Seven in Darkness

(DNF) This movie HAD potential. Unfortunately, after the plane crashes & only blind people are left, that's when it gets stupid. Unlike other reviewers, I'm ok with only blind people surviving the crash. Pilots ALWAYS die in plane crashes, and there were only two stewardesses, so no problem.

The problems begin when a blind war hero leads the survivors down a steep mountain, with nothing but some yarn. Uh, yeah, I'm out, can't watch any further. Ridiculous.

I have fond memories of this minor classic as the very first ABC Tuesday Movie of the Week. SEVEN IN DARKNESS was the premiere installment of these 90-minute films made for TV that appeared on Tuesday and Wednesday nights on ABC between 1969 and 1975. This film was an unsettling adventure about seven blind people, flying to some kind of convention for blind people and what happens when the plane crashes and they are the only survivors. Sean Garrison, Barry Nelson, Milton Berle, Dina Merrill, Alejandro Rey, Lesley Ann Warren, and Elizabeth (Tippy) Walker grope their way through the title roles. I remember finding it very unsettling to watching blind people stumbling in around in dark forests and tripping over things, but it definitely held my attention. The performances are OK, with Berle and Merrill doing standout work, but it is the plight of these survivors that sustains viewer interest here. No masterpiece, but a guilty pleasure of mine.

It's the story of a plane crash in a remote area, where the surviving passengers attempt to make their way to civilization and life. Here, though, they happen to be blind. Milton Berle is superb as Sam, an embittered, angry man caught up in his past disappointments and who is now in the struggle of his life.

Seven in Darkness (1969)

*** (out of 4)

A plane full of blind people are being taken to Seattle during a very bad storm when it crashes into the wilderness. Naturally, everyone on the plane who could see are now dead and it's up to seven people, including a pregnant woman, to try and make it out of the woods even though they can't see.

This here was the first ABC Movie of the Week and it's pretty funny to see how much all future TV movies can pretty much be seen here. You've got a very interesting story to grab your attention. You've got famous faces like Milton Berle, Barry Nelson, Leslie Ann Warren and Arthur O'Connell. You've got a short running time that goes by very quickly. And you've got the cliffhanger moments that build into a commercial. SEVEN IN DARKNESS has several flaws but there's no question that it holds your attention from the opening moments until the closing credits and it's certainly worth viewing.

If you're into disaster movies then you're going to enjoy this as the idea because it is quite good. How would seven blind people make it down off a mountain? With a running time of just 73 minutes nothing is given to us in great detail. In fact, I would have liked to have seen the "how" a tad bit more because it seems their journey was just a tad bit too easy for the most part. Still, there are some tense scenes including one where a couple members are attacked by wolves and another where they must try to find a way to cross a river. The performances for the most part are good and on the whole SEVEN IN DARKNESS is a good little film.

An interesting little film. The plot is a bit far fetched and corny at times, but not incredible. A chartered plane carrying mostly blind passengers to a convention, crashes in the wilderness and only the blind survive. It is quite interesting to see how they try to extricate themselves and make it back to civilization. Those who see this movie will never again take their eyesight for granted. This film used to be rerun quite often, but, as far as I know, it hasn't been released on video and has not been broadcast for many years. I can't figure out why. It's an interesting and unique addition to the "disaster film" genre with brand name actors; including Milton Berle in a dramatic role; and should do well if re-released.