCall¨, ¨Tammy and the bachelor¨, ¨Istanbul¨, ¨Because of you¨ , and especially Wartime movies : ¨Torpedo run¨, ¨Away all boats¨ , and Westerns as ¨Night of Grizzly . At the end of his long career he made a lot of episodes of famous TV series , such as : High Chaparral , Rockford cases , Marcus Welby , Petrocellli , The Fugitive , Alfred Hitchcock presents , Executive suite , Mission imposible , Monster family , The loner , Star Trek , Virginian , Sam Cade , Bonanza . Rating : 5.5/10

A mother lode of clichés mined by Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers for their 1980 classic, "Airplane," "The Crowded Sky" is entertaining in its own right. A shameless pastiche of flashbacks erupts when two planes find themselves on a collision course in the skies over the American heartland. Dying wives, vengeful mistresses, love-starved spinsters, marriage-crazy stewardesses, and tough agents spar with lovelorn husbands, ham actors, marriage-shy co-pilots, unforgiving fathers, and cads on the make. Director Joseph Pevney juggles the familiar sub-plots competently, and viewers are unlikely to be bored, although they may have to stifle a giggle or two.

While not as stellar as "The High and the Mighty" or "Airport," the cast does include some solid actors from the period. Characters rarely develop in films like this, and most are little more than stereotyped sketches. Not surprisingly, the performances run the gamut from professional to embarrassing. The pros fare best led by Dana Andrews, the by-the-book TransState captain; Patsy Kelly, a blowzy chain-smoking agent; and Rhonda Fleming, a sexy scheming wife. Although the film's credits include Efrem Zimbalist, Troy Donahue, Keenan Wynn, and Anne Francis, many of the rest never became names.

The special effects use obvious model airplanes on wires and are a dated delight. Also dated and delightful is the depiction of flying. The passengers all dress in suit and tie; the stewardesses take tickets aboard the plane; the captain personally points out the oxygen canister to an interested passenger; a smiling stewardess cracks jokes about false teeth while instructing passengers on emergency procedures; air traffic controllers work 40 hours without a break; passengers board without security checks. What a wonderful experience flying used to be; beyond slick obvious entertainment, "The Crowded Sky" has the added dimension of evoking nostalgia for a vanished way of travel.

"The Crowded Sky" is an odd airplane disaster film. On one hand, I know darn well that the film has many flaws. But on the other, I still very much enjoyed the movie and do recommend you see it.

During the late 1950s-60s and then again in the 1970s, airplane disaster films were amazingly common and popular. Just off the top of my head, I can recall "No Skyway in the Sky", "Zero Hour!" (which was parodied in "Airplane!"), "The High and the Mighty", "Airport", "Airport 1975" and "Airport '77" all fall in this genre. However, "The Crowded Sky" is unusual because it stars Dana Andrews...who also starred in "Zerio Hour!".

Unlike the other films I mentioned above, "The Crowded Sky" relies much more heavily on lengthy flashback scenes....nearly all of which are pretty soapy. A few are really interesting (such as the love life of the Navy pilot and the painter and his father) and some are simply too many....which got in the way of the main story. As for the main story, it's telegraphed early and often. It's really not giving anything away to say that the T-33 Navy trainer and the DC-6 airliner WILL crash into each other sooner or later...the only questions are when and how serious this crash will be. And, until then, you see these flashback stories of the pilots of each craft as well as a few others.

Now again...I admit the film has faults. Apart from too many flashbacks, the film also is at its best AND worst after the crash occurs. On one hand, the planes are pretty obviously models...too obviously. But on the other, everything else about this is exceptionally tense and well handled. And, overall the good easily outweighs the bad....and the two leads, Dana Andrews and Efram Zimbalest Jr. both are excellent.