dtucker86 Review of Murder on Flight 502

Murder on Flight 502 (1975 TV Movie)

Fun to watch, but not great

[13 September 2003]

I am a Sergeant in the Army and had to go to a school called BNCOC at Fort Jackson, South Carolina recently and I found this tape in the base px, it was only $3. Robert Stack wrote in his autobiography Straight Shooting that this picture was a rather poor copy of The High And The Mighty. He said the only reason he took it was to work with his wife and daughter. This is one of those movies of the week they used to make back in the 1970s featuring old time stars in the fading twilight of their careers. Aaron Spelling used them on shows like Murder She Wrote, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat and Hotel. Ralph Bellamy and Walter Pidgeon are both on board and its always nice seeing them (Bellamy was probably the greatest FDR ever in Sunrise At Campbello). This was also one of Farrah Fawcett's first films and even Sonny Bono has a part in it. I have to admit the sets look cheap. There are supposed to be 200 people on the plane but you only see a few. The dialogue is really funny because they deadpan it. The funniest part is where Robert Stack lectures Danny Bonaduce on playing practical jokes. I always love airplane pictures and this one is fine, just not great. SPOILER ALERT!!!I will tell you one thing about the ending when Hugh O'Brien flips out and reveals he is the real killer and he shoots into those oxygen tanks in the lounge and starts a fire. There wouldn't just be a fire there would have been a massive explosion! Oh well like they say its only a movie. By the way, the night after I watched this film I heard on the news where Robert Stack had died at the age of 84. He was a great actor who made Unsolved Mysteries such a wonderful show. He was also a true gentleman, someone of whom you can say they don't make em like that anymore. I was lucky enough recently to obtain a rare copy of The High And The Mighty with him and John Wayne. It is an awesome film and I feel like I have a treasure in my barracks apartment.