Details

Release year: 1957

Storyline

In 1950s Canada, during a commercial flight, the pilots and some passengers suffer food poisoning, thus forcing an ex-WWII fighter pilot (Dana Andrews) to try to land the airliner in heavy fog.

Top credits

Directors

Hall Bartlett

Writers

Cast

Dana Andrews — Lt. Ted Stryker
Linda Darnell — Ellen Stryker
Sterling Hayden — Capt. Martin Treleaven
Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch — Capt. Bill Wilson

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Did you know

• Although several air crisis films contributed a range of clichés that would appear in the parody Airplane! (1980), Airplane! was directly based on this film. The writers noted down every quirk and came up with such great material that they decided to make their own comedy film. To avoid lawsuits and royalty issues, and as Zero Hour! was so obscure, they found that they could afford to buy the rights to the entire film and then do whatever they wished. This would inspire Airplane! fans to view Zero Hour! with cult-like status, organizing viewings during which they could spot all the clichés.

• This is Dana Andrews' first of at least three airplane thriller/disaster movies. He also was the captain of a commercial DC-6 carrier in The Crowded Sky (1960) which was rammed by jet pilot Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Then, to return the favor in Airport 1975 (1974), Andrews was piloting his twin-engine prop plane that rammed a commercial 747 --- captained by Zimbalist.

• Early in the flight, three male passengers are sharing a drink and talking about football. The Scotsman in the trio is explaining a new player position recently introduced to the game, called a "flanker," which he describes as being impossible to defend against. In reality the position of flanker was created in the 1950s by Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch, the pro football player turned actor who plays Capt. Wilson in this film.