Zero Hour!(1957) -

The 1957 film is primarily remembered today as the serious blueprint for the 1980 parody classic Airplane! . Directed by Hall Bartlett and starring Dana Andrews, the film is a straightforward disaster drama that follows a traumatized former World War II pilot forced to land a commercial airliner after the crew and many passengers are incapacitated by food poisoning. Plot and Origins

: While on a flight with his wife and son, both pilots and half the passengers fall ill due to contaminated fish. Zero Hour!(1957)

The screenplay was written by Arthur Hailey, Hall Bartlett, and John Champion, based on Hailey's 1956 television play Flight into Danger . The 1957 film is primarily remembered today as

: The character of Ted Stryker remains the protagonist in both films, though his "drinking problem" in the parody is a comedic literalization of the original's psychological struggle. Plot and Origins : While on a flight

: Many famous lines from Airplane! , such as the technical flight instructions, were originally delivered with complete sincerity in Zero Hour! . Key Production Details Letters from our February 2020 issue - AOPA

: Stryker must overcome his psychological trauma to land the plane safely in worsening weather, guided by a stern ground controller (Sterling Hayden). Legacy and the "Airplane!" Connection

While intended as a serious drama, the film's "classically structured" plot and intense dialogue eventually became the foundation for Airplane! .