Monday 13 December 2021

Flight of the Phoenix (1965 Robert Aldrich)

Plane crashes in Libyan desert (Yuma, Arizona) - how will they get out of there? With a lot of surly, and childish behaviour, that's how. (There are no women on board to take things in hand.)

Petulant pilot James Stewart, alkie navigator Dickie Attenborough, unfeeling designer Hardy Kruger (who kept reminding me of Rick Moranis, for some reason), officer Peter Finch, nutter Ernest Borgnine, smart ass Ian Bannen (so good at playing annoying characters), odious and murderous soldier Ronald Fraser, nice doctor Christian Marquand, elder statesman Dan Duryea (not sure I've seen him in colour before), George Kennedy, Gabriele Tinti, Alex Montoya, Peter Bravos (and I am listing everyone on the plane here), William Aldrich (the director's son, who amusingly is killed right at the beginning) and Barrie Chase.

Connie Francis sings 'Senza Fine' by Gino Paoli, reused as part of the Avanti soundtrack.

The film's dedicee, Paul Mantz, was killed performing the take off flight.

De Vol (who always sounds like a sixties hairdresser) has written a wonderful score. It's a good one to study as to how to effectively write film music, and is very adventurous and interesting (out of key guitars, for example). He often collaborated with Aldrich.

Written by Lukas Heller, from Elleston Trevor novel. Photographed by Joseph Biroc.




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