The Airport Series: A Retrospective 1970-79 

For those wanting to know about the aircraft used in this series of movies: Aircraft used in Airport ’70 ground shots was originally delivered to Flying Tiger Line in 1966 as N324F. After a series of owners, it was last flown by Trans Brazil and crashed short of the runway at Sao Paulo Brazil in 1989 Aircraft used Airport ’75 was originally delivered to American Airlines in 1971 as N9675. It was last flown by UPS as N675UP and was scrapped at Roswell in 2011. Aircraft used Airport ’77 was originally delivered to American Airlines in 1970 as N9667. After several operators over the years, it was scrapped in 1987 at Greenwood-Lefore Mississippi Aircraft used in Airport ’79 The Concorde was the seventh Concorde and was originally delivered to Air France 1976 as F-BTSC. Unfortunately, this was the aircraft that crashed shortly after takeoff from Paris in 2000 resulting in the deaths of 109 passengers and crew and 4 on the ground. This accident and the events after 9/11 spelled the end of Concorde.

I was on the set (representing the Navy but in mufti) for the last day's filming of Airport 77. I remember giving coffee creamer to Jack Lemon and chatting with Olivia D'Havilland while she did crossword puzzles between takes. I was able to pose for a picture with Jimmy Stewart. My favorite line in (not part of the movie) was when Joseph Cotten told Olivia "you look like shit my dear." They had to keep throwing buckets of water on her so she would look like she had just been rescued (she dried out between takes). Brenda Vacarro had a new camera and was taking my picture for practice. To this day she's probably wondering who the hell I was. I bought a souvenir chambray shirt with "AIRPORT 77" across the back. Almost 50 years later, I still have it. I know I'm in the scene where the helicopter zooms out while flying over the ship. I saw all those Airport/Airplane movies and particularly enjoyed "Airplane." I may be one of the few people who understood the jokes.

To show how old I am, I saw all 4 of these at the movie theater. We were bored teenagers and would see anything.

While there are some nods to ‘Airport’ (all 4), ‘Airplane’ is a parody of the movie, ‘Zero Hour’ (1957). Interestingly enough one of the screenplay writers was Arthur Hailey, the author of….’Airport’. Watch Zero Hour back-to-back with Airplane, you will be in stitches...😂

I'm not entirely sure why this popped up in my RU-vid feed, but I'm glad it did. As someone born in the late 60's, and a child in the 70's, I had a real fascination with all of the the star-studded cast disaster movies of the era, experienced mostly as later TV presentations. These Airport movies were absolutely among my favorites (though the various Irwin Allan flicks gave them stiff competition), particularly Airport and 75. Around 20 or so years ago, I saw a bargain bin DVD box set called 'Airport Terminal Pack' that contained all 4 films. In some uncontrolled burst of childhood nostalgia, I snatched it up for 10 bucks or so mark-down price. I think I watched the first two right away, but couldn't bring myself to sit through the cheese of the last two. Taking up shelf space to this day. This was a fantastic, and funny, retrospective. Well done!

Watched all the Airport movies. Loved them!

Karen Black's eyes are mesmerizing.🥰

The love theme music from Airport (1970) was a hit (in those days instrumental/orchestral music could be) and is the most well-known. But the music from 1975 was my favourite, by the legendary John Cavacas, who by the way as written some popular textbooks for students on orchestration. Despite the questionable quality of the movies, the scores were of the highest standard. Although there are some great film composers today, there are few that have the command of harmony and counterpoint to write this sort of music. This gives the movies a timeless and classy feel,

I have a DVD 4 pack collection of these and 77 is my favorite just because of the underwater stuff with the Navy. Great stuff 😃

Everybody gets to go skiing instead of eating each other.....LMAO !!!!! I'm in tears

You forgot to mention "Aiplane !" with Leslie Nielsen, the best movie of the serie!

In the mid 90's, TNT aired '75, '77 and '79 one Saturday night. I taped it. They showed the STRETCHED OUT version of '77. It ran 3.5 to 4 hours with commercials!

I was 8 when my parents took the family to the Drive-in to see Airport. Such great memories.

I loved this movie!

Patroni loved the Boeing 707 and 747. If Patroni could see a Boeing MAX he likely remark, "What a piece of junk!"

