The High and the Mighty is a 1954 American "disaster" film directed by William A. Wellman and written by Ernest K. Gann who also wrote the novel on which his screenplay was based. The film's cast was headlined by John Wayne, who was also the project's co-producer. Composer Dimitri Tiomkin won an Academy Award for his original score while his title song for the film also was nominated for an Oscar. The film received mostly positive reviews and grossed $8.5 million in its theatrical release. The film follows the passengers and crew on an airline flight from Hawaii to California that develops... engine problems at its mid-way point. While the captain expects a ditching, the first officer convinces him to try to make the airport. The crew eventually nurses the damaged airliner to a safe landing where an inspection reveals that it landed with virtually dry tanks. Credited cast members and roles: After Wayne and Robert Fellows had formed Wayne-Fellows Productions in 1952, the duo worked on several films including Big Jim McLain, Plunder of the Sun, and Island in the Sky.
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