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Poster for The Flight of the Phoenix

The Flight of the Phoenix

Seen it?

1965 | 142 min | Adventure, Drama

Saturday Special

Why it’s a Saturday Special

It earned strong reviews (83% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for adventure fans. If you loved Cast Away or Life of Pi, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Exciting.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 22 min.
What might put you off
Made in 1965: an older pace and style.

A cargo aircraft crashes in a sandstorm in the Sahara with less than a dozen men on board. One of the passengers is an airplane designer who comes up with the idea of ripping off the undamaged wing and using it as the basis for a replacement aircraft they need to build before their food and water run out.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    83% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.2 out of 10

  • AwardsSolid

    Nominated for 2 Oscars and 2 Golden Globes.

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Streaming release that reached a modest audience; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 155K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Robert Aldrich

  • James StewartFrank Towns
  • Richard AttenboroughLew Moran
  • Peter FinchCaptain Harris
  • Hardy KrügerHeinrich Dorfmann
  • Ernest BorgnineTrucker Cobb
  • Ian BannenCrow
  • Ronald FraserSergeant Watson
  • Christian MarquandDr. Renaud
  • Dan DuryeaStandish
  • George KennedyBellamy