A plane crashes on a Swiss glacier. With the radio broken and food limited, the survivors debate whether to stay put and await uncertain rescue or embark into harsh conditions toward civiliz... Read allA plane crashes on a Swiss glacier. With the radio broken and food limited, the survivors debate whether to stay put and await uncertain rescue or embark into harsh conditions toward civilization.A plane crashes on a Swiss glacier. With the radio broken and food limited, the survivors debate whether to stay put and await uncertain rescue or embark into harsh conditions toward civilization.
- Directors
- Writer
- Stars
Stuart Lindsell
- Mr. Barber
- (as R. Stuart Lindsell)
- Directors
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
A small plane crash lands in the snowy, desolate Alps. Luckily, the mostly British passengers and crew survive with nary a scratch. They don't even seem to mind the cold very much. Her fur coat keeps movie star Margot Grahame (as Joanna Dane) warm. But the lack of cigarettes, lipstick and record albums gets some passengers testy. Operatic voiced Francis L. Sullivan (as Perami) plays his surviving vinyl. How to get civilization to notice and rescue them becomes a major concern. Survival and self-sacrifice are themes. These are nicely evidenced by "iron lung" man Grey Blake (as John Barber). Pretty stewardess Phyllis Calvert (as Mary Johnstone) falls in love with heroic pilot James Donald (as Bill Haverton). Their "Broken Journey" is slow and uninvolved, but nicely edited.
***** Broken Journey (4/14/48) Ken Annakin ~ Phyllis Calvert, Margot Grahame, James Donald, Francis L. Sullivan
***** Broken Journey (4/14/48) Ken Annakin ~ Phyllis Calvert, Margot Grahame, James Donald, Francis L. Sullivan
A group of folks are on a plane that crash lands high in the Swiss Alps. Their radio is flat so they have to decide whether to stick it out in the (relative) safety of their aircraft or set off to find help. It's got quite a good British cast - a starring performance from Francis L. Sullivan with Guy Rolfe & Phyllis Calvert et al but the characters are all pretty unattractive and by the end I really didn't much care if they survived or not... It is also quite dialogue heavy with precious little actual action once the plane has skidded to it's lofty stop..........................................
I assume it is not a spoiler to say this film is about a plane crash in the alps.
If you are a fan of 1940s british films you will recognise most of the cast and perhaps the writer ,the director and the writer of the music.
I am a big fan of old British films,and films featuring forms of transport so I like seeing this one.
I am not saying it is an undiscovered classic but I think it is watchable.
Some of the comments on here are rather harsh.
I watch a lot of old films and this easier to enjoy in 2023 than many made at this time.
The script writer was Robert Westerby whose work I have come to like and look out for.
This was made in 1948 and characters are still going on about the war.
As in most later disaster film the characters are mixed bunch,I can't say they a believeable mix but we must remember that at this time foreign travel was not common for ordinary people.
IMDB is full of people who know a lot about cinema history,can anyone think of any older disaster films than this one?
If you are a fan of 1940s british films you will recognise most of the cast and perhaps the writer ,the director and the writer of the music.
I am a big fan of old British films,and films featuring forms of transport so I like seeing this one.
I am not saying it is an undiscovered classic but I think it is watchable.
Some of the comments on here are rather harsh.
I watch a lot of old films and this easier to enjoy in 2023 than many made at this time.
The script writer was Robert Westerby whose work I have come to like and look out for.
This was made in 1948 and characters are still going on about the war.
As in most later disaster film the characters are mixed bunch,I can't say they a believeable mix but we must remember that at this time foreign travel was not common for ordinary people.
IMDB is full of people who know a lot about cinema history,can anyone think of any older disaster films than this one?
A plane crashes in the arctic and the film follows the efforts of the survivors to get rescued with a few casualties on the way. There is even a passenger in an iron lung!
The cast aren't worth mentioning because they are all interchangeable and it is impossible to identify with any of them. As regards the story, nothing really happens to hold the viewer's interest. You have to wait about 45 minutes before the first bit of action after the plane crashes. And this is what happens - some bloke slips off a ledge and doesn't fall very far. Then a bit of snow lands on his face. It's hilarious.
There is also a fault with the whole psychology of the film - most characters seem to be quite horrid to each other, when in reality they would all be pulling together.
It's a slow moving film, devoid of any tension or drama and it is just not quite interesting enough. "Five Came Back" from 1939 is a much better film about a plane crash and a group of survivors.
The cast aren't worth mentioning because they are all interchangeable and it is impossible to identify with any of them. As regards the story, nothing really happens to hold the viewer's interest. You have to wait about 45 minutes before the first bit of action after the plane crashes. And this is what happens - some bloke slips off a ledge and doesn't fall very far. Then a bit of snow lands on his face. It's hilarious.
There is also a fault with the whole psychology of the film - most characters seem to be quite horrid to each other, when in reality they would all be pulling together.
It's a slow moving film, devoid of any tension or drama and it is just not quite interesting enough. "Five Came Back" from 1939 is a much better film about a plane crash and a group of survivors.
A mismatched group of people (the singer, the movie star and her boyfriend, the man in the iron lung and his nurse, a refugee, etc) are passengers on a plane which makes an emergency landing on a glacier. Miles from anywhere and with the radio out, theirs is a bitter tale of survival which does not necessarily end happily ever after.
Wonderful movie, beautifully shot and with some wonderful acting by Phyllis Calvert and Sonia Holm, as well as David Tomlinson who hits on every girl he can find! An easy 10/10.
Wonderful movie, beautifully shot and with some wonderful acting by Phyllis Calvert and Sonia Holm, as well as David Tomlinson who hits on every girl he can find! An easy 10/10.
Did you know
- TriviaJoseph Romer recites John Donne's Sonnet X ("Death Be Not Proud") at Barber's funeral.
- Quotes
Mary Johnstone: Why don't you go out and help the others?
Perami: In this cold wind? You think I'm crazy?
- ConnectionsReferenced in Sally Visits Kew (1948)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Broken Journey
- Filming locations
- Gainsborough Studios, Islington, London, England, UK(studio: made at Gainsborough Studios, London, England.)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 1h 29m(89 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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