The Flight Of The Phoenix - (1965) (English & Foreign language, DVD)

Reviews

Reviewed by Micky B - 5 May 2007

Even before the opening credits start to roll, we see a trans-Sahara passenger aircraft in takeoff. It is about to hit a violent sandstorm that will blow it many miles off course before crash-landing somewhere in the desert. One of the surviving passengers is a dislikeable German aircraft designer. He convinces the others that by using the available undamaged components at hand, together they can build another but smaller aircraft on which they can fly out of their present predicament. The strong and mainly male cast is headed up by Oscar winners James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Ernest Borgnine, Peter Finch and George Kennedy, and also features Ian Bannen (who was nominated for a “Best Supporting Actor” Oscar for his role here); Hardy Kruger, Ronald Frazer, Christian Marquard and Dan Duryea – with Barry Chase, the only lady in the entire film, who appears to Ronald Frazer as a belly-dancer in a brief dream sequence. The film is dedicated to 20th Century-Fox’s long-serving stunt pilot, Paul Mantz, who died while flying “The Phoenix” before the cameras.