“The Stewardess Is Flying The Plane!”
And she was fresking out while doing so! Yes, the late Actress Karen Black was in the cockpit as those words were uttered! It’s just one reason I love 70’s films, and a great book tells the whole wild wild tale!
“The Stewardess Is Flying The Plane! American Films Of The 1970s!”
I’ve been looking back at the golden age of 70’s cinema, with an in-depth look at some of the greatest films of that decade – which this book captures beautifully!
Author Ron Hogan is joined by Director Peter Bogdanovich, who made such seminal 70’s films as “The Last Picture Show” and “What’s Up Doc?” for this terrific look at a decade where disaster films ruled!
The classic “Stewardess flying the plane” scene happened in the disaster film “Airport ’75” – a film that showcased 70’s cinema at its most disastrous!
“It’s Nancy Pryor… stewardess. Something hit us! All the flight crew is dead or badly injured! There’s no one left to fly the plane! Help us! Oh my God, help us!”
How can you not love this dialogue?
Yes, Karen Black was the “Stewardess Who Flew The Plane”! This book is a fantastic love letter to the movies of the 70’s, looking at disaster films, comedies, blaxploitation, cult films and more.
The 70’s were the decade for classic films like these:
“The Godfather” is my favorite film of all time – and did you know this piece of classic trivia?
Yes, Marla Brando reads some of his lines off of cue cards held by Robert Duvall!
There are so many great moments about the making of this film – you can read them all here:
Click here to read about the wild celebrity fights off screen!
What a decade for cinema!
Look at some of these classic posters:
Here is what Publishers Weekly had to say about this great book:
“With films such as The Godfather, Star Wars, The Sting, Rocky, Apocalypse Now, Jaws and M*A*S*H, the 1970s is now considered the second Golden Age of Hollywood. There is renewed interest in some of the decade’s most durable genres, including disaster films and blaxsploitation flicks, allowing viewers to rediscover early performances from major stars such as Jeff Bridges, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton.”
The book helps uncover some of the decade’s “forgotten” films, like “Looking For Mr. Goodbar” – the intense story of a lonely schoolteacher roaming the bar of New York in the 70’s…you can see the trailer Lus more about this film by clicking on my story here:
“The Stewardess is Flying the Plane!” is a lavishly illustrated, fun and informative look at more than 400 films of the decade!
It was a decade of some of the best films of all time – and some great action thrillers as well:
Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw and Hector Alizondo head up a stellar cast – the story of the hijacking of a New York subway car!
Click here to see the trailer and so much more:
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Leave a comment and let me know your favorite 70’s films!
Categories: 70's Cinema, Academy Awards, Action Films, Art, Books / Media, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Film Noir, Great Films, Hollywood, Movies, Obscure Movies, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
Great movies, John! I miss movies of the 70’s.
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I loved this era and all of its disasters!
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Yes indeed – another fascinating aspect of 70’s cinema! Thanks for commenting!
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they were so much suspenseful (and now campy), fun
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Also, nowadays the pilot would definitely be female, and she would single-handedly take on any villains while flying the plane. Men would be reduced to stewards, for sure.
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HA! Indeed! Important to remember she landed it perfectly!
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Of course!
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The Godfather is also my favourite film of all time. I had no idea about the cue cards, lol.
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The film is SO brilliant…another great story for you: the Actor Joe Spinell, who played one of Michael’s new goons, got hired because his sister knew Author Mario Puzo. It was his first film and he asked if he could watch filming even on days he didn’t need to be there….because he signed in on the paperwork, he discovered later that he got paid every day he watched as if he was filming, and made more than most of the Actors who worked in much bigger roles!
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Lol! Good one.
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John, I have seen and enjoyed all of those films. But I have to admit that Karen Black’s strange eyes always made me feel ‘uncomfortable’! 🙂
I still rate ‘The Poseidon Adventure’, it holds up today. And the original ‘Taking of Pelham 123’ was so much better than the unnecessary (and lamentable) remake.
Best wishes, Pete.
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