The High and the Mighty is a 1954 disaster movie released through Warner Brothers. The film starred and was co-produced by John Wayne, directed by William A. Wellman, and written by Ernest K. Gann, who also wrote the novel on which the film is based. Dimitri Tiomkin earned an Academy Award for his score, and the film's theme was nominated for an Oscar. The High and the Mighty was one of the first all-star disaster films, which paved the way for the Airport films. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), nicknamed Duke, was an Irish-American film actor whose career spanned the evolutionary phase of American cinema, appearing in silent movies and talkies alike. ... William A. Wellman (February 29, 1896 - December 9, 1975) was a movie director. ... Ernest Kellogg Gann (born 1910 in Lincoln, Nebraska; died 1991 in Friday Harbor, Washington) was an author, sailor, fisherman and airline captain. ... John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), nicknamed Duke, was an Irish-American film actor whose career spanned the evolutionary phase of American cinema, appearing in silent movies and talkies alike. ... Claire Trevor in Raw Deal (1948) Nicknamed Queen of Film Noir because of her many appearances in bad girl” roles in film noir and other black-and-white thrillers, Claire Trevor appeared in over 60 films. ... Robert Stack (January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003), born Robert Langford Modini, was an American actor famous for his film acting as well as his role in the television series The Untouchables and as host of Unsolved Mysteries. ... One of Hollywoods most talented and versatile stars, often cool and stunning blonde in Hollywood film noir movies of the 1940s and 50s, the actrees Jan Sterling ensured audiences of a real good time with her sexy roles in soaps, crime action and comedies. ... Dimitri Zinovich Tiomkin (May 10, 1894–November 11, 1979) was a film composer and conductor. ... Warner Bros. ... July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Warner Bros. ... John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), nicknamed Duke, was an Irish-American film actor whose career spanned the evolutionary phase of American cinema, appearing in silent movies and talkies alike. ... William A. Wellman (February 29, 1896 - December 9, 1975) was a movie director. ... Ernest Kellogg Gann (born 1910 in Lincoln, Nebraska; died 1991 in Friday Harbor, Washington) was an author, sailor, fisherman and airline captain. ... Dimitri Zinovich Tiomkin (May 10, 1894–November 11, 1979) was a film composer and conductor. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ...

Plot

The plot follows the personal dramas and professional doubts of the passengers and crew aboard a Trans-Orient-Pacific flight that develops engine problems over the ocean, causing a fuel leak. Among the troubled passengers are a "broken-down old broad" named May Holst (Claire Tervor), mail-order bride Sally McKee (Jan Sterling), Donald Falherty (Paul Kelly), a scientist who is concious-stricken about his work on the atomic bomb, rich snob Lydia Rice (Laraine Day) and her sponging husband Howard (John Howard), selfish playwright Gustave Pardee (Robert Newton) and his placating wife Lillian (Julie Bishop), playboy Ken Childs (David Brian), Humphrey Agnew (Sidney Blackmer), who thinks Childs is having an affair with his wife, Ed Joseph (Phil Harris) and his wife Clara (Ann Doran), returning from the vacation from hell, Nell and Milo Buck (Karen Sharpe and John Smith), a honeymooning young couple, ailing Frank Briscoe (Paul Fix), Korean refugee Dorothy Chen (Joy Kim), fisherman Jose Lacota (John Qualen), and Toby Field, a young boy returning to his mother (the director's son, Michael Wellman). The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ...

The flight crew includes John Sullivan (Robert Stack), Dan Roman (John Wayne), a washed-up pilot who piloted the plane that killed his family, Lenny Wilby (Wally Brown), Hobie Wheeler (William Campbell), and a novice stewardess (Doe Avedon).

When pilot Sullivan suffers a bout of hysterics and breaks down, the troubled co-pilot Dan Roman is left to fly the plane to safety.

