The High and the Mighty (DVD, 2005, 2-Disc Set/The John Wayne Collection)

There is no doubt that the legendary actor John Wayne provided a remarkable legacy of motion picture entertainment for generations of movie lovers to enjoy. Many people have a certain favorite film of his that they tend to classify as one of his very best. Titles such as "Stagecoach", "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", "The Sands Of Iwo Jima", "McLintock!", or his Oscar-winning Best Actor role in "True Grit" are all great films. However, it is the 1954 classic "The High And The Mighty" that also remains a much-loved favorite. In this film, John Wayne portrays the role of Dan Roman, the first officer of a scheduled flight from Honolulu to San Francisco. Roman is a troubled 20,000+ hour veteran flyer who a few years earlier was the captain and only survivor of a DC-3 that crashed on takeoff in Colombia killing, among others, his wife and young son. Joining him in the cockpit is Captain John Sullivan (Robert Stack), an experienced, sober, and no-nonsense pilot, who nevertheless is also one whose "nerves are getting rusty". Photographed and presented in the Cinemascope format, the film went on to become one of the top grossing movies of the year, as well as earn 6 Oscar nominations. Dimitri Tiomkin's brilliant score won the Oscar for Best Original Music Score. Jan Sterling and Claire Trevor, who portray 2 of the plane's ill-fated passengers, recieved Best Supporting Actress nominations, as well. Long out of circulation, it is a great pleasure to finally be able to have this cinematic masterpiece available on DVD, restored to all its widescreen brilliance. This 2-disc set also contains bonus features, pertaining to the movie. "The High And The Mighty" deserves a place in every DVD library!

Excellent early John Wayne movie. This is truely a great war classic. Gives a good account of what our pilots went thru during World War II.

i've been waiting for years to add this to my DVD collection. It was delivered on time with no hastle as promised.

My husband is an BIG fan of John Wayne so when we saw this DVD we just had the get it. There were a lot of other stars in the show as well that also played interesting rolls but I won't say more than that - you need to see the movie :). John Wayne was, of course, a big hit but the overall run of the movie was also excellent - it is truly a classic and will be watched by us over and over in the passing years.

This movie is a drama based on the effects that an airline flight, flying from Hawaii to California, has on it's passengers and crew when it experiences engine trouble over the Pacific Ocean. The acting is superb, with fantastic performances given by all. Starring John Wayne and Robert Stack, this film shows the ever present stress that trans-oceanic air crews had to endure. If you're looking for a great drama movie to watch from that period, this is definetly one to get.
I purchased this movie because it has John Wayne starring in it. I have every movie of his that has ever been released to the public. It was great to see this one finally available, especially in the DVD format.

its a movie i was brought up with as a kid and it has always been one of my favorites i really love the movie ...

This movie had me scratching my head wondering why John Wayne would take a back seat to Robert Stack. Although he did get to slap Robert around some, it is a movie that was entertaining on several levels.

With only one exception, I have never seen a John Wayne movie that I didn't like, and this wasn't the exception. A movie that led the way for many other disaster/survival movies that followed. The cast was composed of many good actors who never quite made stardom, but that can't be said of John Wayne and Robert Stack, two actors that I generally enjoy watching.

I HAVE LOOKED AND LOOKED TO FINALLY COME ACROSS THIS MOVIE TO ADD TO MY JOHN WAYNE COLLECTION. IT HAS TO BE ONE OF HIS ALL TIME GREATEST MOVIES, BUT ONE OF HIS HARDEST MOVIES TO FIND IF YOU COME ACROSS ONE DON'T LET IT SLIP BY BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE AWHILE BEFORE YOU FIND ONCE AGAIN!

I bought the dvd as a gift for a handicapped boy. It was the only movie he needed to complete his John Wayne collection. He thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

I first saw this movie as a kid in 1954 and loved it, even though it's
longer than most movies were back then. I found one error in the movie
description on E-Bay; it refers to a "commercial jetliner".
The aircraft in the movie (and book) is a Douglas DC-4, which is not a jet
airliner, but has 4 piston engines with propellers. It was one of the first
aircraft built that could go nonstop for the 2091 miles between Honolulu and
San Francisco, a trip I have made several times myself, all in jet aircraft.
Everything else is quite accurate and I have always wondered what took so
long putting this great movie on either videotape or DVD.
Now I am delighted to be able to purchase a copy on E-Bay.