The High and the Mighty
The High and the Mighty ★★★ 1954
One of Wayne's most sought-after films finally makes it to DVD, as it took 10 years for Wayne's daughter-in-law to restore a negative found in a pool of water in a warehouse. Wayne is Dan Roman, who steps up to the situation on a trans-Pacific airline flight in deep trouble. In a device that'll be familiar to viewers of “Lost” many flashbacks give backstory on passengers and crew. Unfortunately, this serves mostly to slow down the action and suspense of their current situation. Excellent performance by an all-star cast cover for some of the more dated elements of the film, which was, after all, a precursor to the popular disaster flicks of the 70s. 148m/C DVD . John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Laraine Day, Robert Stack, Jan Sterling, Phil Harris, Robert Newton, David Brian, Paul Kelly, Sidney Blackmer, Julie Bishop, John Howard, Wally Brown, William Campbell, Ann Doran, John Qualen, Paul Fix, Joy Kim, George Chandler, Douglas Fowley, Regis Toomey, Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer, William Hopper, William Schallert, Julie Mitchum; D: William A. Wellman; W: Ernest K. Gann; C: Archie Stout; M: Dimitri Tiomkin. Oscars ‘54: Orig. Dramatic Score; Golden Globes ‘55: Support. Actress (Sterling).