Reception

When released in July of 1954, The High and the Mighty found great success, becoming one of the most successful films of that year. Being a film oddity, one of the first all-star disaster dramas, predating the Airport series by nearly twenty years, the film garnered much praise by critics. In addition to lead actor and producer John Wayne in a memorable role against type, its supporting stars Claire Trevor and Jan Sterling, earned Academy Awards nominations for Best Supporting Actress. The film's theme, written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington, was also nominated for an Academy Award and found popularity upon release. 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), nicknamed Duke, was an Irish-American film actor whose career spanned the evolutionary phase of American cinema, appearing in silent movies and talkies alike. ... Claire Trevor in Raw Deal (1948) Nicknamed Queen of Film Noir because of her many appearances in bad girl” roles in film noir and other black-and-white thrillers, Claire Trevor appeared in over 60 films. ... One of Hollywoods most talented and versatile stars, often cool and stunning blonde in Hollywood film noir movies of the 1940s and 50s, the actrees Jan Sterling ensured audiences of a real good time with her sexy roles in soaps, crime action and comedies. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... Dimitri Zinovich Tiomkin (May 10, 1894–November 11, 1979) was a film composer and conductor. ... Ned Washington (15 August 1901 - 20 December 1976) was an American lyric writer. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ...

Legacy

The High and the Mighty was one of the earliest airplane disaster films, and the first to focus attentions on the personal dramas of the passengers. The film predated such all-star affairs as Airport and it sequels by nearly twenty years. It also marked one of the early John Wayne co-productions. Wayne went on to produce many of his films, even forming his own production company. This practice wouldn't become widespread until the 1980s and 90s, when stars from Robert Redford to Sandra Bullock took control of productions. John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), nicknamed Duke, was an Irish-American film actor whose career spanned the evolutionary phase of American cinema, appearing in silent movies and talkies alike. ... Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. ... Sandra Bullock Sandra Annette Bullock (born July 26, 1964 in Arlington County, Virginia) is an American film actress. ...

In the sixties and seventies, The High and the Mighty became a staple of network television. Due to tighter broadcast schedules and several royalty disputes, the film's last appearance on television was in 1982 on the cable channel, TBS. {also Cinemax - March/April 1985} As result of the film's rarity, it has developed a cult following, and lead to petitions to get the film released on DVD. Finally, the film was rebroadcast on television in July 2005, the first broadcasts in twenty years. Together with another "lost" John Wayne film, Island in the Sky, the film was released in a special edition DVD in August of the same year. Woodstock: the iconic Sixties event The Sixties in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969 (see: 1960s), but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past 20 years. ... This article deals with the cultural and social aspects and trends of the 1970s. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... TBS is an abbreviation that may refer to many different subjects: There are two television networks and one radio network commonly referred to as TBS. Tokyo Broadcasting System, a TV station in Tokyo, Japan TBS Radio & Communications, a radio station in Tokyo, Japan TBS (TV Network), US The rock/emo... A cult following is a group of fans devoted to a specific item, usually a film, television or radio program, though some comic books, musicians, writers or others also gain dedicated followings. ... DVD is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for storing data, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), nicknamed Duke, was an Irish-American film actor whose career spanned the evolutionary phase of American cinema, appearing in silent movies and talkies alike. ... DVD is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for storing data, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... Note: as an adjective (stressed on the second syllable instead of the first), august means honorable. ...

Cast

John Wayne as Dan Roman
Claire Trevor as May Holst
Laraine Day as Lydia Rice
Robert Stack as John Sullivan
Jan Sterling as Sally McKee
Phil Harris as Ed Joseph
Robert Newton as Gustave Pardee
David Brian as Ken Childs
Paul Kelly as Donald Flaherty
Sidney Blackmer as Humphrey Agnew
Julie Bishop as Lillian Pardee
Pedro Gonzales-Gonzales as Gonzales (as Gonzales-Gonzales) John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), nicknamed Duke, was an Irish-American film actor whose career spanned the evolutionary phase of American cinema, appearing in silent movies and talkies alike. ... Claire Trevor in Raw Deal (1948) Nicknamed Queen of Film Noir because of her many appearances in bad girl” roles in film noir and other black-and-white thrillers, Claire Trevor appeared in over 60 films. ... Robert Stack (January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003), born Robert Langford Modini, was an American actor famous for his film acting as well as his role in the television series The Untouchables and as host of Unsolved Mysteries. ... One of Hollywoods most talented and versatile stars, often cool and stunning blonde in Hollywood film noir movies of the 1940s and 50s, the actrees Jan Sterling ensured audiences of a real good time with her sexy roles in soaps, crime action and comedies. ... Phil Harris (June 24, 1904 – August 11, 1995) was a United States singer, songwriter, jazz musician and actor. ... This article is on Robert Newton the deceased British actor. ... Paul Kelly (Fear in the Night) American actor born Paul Michael Kelly on August 9, 1899. ... Sidney Blackmer (July 13, 1895–October 6, 1973) was an American actor. ...

