Flying across the deserts of North Africa, one can imagine how dangerous it would be to be stranded in the trackless ocean of sand. In 1965, a film called "The Flight of The Phoenix" appeared on movie marquee's around the country. From the first moment audiences took in this film, they recognized the distinctive traits of a true drama, which would establish for itself, the foundations of a classic. The tale is that of an outmoded airplane load of oil employees, who in conjunction with a couple of passengers, run headlong into a desert sand storm and are forced to crash into the forbidden wastelands below. Thus begins the impossible task of not only surviving in the empty miles of life-less sands, but to somehow return to civilization. James Stewart is Capt. Frank Towns, an experienced pilot, who realizes the 'push-button' age has made him obsolete. Richard Attenborough is superb as Lew Moran, the boozing asst. pilot. Peter Finch plays Capt. Harris who believes his army training and Sgt. Watson (Ron Frasser) will save the desperate group. Ernest Borgnine, plays Trucker Cobb, who's only concern is to move up to become line chief. Ian Bannen, Dan Duryea, and George Kennedy are the company crew. But it is Hardy Krüger who plays Heinrich Dorfmann, who astonishes disbelieving Capt. Towns and everyone else with his boost that with their help, the on-board tools and supplies and some undamaged parts of the crashed plane, he can design a model air-craft which will fly them to safety. Fantastic idea, but no one cares for his suicide plan. What ensues is a test of wills, against each other, the unforgiving landscape, hostile Arabs and the scant water supply and time they have left. *****
Review of The Flight of the Phoenix
