The Flight of the Phoenix (1965)

Regista:

Robert Aldrich

Writers:

Lukas Heller (writer)
Trevor Dudley Smith (novel)

Data di uscita:

15 dicembre 1965 (USA)

Genere:

Adventure | Drama

Slogan:

One of the most startling twists of fate you have ever experienced in a motion picture!

Plot:

After a plane crash in the Sahara, one of the survivors says he's an airplane designer and they can make a flyable plane from the wreckage.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Belly Dancer | Heroic Captain | Exotic Dancer | Dehydration

Premi:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 nominations

Recensioni degli utenti:

One of the best survival films ever

Cast

James Stewart	...	Capt. Frank Towns
Richard Attenborough	...	Lew Moran
Peter Finch	...	Capt. Harris
Hardy Krüger	...	Heinrich Dorfmann (as Hardy Kruger)
Ernest Borgnine	...	Trucker Cobb
Ian Bannen	...	'Ratbags' Crow
Ronald Fraser	...	Sgt. Watson
Christian Marquand	...	Dr. Renaud
Dan Duryea	...	Standish
George Kennedy	...	Mike Bellamy
Gabriele Tinti	...	Gabriel
Alex Montoya	...	Carlos
Peter Bravos	...	Tasso
William Aldrich	...	Bill
Barrie Chase	...	Farida

Alias:

Volo della fenice, Il (Italy) [it]

Durata:

142 min

Nazionalità:

USA

Lingua:

Inglese

Colore:

Colore (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sonoro:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Divieti:

USA:Approved (certificate #21017) | West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-12 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG

Luoghi delle riprese:

Buttercup Valley, California, USA

Company:

Associates & Aldrich Company, The

Curiosità:

The Tallmantz Phoenix P-1 was designed by Otto Timm and built by Tallmantz Aviation Inc. for the film. It had the following characteristics:

• Length: 45'
• Wingspan: 42'
• Engine: a like-new Pratt & Whitney R-1340 nine cylinder radial engine of 650 hp, taken from a T-6, as were the wheels and various other parts.
• Wings: wing panels taken from a T-11 (civilian conversion of an AT-11 which is a Beechcraft 18 type )
• The apparent wing, tail, and undercarriage wire bracing was made out of clothesline, and was intentionally made to look flimsy.
• The fuselage and empennage were all hand-built from scratch - plywood over a wood frame.
• The cockpit was shallow and makeshift. The pilot sat down. Another person stood behind the pilot and was strapped to a stringer.

Errori:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene where the 'Phoenix' is rolling along the ground and trying to get aloft, you can see small buildings on the horizon.

Citazioni:

Standish: [nervously] The sandstorm'll make it more difficult, won't it?
'Ratbags' Crow: [in a mocking, ironic tone] What? Find us? Nah, it'll simplify things no end, old chap! They'll just bloody give up! Oh, you're not frightened, are ya? You don't want to be despondent, old man, you know! Wait till the water runs out. Then you'll really start laughing!

Movie Connections:

Citato in The Legend of Lylah Clare (1968)

Colonna sonora:

Senza Fine

One of the best survival films ever

I use snippets from this film in a project management class. It is hard to imagine how the casting could have been any better. Jimmy Stewart plays the part of the aging pilot with an adventurous past so well not only because he was a terrific actor, but because he really was an aging pilot with a an adventurous past. Richart Attenborrow (spelling?) is wonderful as the diplomatic copilot that stands between Stewart and the engineer played by Kruger.

The dialogue was some of the best I've ever heard. "Mr. Townes you behave as though stupidity were a virtue..." You have to love it.

I'm almost sorry to see this movie being remade since it was done so well, but I'll still line up for the new one just to see if the magic can be made to work twice.