tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post7958746682002373693..comments2024-03-26T05:01:57.793-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: AIRPORT 1970Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-10269181334507155942023-12-14T19:19:55.228-08:002023-12-14T19:19:55.228-08:00Ha! You may be revisiting the book, but I'm go...Ha! You may be revisiting the book, but I'm going to have to rewatch AIRPORT to find that extra with the distinctive hat you described! I have memory of having seen it/her ever, and this is one movie I've seen an embarrassing amount of times.<br />I think it's very cool of you and your wife to have AIRPORT and AIRPLANE as an annual holiday season tradition. And it speaks well to the degree of authenticity on display that someone with your knowledge and experience of airlines finds so little fault with it (the liberties taken in The Concorde... Airport '79 must have set your teeth on edge!).<br />Reading about your fondness for this film and your longtime familiarity with it (and it's inside-joke infiltration of your marriage) is heartening and entertaining. But I'm most impressed by the perceptiveness in citing how the name "Cindy" in no way fits Dan Wynter's character or appearance. <br />By the way, this is my first time hearing about the man the Patroni character was based on.<br />I'm very glad you enjoyed this post, and happy you found the comments section engaging enough to contribute one of your own. Much appreciated OMCFIL!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-37307301040534481762023-12-13T17:36:21.145-08:002023-12-13T17:36:21.145-08:00Thanks, I really enjoyed this, as well as the comm...Thanks, I really enjoyed this, as well as the comments! I was surprised that there was no mention of the female extra with the distinctive red and blue hat (it looked like an ABA basketball!) that appeared in several scenes. I want to know whom that genius was! My wife and I "celebrate" winter (Wynter?) every year with an Airport/Airplane! double feature. As a longtime airline employee and airline memorabilia collector, this is absolutely my favorite film. From the accurate portrayal of what the public doesn't get to see of airline and ATC operations (thank you, Mr. Hailey) to the groovy music in Inez' cafe scene, to yes, Tanya (vs the inappropriately named Cindy, who should have been Cynthia... <br />my wife loves to imitate her "That DAMN airport" line when I go to the airport), I love every scene. Why didn't my folks take me to see it in the theater? A few years ago, friends and I visited the gravesite of the inspiration for the Joe Patroni character, Roy Spangler Davis, in El Paso, Illinois. Time to read the book again! OMCFILhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04783873418712280797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-52202006345021945292023-08-21T16:57:12.992-07:002023-08-21T16:57:12.992-07:00Hello there -- Thank you very much for reading thi...Hello there -- Thank you very much for reading this post. I love that you so recently saw "Airport" (again or first time?) under the best possible circumstances...70mm!<br /><br />And though we clearly have different takes on the heat-factor of that Seberg/Lancaster romance, it mostly only matters that what we both share are happy memories of seeing an delightfully old-fashioned movie like "AIRPORT" on the big screen (albeit, mine my memories are we both share our own happy memories have over 50 years of tread on them. <br />I'm glad you somehow found this AIRPORT post and that you took the time to so kindly contribute a comment, Much appreciated!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-69655105272941574022023-08-20T06:45:43.634-07:002023-08-20T06:45:43.634-07:00Hello, Thank you for your article. So much new inf...Hello, Thank you for your article. So much new information. I must disagree with your assessment of chemistry between Lancaster and Seberg. I saw it yesterday (in 70mm!) at Museum of the Moving Image,and while not the best, it wasn't as lacking as you described, imo.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-12828769590860459182021-01-10T19:32:27.816-08:002021-01-10T19:32:27.816-08:00Thanks very much for sharing your enthusiasm for A...Thanks very much for sharing your enthusiasm for AIRPORT. It seems to have really made an impression.<br />It's nice to have the experience of a film that lingers, inspires, and entertains so much that we allow ourselves to get caught up in the excitement of immersing ourselves in any and everything about it. Certainly one of the pleasures of being young and having big films like AIRPORT to look back on.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-69538015303863956962021-01-09T13:08:37.872-08:002021-01-09T13:08:37.872-08:00I too went the whole nine yards after seeing "...I too went the whole nine yards after seeing "Airport" in its second weekend at Houston's Tower Theater (BTW, the Tower was not "brand new"--by the time "Airport opened there on March 18, 1970, it was 34 years old; "Airport's" first run there lasted over five months). I saw it three more times before 1970 ended. More than just loving the film, I became a movie buff because of "Airport." I had been to my share of movies by the time I was 13, but until "Airport" I hadn't much cared who made movies, who performed in them, or how they were made. I thought "Airport" was so professional-looking, that changed.<br />I ran out to buy the 10th printing of the Bantam paperback edition of the novel, coinciding with the film's release, which promoted the film on it back cover: "The Airport People. Meet Them In This Bestseller--See Them In The Film".<br />I too ran to buy the soundtrack album. Legendary Alfred Newman had died just the month before "Airport" opened. He had been able to conduct for the film's actual soundtrack, but had been too sick to conduct the separate studio sessions (with a smaller orchestra) for the album. The difference between the two is readily apparent. The score is magnificent. Make fun of the Ada Quonsett cue if you want, but the dynamic main title is deservedly much revered among film buffs.<br />"Airport" was among the last of the movies shot in Todd-AO, the well-documented 70mm process introduced 15 years earlier with "Oklahoma!". Only a handful of theaters, of course, were equipped to show 70mm prints--most used 35mm anamorphic versions. "Airport" opened in early March 1970 at Radio City Music Hall, which had finally relented--due to Ross Hunter's insistence and the fact that Universal four-walled the house) to install 70mm projectors, after years of resistance (see "The Unsinkable Molly Brown").