The High and the Mighty
October 2005 Reviewed by: James Saxon Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

In The High and the Mighty, John Wayne did for airline pilots what Max Von Sydow later did for exorcists -- he defined the breed. The recent freeing of this famous 1954 blockbuster for DVD encoding enables us to appreciate anew the influence of motion pictures on the formation of stereotypes. As a boy watching the first run of The High and the Mighty, I came away thinking that airline pilots were brave, resourceful and trustworthy. Consequently, the first time I boarded a flight, my confidence was brimming. Many thousands of miles later, when in flight, I am finally not so sure we won’t crash. But for decades, a recollection of the Duke’s quiet confidence under cabin pressure kept me calm inside my safety belt.

The movie’s screenplay about a disastrous flight from Honolulu to San Francisco was penned by Eric K. Gann from his best-selling book. Gann took no chances, replaying dialogues, flashbacks and internal monologues that made his brick of a novel a success but which propel the onscreen action at a koala’s pace.

John Wayne, who co-produced the film, tried to limit his financial risk by hiring a proven professional to play the lead character. But when Spencer Tracy was unable to assume the role of the whistling co-pilot, Wayne took on the assignment himself -- a smart move, since he was at his peak as a box-office draw. Although the fictional character was much older than the actor’s age at the time (47), Wayne managed to restrain his vigor in order to make his battered second-in-command believable. The resulting low-key portrayal is one of the best acting jobs of the Duke’s career.

The disaster-flick genre originated with The High and the Mighty, but ensemble story-telling dates back to Chaucer, who did it better. Although the aviation bits are authentic (Gann was a professional pilot), the dozen or so passenger stories do not ring true. Perhaps the conformism of the 1950s required superficial character treatment. Despite the overemphasis of current movies on special effects, onscreen conflicts nowadays seem more realistic.

For video fans, the charm of early CinemaScope, when even an airplane’s main cabin stretched to the horizon, lends the DVD special interest. Extra features abound, although film critic Leonard Maltin’s hazy-looking introduction is better bypassed. Sonically, Dimitri Tiomkin’s award-winning score provides a layered effect. The main theme’s whistled vibrato requires good tweeters. Viewers over 50 should be forewarned that despite credit given to Ned Washington for writing lyrics to the famous title song, no vocal is included with the DVD, just as the original theatrical release disappointed song lovers in 1954.

Released along with The High and the Mighty is a second Wayne film called Island in the Sky (1953). Although an airplane mishap anchors the action, the story is one of surviving a disaster rather than averting it. Nevertheless, since the team of writer, director, actor and producer are the same for both movies, Island in the Sky may be considered a pilot for the epic that followed a year later. Filmed in black, white and mono for the small screen, Island has its share of tension and stark spectacle but contains some strange casting: James Arness makes a pathetic comedian and Andy Devine, without the usual heehawing and hand wringing, is a clown out of water.

Worst of all, the main character is forced to show occasional angst. For John Wayne fans, there’s no choice here. See the true Duke in action (though precious little of it) on screen in The High and the Mighty and leave the Island to float.

• Go Back