*Airplane!* producers (Abrahams/Zuckers (ZAZ) wanted George Kennedy to play the part of Steve McCroskey (Lloyd Bridgets). Kennedy wasn't available. AZA then offered him in The Naked Gun. *Airplane!* was loosely based on the 1957 film *Zero Hour.* The Airport used in *Airport* is the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. That Terminal is still in use today. Building got longer. Inside has been remodeled. But the exterior looks the same after 60 years. The snow in the this fake or trucked in. The weather was a warm winter when *Airport* was filmed.

The scenario of the bomber in the original “Airport” was based on an actual event in 1962. Everything in the movie was spot on to the real events, except for one thing. The real bomber was Thomas Doty. He had bought a life insurance policy for $150,000. He also had purchased another policy at O’Hare Airport in Chicago. He also had purchased six sticks of dynamite, which he took to the rear bathroom in his briefcase. There, about halfway through the flight to Kansas City, he ignited the dynamite. Unlike in the movie, when the dynamite exploded, it blew the entire tail off the Boeing 707. Being at approximately 30,000 feet when the explosion occurred, the plane depressurized very quickly. The flight crew, followed all their emergency procedures but with the loss of the tail, the plane was doomed. The tail and the engines came down in Iowa but the fuselage came down in Missouri, near Unionville. One passenger actually survived the crash but later died at the hospital. Because Missouri had more favorable laws pertaining to recovery of money from an accident, Missouri Attorney General, Thomas Eagleton, made sure the bodies were brought to a morgue set-up in Unionville. The bomber’s wife did not collect any insurance money since it was ruled a suicide. There is a memorial in Unionville in honor of the crash. Continental Flight 11.

I enjoyed all the Airports... The first is best, with 75 and 77 next best. The poorest is the last with the Concorde but its still fun enough to watch.

I am old enough to remember that whenever my mother flew overseas and we would accompany her to airport, after check-in, there was always the stop at the insurance kiosks to get flight insurance in case plane wen down. That was about the same time as the first Airport movie. Just about every passenger did buy insurance for those flights. And the first Airport movie with its bomb on it probably boosted insurance sakes. (also remember that highjackings were more common back then).

Honorable mentions to 2 great 70s TV movies: SST:Death Flight with a very stellar cast and Captain Mike Brady, and The Horror at 37,000 feet with a few famous names as well. While some of the Airport movies were better than the others, they all had Joe Patroni and not only was Joe trying to save the plane, he did his best to save the movie as well. I forgot Ponch was in 75. Great video! Thanks!

I worked on a movie in late 1979 with the DP and camera crew that had shot Airport 79 and the other two sequels - said they were expecting to do a planned fourth sequel called “Airport 1985” (or similar) set on the Space Shuttle.

Love the Fletch reference!” Mooooonn Riverrr!”

This was quite a different take on the Airport series and hilarious! Nice

“Gloria Swanson playing Gloria Swanson as Gloria Swanson.” Very versatile actress I’m sort of convinced Sunset Boulevard was just Billy Wilder following her with a camera recording her being crazy.

This is a great analogy of all 4 of them. The first airport made alot of money and Helen Hayes even won a supporting actress academy award! Airport 75 got panned by every critic but made alot of money. Airport 77 I saw in theatre and it got really good reviews and made alot of money and as a kid I was scared! Airport 79 I saw for Susan blakely and it got a bit confusing (for a kid) but the concord was impressive!

Owner of the 4 feature DVD “Airport Terminal Pack” here! This is a brilliant review of the collection and wonderfully narrated. Thank you

The Universal Studios tour in LA used to have an attraction about special effects and editing in the movies. They had an airplane set and pulled members of the audience to sit in the seats while they filmed them acting out directions (scream, look scared, etc.). Then they spliced it into footage from Airport '77. Super cheesy but fun for a ten-year old.

Don't forget the wonderful Barbara Hale played Dean Martin's wife. Barbara was famous for her roll in the long running CBS series Perry Mason as Della Street.

I also made an Airport retrospective about two months ago on my own channel! We ended up touching on similar themes but had different takeaways! Great vid!

I never saw the Concorde entry but it looks like I didn't miss anything. So cartoonish! I loved the original and the sequel. I admit, I had a hard time with the intact plane under water and Jack Lemmon as a badass hero! He'll always be the original Felix Unger from the Odd Couple! I seem to notice that theme noted in this video of the old guys with the young women.....Interesting.