Awards

Academy Awards

Won:

• Best Music - Dimitri Tiomkin
  

Nominated:
From Rule Sixteen of the Special Rules for The Music Awards Original Score: An original score is a substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer. ... Dimitri Zinovich Tiomkin (May 10, 1894–November 11, 1979) was a film composer and conductor. ...

• Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Jan Sterling
  
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Claire Trevor
  
• Best Director - William A. Wellman
  
• Best Film Editing - Ralph Dawson
  
• Best Music, Original Song - Dimitri Tiomkin & Ned Washington ("The High and the Mighty")

The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... One of Hollywoods most talented and versatile stars, often cool and stunning blonde in Hollywood film noir movies of the 1940s and 50s, the actrees Jan Sterling ensured audiences of a real good time with her sexy roles in soaps, crime action and comedies. ... The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... Claire Trevor in Raw Deal (1948) Nicknamed Queen of Film Noir because of her many appearances in bad girl” roles in film noir and other black-and-white thrillers, Claire Trevor appeared in over 60 films. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; the awards are voted on by other people within the industry. ... William A. Wellman (February 29, 1896 - December 9, 1975) was a movie director. ... The Academy Award for Film Editing was first given for films issued in 1934. ... Academy Award for Best Song 1930s 1934 - The Continental from The Gay Divorcee 1935 Lullaby of Broadway from Gold Diggers of 1935 1936 The Way You Look Tonight from Swing Time 1937 Sweet Leilani from Waikiki Wedding 1938 - Thanks for the Memory from The Big Broadcast of 1938 1939 Over... Dimitri Zinovich Tiomkin (May 10, 1894–November 11, 1979) was a film composer and conductor. ... Ned Washington (15 August 1901 - 20 December 1976) was an American lyric writer. ...

Golden Globes

Won:

• Best Supporting Actress - Jan Sterling

The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in a motion picture released in the previous year. ... One of Hollywoods most talented and versatile stars, often cool and stunning blonde in Hollywood film noir movies of the 1940s and 50s, the actrees Jan Sterling ensured audiences of a real good time with her sexy roles in soaps, crime action and comedies. ...

The Song

At the start of the film's production late in 1953, veteran film composer and musician Dimitri Tiomkin was commissioned to write the film's Academy Award winning score. The studio also urged Tiomkin to come up with a theme song for the film, to be released to radio and as a vinyl record. Tiomkin formed the basic melody to the song and enlisted songwriter Ned Washington to write the song's lyrics. What resulted was a gentle ballad. Warner Bros. presented the song to Les Baxter and his Orchestra, who recorded and released the song to coinside with the release of the film. When released, "The High and the Mighty" peaked at #4 on the Billboard Pop chart. Tiomkin and Washington earned an Academy Award nomination for the song in 1955. 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Dimitri Zinovich Tiomkin (May 10, 1894–November 11, 1979) was a film composer and conductor. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... 33â…“ LP vinyl record album The vinyl record is a type of gramophone record, most popular from the 1950s to the 1990s, that was most commonly used for mass-produced recordings of music. ... Ned Washington (15 August 1901 - 20 December 1976) was an American lyric writer. ... Warner Bros. ... Les Baxter (March 14, 1922 - January 15, 1996) studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory before moving to Los Angeles for further studies at Pepperdine College. ... Billboard can refer to: Billboard magazine Billboard (advertising) Billboard antenna In 3D computer graphics, to billboard is to rotate an object so that it faces the viewer. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Toward the end of the film, after John Wayne's character convinced the captain to try to make it to San Francisco rather than ditch, the captain said "Whistle me a tune, Dan. I like music when I work." Dan (John Wayne) whistled "I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech" (Georgia Tech's famous and catchy fight song).

External Links

The Movie

• Catastrophe in the Movies

The Song

• Song Lyrics