MovieChat Forums > The High and the Mighty (1954) Discussion > One of the hokiest things john wayne was...

One of the hokiest things john wayne was ever in.


And that says a lot. Barely watchable by today’s standards. Barely watchable by 1950’s standards.

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I like classic movies very much. But I can't imagine this being watchable by any time period unless it was one of the first movies to have sound in it. The dialogue makes you wish it was a silent film and makes you feel like you're watching something straight out of vaudeville.

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No, that would be The Green Berets. And I don't know what 50s movies you've seen, but this fits in quite nicely with the majority of them.

Life is pain. Anyone who says differently is selling something.

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you are right, it is The Hokiest...my comment was the high and the mighty is ONE of the hokiest

also, check out 'jet pilot' for some serious john wayne foolishness...he believed himself to be such a star people would watch anything he was in

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It was in CinemaScope, a big deal at the time, with great color and of course the theme song. Not to mention some top performers of the day. A true big time picture by a big studio. All things that rarely came together in 1954.

Having said all that, it truly had a corny script with some of the hokiest dialogue in any movie. But have to remember people thought Ozzie an Harriet was great sitcom back then too. Different times.

Saw it when it first came out and thought it was a bit corny then, and watching it 60 plus years later I still think so. (Try watching Poseidon Adventure and no think the same thing in parts.) Yet here I am watching THTM again. It all goes to show that Wayne, a plot that was new at the time, and a good theme song will make many a movie bearable.

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I have news for you: Ozzie and Harriet actually WAS a funny sitcom, so you can't hang this awful turd of a movie on
that! Also, 1954 boasted "A Star is Born", "On the Waterfront", "20,0000 Leagues Under the Sea."

This is a film that I would wager people were howling at THEN. Besides the fact that NONE of the characters are
interesting - or even likeable - is the fact that the film peters out even on the suspense level. I think even the horrible
Airport films of the 1970's are better than THIS piece of dung!

I almost HOPED they would crash, if ONLY to kill Karen Sharpe and Phil Harris!!!!!!!!!!

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I agree it was bad and forgettable.

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This movie makes "Airplane!" look subtle by comparison.

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