When I took first scuba diving lessons, part of the training involved lifting objects from sea floor, and made me realize that the raising of the 747 in Airport 77 was much more realistic that I had thought when I had seen it back then. However, not sure how much of plane would be able to go above sea level since the ballons would stop lifting when they reached sea level. Also as soon as a portion of aircraft rises above sea level, it ceases to be bouyant and its weight then pushes down on rest of aircraft, so you would need more balloons at bottom of aircraft to lift it enough out of water so that they can open a door. (and in reality, they would likely just get cockpit above water and have people exit from the ceiling hatch in cockpit). An aircraft sinking 10m (~30 US feet) would likely take on water to fill half its volume until pressure equalized to 2 ATM. (2 * 147psi) since that is ambiant at that depth. But as aircraft would start to rise with ballons, that air would expand again and occupy greater volume of aircraft and add it its bouyancy. (So the cargo deck would more than likely be totally flooded). And once pressure equalized, opening of the cargo door would not be as violent as depicted in movie). Water would pass though engines to enter ventilation system and fill cabin till pressure equalized.

Also for those wanting to know the original Airport was MSP in Minneapolis/St. Paul renamed Chicago Lincoln.

I grew up on these movies! Nothing like them! Loved the recap and the humorous commentary. Thanks for the retrospective!

"The best thing about the 707 is that it can do everything but read"

Historical background on buying insurance at airports: there was the Warsaw Convention but more and more countries pulled out of it because it was inadequate. (including the USA). With airlines not held liable, people had to buy separate insurance for life and baggage. Eventually, the Montréal convention was signed much later, but suspect that by early 1980s, airlines in western world were made liable for loss of life/luggage so buying insurance at airport was no longer necessarty and those kioks all disappeared.

6:49 Helen Reddy as the guitar playing nun

Love to see this on youtube. I saw this when it first came out in Radio City Music Hall, I was just a lad. Excellent flick.

Airport '77 has some excellent visual effects.

this commentary is PERFECTION! Thank you :)

Martha Raye. She was on a few episodes of ALICE. She played the part of Mel's mom.

Loved these movies!!

Wind the clock back to the mid 1950's and watch John Wayne in the High and the Mighty. A prequel to these Airport movies IMO.

...original film, Academy Award nominations: best adapted screenplay, best cinematography, best supporting actress (Stapleton and Hayes), best actress (Bisset), and best picture...wins: best supporting actress (Hayes, not present at the ceremony...working on Broadway at the time.)

Great video. ‘75 has always been my favorite of them all, especially all the great air to air footage, then ‘77, the original and then ‘79. In terms of quality, from 1-4 they kind of align with the original Superman movies. The first was the popular original, a little longer in length and the one that stands out to most. The next one was good quality and exciting, the third had some good moments but still looked well produced, and the fourth looked like it lost 90% of its budget the day before filming started. There was also an extended TV version of ‘’79. While I remember the extended ‘77 airing a few times on TBS and TNT back in the 90’s, I don’t think the extended cut of ‘79 aired as often. Both extended films included a lot of, I guess unexceptional, footage. Notably, a lot of flashbacks in ‘77 to people’s lives before the flight, and some scenes showing Jack Lemmon and the flight attendants doing emergency training. They’re both old rips so not the best quality, but I have them both. Would be happy to share both with you.

Currently on Netflix. Burt Lancaster, who headlined the movie above the title with Dean Martin, made a great deal of money from the film, which was a huge hit. His contract gave him a 10% profit participation once the movie hit $50 million; it grossed $45.3 million in North America alone. Despite the financial windfall, Lancaster said that the movie was "the worst piece of junk ever made." He said he only made this film in return for the studio agreeing to finance several non-commercial films, in which he was interested. Lancaster added it was a joke that this film was nominated for any awards at all.

Someone already mentioned Zero Hour. I concur.

I reviewed airport 77 a few years ago on metacritic and added the plot line, the hijackers use gas to put the passengers to sleep. The passengers use the film's dialogue to put the audience to sleep. By the way, I'm also Facebook friends with Susan Blakely from the Concorde who said she hated it. Ditto Sybil danning, who also appeared in another bad disaster film meteor starring Sean Connery

“‘A hospitital, what is it? It’s a larger building with sick people in it, but that’s not important right now!”

I seen 'em all when they first came out.😮

As a child, you would not know insurance was sold in airports once upon a time. Sometimes through a vending machine. You should also understand things were different when the films came out. Why is it so difficult for people to understand that? One day if you pay attention you will understand.

