Customer Reviews

The High and the Mighty (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

5 star:		(139)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Tied up for years in the John Wayne estate has been the re-release of this 1954 movie, "The High and the Mighty". (which won the Academy Award for Best Song that year...look for a plaque at Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood when you visit there).

As a child growing up in L.A. in the 50's and 60's, I remember the then RKO TV station Channel 9 would show this movie relentlessly for years on end. Then it all stopped. The movie vanished. And now it is being held hostage for some legal reason.

It is a movie filled with surplatives though younger viewers might find the lack of hyberbolic special effects, sexual gymnastics, de riguer corporate disembowlment themes, blah blah....too unsurvivable for a start-to-finish viewing. It is a vintage 50's type movie...at its best.

This is John Wayne's best movie, in my opinion. He is excellent...taking him out of the cowboy theme he ultimately became cemented into. I will always remember John Wayne in my mind as he was in this movie...especially the very last scene which alone is worth the price of admission. Fittingly, the Orange County Airport is named after John Wayne, who had a career early on of appearing in films with aviation themes.

Ernest K. Gann, who penned the story, was an American Airlines pilot who churned out aviation novel, one after another. His equally famous novel that was made into an excellent movie, was "Fate is the Hunter". Both of these movies deal with an aircraft incident/accident. "The High and the Mighty" concentrates on the human dynamics of a flight crew and their maintenance base trying to cope with a mechanical problem en route over the longest single over-the-ocean route in the world: Honolulu to San Francisco. It is as dramatic and technically accurate as you could possibly get. In fact, "The High and the Mighty" had all the elements of the recent Jan. 31, 2000 Alaska Airlines crash northwest of Los Angeles.

"Fate is the Hunter" meticulously examines the post accident phase of aircraft crash investigation. It is almost like a Hitchock movie in terms of suspense. I don't think this movie is available either and that is a shame since there is so much junk out there that is. Glenn Ford is the star of this movie.

The exciting conclusion of "The High and the Mighty" stays with you forever...much like the ending of the movie "The Spirit of St. Louis" which starred James Stewart (also a great movie and is available).

"The High and the Mighty" is a true aviator's movie...it has the feel and touch of a veteran pilot at the yoke, Ernest K. Gann. All of us down on the ground here can only hope and pray that the powers to be let this great, great American film out of the hanger and let her fly again....soon.

I originally viewed this film at it's debut in 1954. The memories are as seen from a 10 year old boy's eyes. I was overwhelemed by the color, the sound, and John Wayne. His character of Dan the co-pilot was excellent. Even than I could see he was the star. That was my first John Wayne movie. I was hooked. I lived in a large city, and I had never taken a flight anywhere. I became cosumed by airplanes. The different people, and how they were all connected to John's character.

The most dramatic parts were, just as they past the point of no return, and the problems that ensuded. I was on the end of my seat for the rest of the movie. One part was very significant to me.When John smacks Robert Stack around to shake him up, " Fly the airplane" then he was ok. At the end after they have gone through the fire, engines falling off, and all their problems, they finally land. They are meet by the station manager. He looks at the aircraft, looks at John Wayne, and says, "You old pelican" John just walks away. The End. It took me many years to understand what the meaning was. The pelican is the best flying bird in the bird world. The theme music won an academy award.

I was so moved I knew I wanted to be a pilot. I presued it throughout my life. The US Air Force, and Pan American Airways. I was very lucky to have acheived my dream. I am retired from flying now. It would give me gerat pleasure to see this movie with my childern.

Joe Castiglione, Farmingdale, NY

I first saw The High and the Mighty in 1953 when I was only 12 years old. I decided then that I wanted to be an "airline stewardess". I never did achieve that goal. I have desparately tried to find the movie for years. It left such a wonderful memory and THAT MUSIC! I would also love to have the soundtrack from the movie. In the late 50's, I lived in Carmel and went to high school with two of Ernest K. Gann's kids. Had I only known then, I probably could have gotten a copy of the movie, very easily. I didn't know at the time that movie would always haunt me. I join all of you in waiting until the estate of John Wayne allows it to be released. Why they are focusing on witholding that particular movie of Mr. Wayne's, I find very interesting. PLEASE, PLEASE, ALLOW THE RELEASE! Does anyone out there know how we, as a group, could write and plead with the family!

