Functioning as a producer and star was such a gratifying experience that in 1952 John Wayne established the Wayne-Fellows Productions, with Robert Fellows, a veteran producer.
Their new company was responsible for a series of pictures directed by William Wellman, which were highly profitable at the box-office.
One of the company’s blockbusters was The High and the Mighty, a forerunner of the “disaster” movies, which became very popular in the 1970s. Similar in plot to that of the 1970 Airport (and its sequels), “High and the Mighty” could be described as “Grand Hotel in the air” in the same way that Ford’s “Stagecoach” was “Grand Hotel” in a Western carriage).
The tale centers on a diverse group of passengers aboard a big plane over the Pacific. The threat of crash landing motivates each member to react in a different way, based on his or her personality and problems. The narrative is the equivalent of a quasi-psychological experiment that studies people’s reaction in stress-induced situations.
Surprisingly, even the pilot has his demons, which could cloud his judgment just when it’s needed the most. Of the four crew men, John Wayne is the strongest, a vet pilot who’s second-in-command but has the cool and courage and alert but calm awareness to bring some sense back into the confused captain
The two standout performances (both Oscar nominated) were given by Jan Sterling and Claire Trevor. Sterling plays Sally McKee, a faded and soiled beauty on her way back to the U.S. to marry a man she has never met. All the “mysterious” man knows about Sally is based on an old photo of 6 years back, when she was younger and more appealing. Fearing both life and death, Sally the former playgirl is helpless, when it’s time to apply her life vest. She is a middle-aged woman, who’s deeply frightened and at the same time tries to be hopeful about her unknown future.
In contrast, Claire Trevor plays Mary Halt, an all-knowing woman, who has been around and has seen it all. Mary was dedicated to a married man until he died, never caring about what people thought of their relationship, because their love was true and fulfilled needs that his wife could not meet.
“The High and the Mighty” was based on a book by Ernest K. Gann. The movie was so popular with audiences that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored the film with four Oscar nominations, winning an Oscar for Dimitri Tiomkin’s melodic music. (See Oscar Section).
Though the movie is 147 minute long, some critics complained that there were too many roles with too many problems, to the point where each persona was “only a draft of a character,” as the Herald Tribune pointed out.
Cast
John Wayne as Dan Roman (First Officer)
Claire Trevor as May Holst
Laraine Day as Lydia Rice
Robert Stack as John Sullivan (Captain)
Jan Sterling as Sally McKee
Phil Harris as Ed Joseph
Ann Doran as Mrs. 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 Gonzalez as Gonzales (Amateur Radio Operator, SS Cristobal Trader)
John Howard as Howard Rice
Wally Brown as Lenny Wilby (Navigator)
William Campbell as Hobie Wheeler (Second Officer)
John Qualen as José Locota
Paul Fix as Frank Briscoe
George Chandler as Ben Sneed (Far East Crew Chief, Honolulu)
Joy Kim as Dorothy Chen
Michael Wellman as Toby Field
Douglas Fowley as Alsop (TOPAC Agent, Honolulu)
Regis Toomey as Tim Garfield (TOPAC Operations Manager, San Francisco)
Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer as Ens. Keim, USCG (ASR Pilot, Alameda)
Robert Keys as Lt. Mowbray, USCG (ASR Pilot, Alameda)
William Dewolf Hopper as Roy (Sally McKee’s fiancé)
William Schallert as TOPAC Dispatcher (San Francisco)
Julie Mitchum as Susie Wilby (Mrs. Lenny Wilby)
Doe Avedon as Miss Spalding (Flight Attendant)
Karen Sharpe as Nell Buck
John Smith as Milo Buck
