Airport 1975 is a 1974 American disaster thriller film directed by Jack Smight and starring Karen Black, Charlton Heston, George Kennedy, Maureen Stapleton, and Gloria Swanson. It is the second installment in the Airport film series, following Airport (1970), and was followed by Airport '77 (1977) and The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979).
The plot of Airport 1975 revolves around a catastrophic mid-air collision between a privately-owned Beechcraft Baron aircraft piloted by businessman Scott Freeman and a Boeing 747-100 airliner operated by Columbia Airlines on a red-eye flight from Washington Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport. The collision occurs during a snowstorm, and the debris from the smaller plane damages the cockpit of the 747, killing the captain and co-pilot and blinding the first officer. With the remaining crew members unable to fly the plane, the control tower must find a way to get a qualified pilot aboard to land the aircraft safely.
The film follows the efforts of the control tower staff, led by veteran air traffic controller Joe Patroni (George Kennedy), as they race against time to rescue the passengers and crew of the 747. Meanwhile, Nancy Pryor (Karen Black), a flight attendant on the doomed plane, takes control of the aircraft and attempts to guide it to a safe landing. The film also explores the personal stories of the passengers and crew, as they face the possibility of their own deaths.
Airport 1975 was a commercial success, grossing over $80 million at the box office. It was praised for its suspenseful plot and its realistic portrayal of the airline industry. However, it was also criticized for its melodramatic tone and its reliance on clichés. Despite its mixed reviews, Airport 1975 is considered to be a classic of the disaster film genre.
Trailer
Cast
- Charlton Heston as Murdock
- Karen Black as Nancy
- George Kennedy as Patroni
- Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Stacy
- Susan Clark as Mrs. Patroni
- Helen Reddy as Sister Ruth
- Linda Blair as Janice Abbott
- Dana Andrews as Scott Freeman
- Roy Thinnes as Urias
- Sid Caesar as Barney
- Myrna Loy as Mrs. Devaney
- Ed Nelson as Major Alexander
- Nancy Olson as Mrs. Abbott
- Larry Storch as Purcell
- Martha Scott as Sister Beatrice
- Jerry Stiller as Sam
- Norman Fell as Bill
- Conrad Janis as Arnie
- Beverly Garland as Mrs. Scott Freeman
- Linda Harrison (credited as "Augusta Summerland") as Winnie
- Guy Stockwell as Colonel Moss
- Gloria Swanson as herself
- Erik Estrada as Julio
- Christopher Norris as Bette
- Terry Lester as Mr. Kelly
Director: Jack Smight
Writer: Don Ingalls
Box Office Gross: $103 million
Distributor: Universal Picture
Release Date: October 18, 1974