*75 and 77 are the best..i Love to watch both of them..*

The old nun in Airport 1975 makes some disparaging comments about Gloria Swanson. Maybe the nun knew about the affair with Joseph Kennedy.

Every part of Airplane is lifted from Airport.

A plan to LAND the plane in the snow? Joe wanted to get it out of the mud and snow! For fun, compare this film to The High and the Mighty. It preceded Airport but set a guideline for it in my opinion.

I've only ever seen the first two Airport movies but after seeing Joe Patroni shooting a flare gun out an OPEN COCKPIT WINDOW to detonate a missile, I'm glad I missed the Concorde movie.

Ironically enough the Concorde used was the same one that crashed in Paris, July 2000. F-BTSC.

I love these movies and I own them all, with the exception of Concord. That's the ugly stepsister.. 77 is my favorite because it's actually the first one I saw in the theater. But I like your sense of humor. PS, airplane was actually largely based on a film called "zero hour" but also elements of the airport series.

I just saw the movie set at walmart for $7.50 and bought it. The reason I am here. I was rough to watch disaster movies for me as a kid.

The only Mach 2 fighter with enough acceleration to catch the Concorde was the English Electric Lightning. Even then, it could stay with it only a few minutes before running low on fuel.

Will Ferrell??? Tom Sullivan would love that.

But, honestly, I do love the airport films, even the Concorde

So friggn funny love this you like Gladiator Movies too? Hilarious fun keep it up!

...Robert Wagner as a sleazeball is typecasting.

I'm a huge fan of the Airport series, and am not ashamed to say i love 'Concorde' best (probably as i loved that plane). The first Airport was really good, though I was not a fan of Dean Martin's character, who, btw, was married to the sister of Burt Lancaster's character. Burt knows of Dean's sleeping around, yet somehow the sister either doesn't know or turns a blind eye. Also while Dean's marriage was still going ok, Burt's was already heading to a divorce, so again, not a fan of the flyboy...

I like the first two because they are plausible. Back in the 60’s the idea of an insurance scam by someone blowing up a plane over the ocean was plausible. They wasnt a chance of recovering much and the data recorders were extremely simple. Airport 75 has its plot based in reality since mid air collisions have happened in the US. There was a United DC-7 and a TWA Lockheed Constellation over the Grand Canyon, there was an F-4 that collided with a passenger jet near LA and in1978 a Cessna 172 and a PSA 727 over San Diego, but no in flight lowering a pilot into the plane. Airport 77 couldn't be saved with the cast it had let alone in reality. The extended version just showed all the excess footage that wasn't seen in the theater so they could make it a two night showing the same way they did with Midway. Airport 79, waited until it came out on HBO. The scene where the Concord was saved by the crash nets was were I realized I would have to leave reality for the rest of the movie.

Just watched the original again three nights ago! If I live to be 100, I will always think of my parents and grandfather, as the first time we all watched this together (I think I was five or six years old) we laughed so hard when the priest slapped the moron who kept screaming.🤣🤣🤣

“Stock nuns”? That’s Helen Reddy!

Your sense of humour is amazing. I just have one concern... you said Airport came out in 1970, but at 17:23 in the copyright line it says it was copyrighted in 1969. Regardless of when it was released, it's really a movie made in the 60s! It feels like it has some things in common with another 60s movie: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

You have a new fan! I was just watching these movies on Netflix, but I guess with the exception of the Concorde, but it’s nice to know when the bathroom is broken. I subscribed. Maybe Next you could tackle Alexander Salkind three and four musketeers. Strong actors in both of them, including Dracula. Michael York at the top of his game. And Raquel Welch. Think about it.

On Designing Women Airport was mentioned. Julia and Suzanne Sugarbaker are on there way to Japan to see their mother who for reasons unknown moved to Japan. Anyway Julia says to Suzanne I wish I hadn't watched Airport last night. Suzanne says why? You scared the plane is goanna crash? Julia says no. I'm afraid there maybe a Nune on board with a guitar. LOL! 😆

Back before actors spent tens of thousands on dental work 😂😂

Airplane is more of spoof on a film called "Zero Hour" ... In fact most of the movie is word for word the same ..

Yo acknowledged Helen Hayes, Gloria Swanson, Jimmy Stewart, Olivia de Havilland, Cid Caesar, Martha fucking Raye, but did mention Myrna Loy?? Common guys.. .

uh, no. zero hour, a 1957 motion picture was the inspiration for airplane. when you see that movie, and listen to the dialogue, you will know who/what inspired airplane. in zero hour he says, it's a totally different type of flying. in airplane, they just added the "all together".

