Zero Hour!

"SUSPENSE LIKE YOU'VE NEVER FELT BEFORE!"

1957 1h 21m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★6.6TMDB · 56★6.6IMDB · 2,370

DramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1950s Canada, during a commercial flight, the pilots and some passengers suffer food poisoning, thus forcing an ex-WW2 fighter pilot to try to land the airliner in heavy fog.

“SUSPENSE LIKE YOU'VE NEVER FELT BEFORE!”

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Cast

Dana Andrews
Lt. Ted Stryker
Linda Darnell
Ellen Stryker
Sterling Hayden
Captain Martin Treleaven
Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch
Capt. Bill Wilson
Geoffrey Toone
Dr. Baird
Jerry Paris
Tony Decker
Peggy King
Stewardess Janet Turner
Charles Quinlivan
Harry Burdick

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Hall Bartlett
Writers: John C. Champion, Arthur Hailey, Hall Bartlett
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

81 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

69 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Hall Bartlett, shot by John F. Warren. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ted Dale. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John C. Fuller shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Dana Andrews and Linda Darnell and Sterling Hayden carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "SUSPENSE LIKE YOU'VE NEVER FELT BEFORE!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0051221 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Hall Bartlett directs. John F. Warren behind the camera. Ted Dale scores. John C. Fuller cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

181 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
269 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Hall Bartlett, shot by John F. Warren. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Ted Dale. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor John C. Fuller shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Dana Andrews and Linda Darnell and Sterling Hayden carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "SUSPENSE LIKE YOU'VE NEVER FELT BEFORE!".
8IMDB entry: tt0051221 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 56 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: John F. Warren
Original score: Ted Dale
Editing: John C. Fuller
Production design: Boris Leven
Makeup / hair: Steve Drumm
Runtime: 81 min · 1h 21m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Zero Hour! (1957)
IMDB rating: 6.6/10 · 2,370 votes
MPAA: Approved

Also by

Hall Bartlett

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-12-29
★ 7.5/10
Tension and Terror in the Skies! Famously parodied as Airplane in 1980, it gets forgotten just what a rollicking good thriller Zero Hour! is. Dana Andrews is the airman scarred by an incident during the war who has to battle his demons when the crew and passengers of the jumbo jet he is aboard fall victim to food poisoning. Sterling Hayden is down on the ground smoking loads of ciggies and having no faith in trying to talk Andrews down safely. One of the first disaster aeroplane movies, it follows what we now regard as the staples of the genre. Troubled protagonist, family strife, calm characters, panic characters, lovely ladies, square jawed men, raging weather conditions and an aeroplane in serious danger of plummeting from the sky and killing all on board. It's sometimes hokey and one dimensional in terms of plot developments, but it commits to the drama and grinds out a suspenseful last half hour that can have you edging towards the edge of your seat. A must see for fans of such fare. It's ok to love Airplane! and prefer its comedy smartness, but it's also ok to doff a respectful pilot cap towards Zero Hour! as well. 7.5/10

Production companies