Director Ralph Nelson, a specialist in ‘thinking man’s pictures’ for people who don’t think, ought to have been just the man for pretentious ‘Pop’ novelist William K, Gann, master of pseudo-important corny melodrama (see THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY*). But FATE gives off something of a bad odor as rising airline exec Glenn Ford tries to prove it wasn’t ‘pilot error’ by estranged war pal Rod Taylor that brought down a commercial jet with 54 on board. Perhaps sole survivor stewardess Suzanne Pleshette can help the investigators by walking Ford thru all the fatal flight minutiae. Better yet, Ford wants to recreate the exact flight step-by-step, just as it happened to clear Taylor’s name and find meaning in the tragedy. That last the sticky bit in Gann’s shallow deep-think. Sounding especially phony when served up with Ford’s hesitant delivery working overdrive. He might be the ‘slow-thinker’ in a comedy act. And poor, likable Rod Taylor, who ought to breeze thru his irresponsible scapegrace pilot routine, overloads on irrepressible life-force, asked over and over to belt out ‘Blue Moon’ to prove his fancy-free philosophy. Even a simple meet-cute between Taylor and Nancy Kwan comes off as ludicrous. (She steals the fish he just caught because she’s an ichthyologist.) Plus supporting roles equally overdone across the board. On the positive side, lenser Milton Krasner, working in yummy b&w ‘scope, gives off the appropriate glossy vibe, but can’t hide tinker-toy model plane F/X.
DOUBLE-BILL: *As mentioned, THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY/’54. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2008/05/high-and-mighty-1954.html
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