Buy a backup copy or 2 as well.........

I first saw this movie as a boy, and was captivated by the opening dialog, in which Wayne's character was described as "The only man I ever knew who was brave enough not to commit suicide!"

I have never understood why it was not released on video. (I last saw it in 1973 on local TV in Chicago.)

When The Duke died, I accurately predicted that the networks would select the closing scenes of The High and The Mighty as his epitaph--not She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, not Fort Appache, not Stagecoach, not even True Grit. And I was right--he went out with a loving "So long, you ancient pelican."

The grand daddy of the disaster flicks, it is probably hackneyed today (the airplane has propellers for goodness sakes), but the story is first rate and Wayne is marvelous.

Don't miss it if you ever get the chance to see it--you will never forget it.

The High and the Mighty has always been one of my - if not my - favorite movie. I remember watching it as a kid, and would always look for it on TV whenever it was shown. It is a classic airline disastor movie with high suspense and wonderful charactor development. This is John Wayne at his best, and even though you know it has to have a happy ending, you still are on the edge of your seat everytime you see this movie. I am lucky enough to have a VHS copy that I taped from the TV years ago, but would love to see it released on DVD. I don't know why this particular movie is still under a legal gun, but I hope someone comes to their senses and lets it be released so all can enjoy.

This movie is a classic and should be made available for this generation! Who can forget John Wayne as the ultimate captain and "father figure" as he walks his sauntering way with his cocked hat and whistling that haunting theme? I remember my sister and I scouring the TV guide week after summer week to see if it might be on and marking it in highlighter and staying up to who knows when just to watch it again, sliced up with commercials! But the movie eloquently captures people's hopes and fears of not only flying but being worthy of their destinies. If only kids knew how lucky they really are to have MOST movies at their fingertips! Please vote to get this one re-released!

This isn't a review as it is an announcement of hope. On July 8, 2004 Paramount and Batjac Productions announced a deal for bringing to home video several John Wayne films not seen in years. THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY (1954) and ISLAND IN THE SKY (1953) head the list. Paramount will start releasing these films (and several others) in Spring of 2005.

To read a reprint of the Paramount press release go to this link: http://www.jwaynefan.com/paramount.html also sign up for the mailing list ( http://www.jwaynefan.com/newsletter.html ) so you will be notified of further developments.

Update - May 16, 2005:

THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY and ISLAND IN THE SKY will be out on DVD on August 2, 2005.
Go to http://www.jwaynefan.com/hymytyspec.html for details and special features of these releases.

The High and the Mighty was ahead of its time in 1954. John Wayne was well cast as 'an ancient pelican' whose leadership is tested in making the right decisions to land a troubled aircraft safely. Diminti Tionkin's haunting theme masterfully scores the drama. This is my all-time favorite movie, I can't watch it enough!

John Wayne and his supporting staff made this movie an aviation classic when compared to todays flying films. When first viewed with my older brother the movie seemed so believeable. It had everything to make the movie interesting and memorable, the young and happy co-pilot, the near retirement aged flight engineer with visions of expected disaster, pretty stewardess and a host of normal looking passengers but each with a story of their own. Of course, it had the captain who was the captain in the truest sense of leadership. It followed a story line that had been traveled countless times. However, in 1954 it traveled that same course but this time from the cockpit of a DC-6. This movie classic is different. Not everyone is lifted from the page of a beauty magazine. The actors are not required to fly the plane in a thunderstorm and at the same time transfer rescue
personnel through the broken windscreen of the plane at 250 mph. They allow us to watch as a truely believeable situation unfolds and real people react and win in the end. If I am lucky enough to again view this movie classic, I'm sure my mind will at the same time wander back to the first time I stepped into the cockpit of a 1950's something airliner. The smell of neopreme hoses used under the cockpit instrument panel is the same smell I would come to enjoy as a young adult when learning to fly. The thrill of "feeling the airplane in your hands" is a real feeling. But when the characters of that movie felt it, they went from a normal flight to the airplane telling them of trouble to come. The movie is believeable because the characters did a very good job of not carrying the audience to feats of todays flying films. This movie will not leave you tired of countless scenes impossible to accomplish but not impossible for Hollywood to top every year. While you know how it will end you really aren't sure until the very end. Hollywood needs to go back to movie school and watch this movie as much as us.