Airport 2024: "Captain! A door plug has blown out!" 😅

L O V E the first two films.. can SORT of tolerate '77... but that '79 mess.. NO WAY! LOL!!

I still rememeber how terrible the pan and scan TV versions of '77 were. They looked so "off", especially in darker scenes due to zooming in on parts of the scene for TV formatting (4:3 vs widescreen)

You're voice-over!!!

5:40 Oh, and Mindy's dad from Mork and Mindy, too!

I would agree airport 1975 I like the best as well.....but I like them all three and saw it on holloywood suite

When they released the final film it was ridiculed in the UK for the constant use of the phrase "the Concorde" - never said like that in Britain- just "Concorde". Shame the Americans couldn't use their own SST......

I would have been so annoyed if you hadn't included Airport 80. It's dreadful but fabulous.

I loved Airport. Like you said- it started the disaster franchise of movies, but all the sequels paled in comparison to the original. With each new sequel the got more humorous and more far fetched. I'll take Airplane over any of the sequels any day! But I do like your retrospective of the franchise and your humorous editing- well done!

The Concorde used in the fourth film would end up crashing years later after a DC-10 piece struck it's left tire and engines setting them ablaze, no one survived after it hit a hotel

bruh, come on Airport 79 Concord was pretty cool, and great one-liners.

you forgot one, 1983 Starflight One The Plane that Couldn't Land with Lee Majors

The title of all the movie parodies in MAD Magazine were called Airplot instead of Airport, and the the final movie parody was called, Airplot ‘79 The Corncord. lol 😝

I liked your work on this RU-vid video and very good job and I know where you can find extra footages from airport '77 let me know if still interested? Thanks

I literally grew up on these. Concorde was on HBO literally non stop when I was about 10-11 and I thought it was the coolest movie ever, along with Firefox. So it was entertaining for a kid. LOL.

Nothing about the "Airport" series would be complete without mentioning its parody parallels - the "Airplane" movies. Shirley you can't be serious?

O avião usado no primeiro filme se tornou um cargueiro da Trans Brasil que se acidentou ao pousar em são Paulo (Brasil) matando toda tripulação e mais de 30 pessoas no chão era o mesmo 707 do filme

NOT True about 'Airport being the inspiration for the comedy 'Airplane'......but rather it was a 1959 film 'Zero Hour'. Look uptake side by side comparison of both . UNIVERSAL was virtually sitting on the old script for 'Zero Hour' & literally paid only around $1500 for it. THEY LIFTED IT LINE FOR LINE, playing it for comedy, when the original had been played dead serious. Anyway the comparison is on RU-vid....shot for shot. Also Remember visiting UNIVERSAL IN 1970 & clearly recall the tram tour slowly driving into a long building & right past a full-size cutaway of the plane used for filming. .

Not bad. A little light on numerous facts. Will Ferrell is not in any of these movies, and in fact did not appear in film until 1997. The person you keep erroneously identifying as Will Ferrell is Tom Sullivan who has actually been blind since birth. Do your homework. You keep referring to "Airport" as the inspiration for "Airplane!" which only has the connection of being about disastrous air travel. "Airplane!" was an almost word-for-word knockoff of a 1957 film that was released under the name "Zero Hour." The writers took that script and turned it on its ear making it into a series of hilarious gags using the original script almost verbatim. Gloria Swanson was not the inspiration for the woman who ended up hanging herself in "Airplane" but rather one member of a very talent-laden cast of old Hollywood cast for the film. The additional 70 minutes was outtakes plus additional scenes shot specifically for the tv run. I'll agree that "Airport '79" was ridiculous from start to finish and was their "jumping the shark" moment with this franchise. Go back and watch "Zero Hour," give proper credit where due and then fix your narration. Be better.

WE❤LOVE ❤YOUR ❤CHANNEL 😊

Airplane was not based on the Airport movies, it was based on Zero Hour! It’s pretty much a copy with much of the same dialogue.

Will Ferrell?

Burt Lancasters wife in Airport broke up with him to marry another man so his character did NOT dump his older wife for another woman.

They don’t make like this anymore, well fingers crossed they don’t 😂

The Airport movies were not the basis of Airplane!

How do you ignore Helen Reddy???