Director: George Seaton, Henry Hathaway (uncredited) Cast: Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset, George Kennedy, Helen Hayes, Van Heflin, Maureen Stapleton
Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Helen Hayes)
Also Nominated For: Best Picture; Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Maureen Stapleton); Best Adapted Screenplay; Best Cinematography; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Costume Design; Best Sound; Best Film Editing; Best Original Score
I First Saw In: 2015
Synopsis: A bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.
Did You Know? Despite receiving a 10% bonus profit once the film hit $50 million at the box office, Burt Lancaster regarded the film as “the worst piece of junk ever made”.
And now a Word from the Guise:
The shining performances were Helen Hayes and Maureen Stapleton; it’s no wonder they each earned themselves Oscar nominations for Supporting Actress. Hayes, in particular, was tremendous as the cunning old lady who sneaks her way onto various flights. That being said, I can’t imagine the film gaining any Oscar nominations if it had been made today. For one, it wouldn’t have had such a strong ensemble cast. For two, there’d be a lot more cheesy explosions. If anything, the movie would have earned itself a number of Razzie nominations. However, Airport was the precursor to the disaster film subgenre, when most films were still resplendent war epics, uplifting family comedies, or thought-provoking dramas; undoubtedly the Academy was in awe of Airport.
Oscar Madness Ranking – ??? out of 233
