cult film freak: SUSAN BLAKELY FLYING HIGH INTO 'THE CONCORDE: AIRPORT 79'

Written by James M. Tate / 7/16/2022 / 1 Comment / david warner , disaster , ensemble , george kennedy , seventies , susan blakely , suspense , sybil danning

SUSAN BLAKELY FLYING HIGH INTO 'THE CONCORDE: AIRPORT 79'

7/16/2022 | 1 Comment

year: 1979 rating: ***

A jet plane, like the ones in the AIRPORT films, can’t do much. But unlike those bulky airliners, a hot rod can do plenty. And the Concorde Jet is the speedster of the skies.

So here's a plane that can dodge heat-seeking missiles, which occurs during the first of two flights – there and back from America to Paris. The plot has Robert Wagner as a corrupt businessman with something to hide.

Susan Blakely in CONCORDE '79

His newscaster girlfriend, Susan Blakely, has a document she carries onto the Paris-bound Concorde, and Wagner doesn’t want anyone else to know about it. Connected to the military, Wagner manages to steer missiles towards the Concorde manned by George Kennedy; a dapper French co-pilot; and navigator David Warner.

The passengers include Jimmie Walker, Charo, and John Davidson (sounds like a LOVE BOAT episode). But it’s Blakely, providing a good performance as the nerve-wrecked damsel, who means everything.

Susan Blakely in CONCORDE '79

Even after the Concorde makes it to Paris – in a successfully suspenseful escape from both the missile and a jet fighter plane – she’s sought after by the guilty/lethal Wagner who, once again, sabotages the Concorde on the return flight… resulting in an emergency landing in the snowy Alps.

Sure it’s really dated, corny and utterly preposterous, but this particular outing, the last before AIRPLANE put a stop to entire AIRPORT the series, is a glorious guilty pleasure.

Susan Blakely in CONCORDE '79

GEORGE KENNEDY AND DAVID WARNER in CONCORDE '79

Jimmie Walker in CONCORDE '79

SUSAN BLAKELY in CONCORDE '79

John Davidson and Susan Blakely in THE CONCORDE: AIRPORT 79

Share This Post :

Tags : david warner , disaster , ensemble , george kennedy , seventies , susan blakely , suspense , sybil danning

James M. Tate

1 comment:

Ripper MadnessJune 22, 2013 at 4:06 AM
I always loved the Airport movies. Airport '77 was my favorite of them but I really dug this one as well. And it's totally true these Airport movies or disaster movies in general from the 1970's seemed like Love Boat episodes with a full cast of stars from yesteryear (or yesterday).

I remember right after seeing this movie my uncle and I were at Dulles International Airport outside of Washington D.C. waiting for our flight home watching the Concords take off for Europe. Awesome planes. A shame they are no longer in service.

Great review sir.

ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

FAVORITES SHORTLIST

1)OTLEY 2)HELL IS A CITY 3)ROBBERY 4)THE FEARMAKERS 5)CANYON PASSAGE 6)VIOLENT SATURDAY 7)HOT CARS 8)JUNGLE STREET 9)THE CROWDED SKY 10)THE ROARING TWENTIES 11) ANATOMY OF A MURDER 12)CALCULATED RISK 13)SWEENEY TWO 14)RAIDERS FROM BENEATH THE SEA 15)HARDCORE 16)THE BREAK 17)WHITE HEAT 18)AL CAPONE 19)THE SERGEANT 20)FALLEN ANGEL 21)SHARKS' TREASURE 22)THE ASPHALT JUNGLE 23)ASH WEDNESDAY 24)THE SYSTEM 25)AIR PATROL 26)THE STONE KILLER 27)SANDS OF THE KALAHARI 28)WILLIAM CONRAD'S BRAINSTORM 29)RIOT 30)THE MAN FROM LARAMIE FAVORITE ACTORS 1)DANA ANDREWS 2)JAMES CAGNEY 3)STANLEY BAKER 4)MARLON BRANDO 5)JACK NICHOLSON 6) CHARLES BRONSON 7)BURT REYNOLDS 8)WILLIAM LUCAS 9)TOM COURTENAY 10)GENE HACKMAN DIRECTORS 1)JACQUES TOURNEUR 2)RICHARD FLEISCHER 3)VAL GUEST 4)STANLEY KUBRICK 5)OTTO PREMINGER 6)ORSON WELLES 7)JOHN GUILLERMAN 8)JOHN LANDIS 9)SAM PECKINPAH 10)MICHAEL WINNER