<br />A half century later, "Airport" remains a superior film. George Seaton's screenplay adaptation and direction were wonderful. Hunter spared no expense ($10,000,000), the cast is amazing, and Newman's score lives on. I do not call it the first of the 70s disaster films--I reserve that title for "The Poseidon Adventure", because I think of disaster films as having the calamity occur near the beginning of the movie and a who-will-survive plot.<br />"Airport" was a box-office smash for U, but MCA head Lew Wasserman didn't take kindly to Hunter's boasting around LA that he had saved the studio, so Hunter's long and mutually-profitable relationship with Universal ended with his biggest hit. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-4642112622066067672020-08-31T00:18:19.280-07:002020-08-31T00:18:19.280-07:00Yes, it is a kinder, gentler time when the audienc...Yes, it is a kinder, gentler time when the audience is denied the comeuppance catharsis of seeing a loathsome character get what's coming to him. That priest slap and merely seeing him humbled in fear under a blanket wouldn't be enough for audiences today. Clue the "horrible death." (though your very modern banned option is deserving and quite humane).<br />Thanks for providing the actor's correct name. He's memorable as just the sort of guy today who would refuse to wear a mask on a flight.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-53252061506845290532020-08-30T13:21:16.086-07:002020-08-30T13:21:16.086-07:00Everybody's favorite obnoxious passenger is ac...Everybody's favorite obnoxious passenger is actually an actor called Peter Turgeon. I love it when he rips the bomb/briefcase away from Jacqueline BIsset because its "private property" and then yells "Grab him! He's gotta bomb!" just as Van Heflin is about to hand it back to Dean Martin.<br />If the producers couldn't find some horrible way for him to die, then at the least they should have given him a final scene complaining to someone at the ticket counter about the horrible flight and then being told he's now banned from airlines for life and should take a bus.Kipnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-35763463216161436652015-09-29T20:44:43.036-07:002015-09-29T20:44:43.036-07:00Hi Mark
I have a sense you're right about some...Hi Mark<br />I have a sense you're right about some of the supporting AIRPORT cast being made up of actual airport personnel. Years ago I got a look at the film's pressbook, and the film being as authentic as possible was just such a selling point. <br />Something latter entries in the franchise threw out altogether.<br />I've never seen DOWNHILL RACER, but Hollywood was on a verisimilitude kick for a while, so I think your hunch is right. Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-53085647727495543672015-09-29T20:36:48.434-07:002015-09-29T20:36:48.434-07:00One of the things that sold "Airport" fo...One of the things that sold "Airport" for me when I first saw it (maybe it's network premiere around 1973?) was the Stench Of Authenticity(tm) for the brief film clips where air traffic controllers speak a few lines of dialogue. I wouldn't be surprised if those were real air traffic controllers, not actors.<br /><br />I wonder if the same thing might be true of Michael Ritchie's "Downhill Racer" (1969) where Robert Redford's teammates on the U.S. ski team appear to be real ski bums.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-69985901049167885492015-03-31T01:47:05.325-07:002015-03-31T01:47:05.325-07:00Thank you very much, Pearl!
It's nice to know...Thank you very much, Pearl! <br />It's nice to know you like the site enough to visit old posts and share with us all your personal thoughts about my sometimes questionable choice of movies.<br />Your summation of "The Concorde" is on the button. It's so hard to believe grown people with functioning brains could come out with a film so careless and sloppy. It should give hope to every screenwriting hack in the nation.<br />Looking forward to catching up on some of your comments! <br />Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-67988197126528220012015-03-14T04:26:57.466-07:002015-03-14T04:26:57.466-07:00PS : this may have become my favourite site. Any...PS : this may have become my favourite site. Any site which remembers You're A Big Boy Now, let alone reviewing it, is gear !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-26514337831594055022015-01-13T23:39:18.428-08:002015-01-13T23:39:18.428-08:00Hi Pearl
Glad to hear you're a fan of "Ai...Hi Pearl<br />Glad to hear you're a fan of "Airport" as well! In your comments you perfectly capture the level of comic overemphasis that characterized this film. The opening sequence of Mel Brooks' "High Anxiety" is less a satire than a recreation of what goes on in this film.<br />Too bad that each successive "Airport" film seemed to go further and further over the top, with the casts growing more Z-list as they went along. That final one (The Concorde) is some of the most inept major filmmaking I've ever seen.<br /><br />Oh, and nice to hear you like "you're a Big Boy Now" as well, I write about it on this blog, it being a particular favorite because it was my introduction to Karen Black.<br />Seems air travel has changed so much that much of what goes on in "Airport" looks quaintly nostalgic now.<br />Loved reading your hilarious recollection of this film and thank you for sharing it and giving us all a chuckle. Thanks, Pearl!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-47818036088744855342015-01-12T05:05:31.978-08:002015-01-12T05:05:31.978-08:00P S : But I have to emphasise that I've always...P S : But I have to emphasise that I've always loved it. Saw the pic back in its original release in 1970. The elderly Cumquot lady ( or whatever her name was ) could probably have hitched a series of free rides via private planes to NYC. Back in the 1960s & very early 70s, you could freely visit the private-planes areas & hitch a ride by asking round. It was considered good form to volunteer to help pay for fuel, but, in my experience, they always refused & were delighted to have company. I'm sure that she would have been welcomed. She could also have volunteered to have become a private courier ; many companies needed to send sealed items quickly & accompanied. ( I never did the latter myself, but I have known some people through the years which have enjoyed impromptu, quick, swift, free trips this way. I don't know if this still exists in this century. The former method is long gone. )<br /><br />I recall also having liked Airport 1975. Sid Caesar with dead-pan face says softly ' ... the stewardess is piloting the plane ... we're going to die ... ' You have the Flying Nun, with an uncanny resemblance to Helen Reddy, playing guitar. The stewardess was played by the neglected, wonderful Karen Black, whom I had been a fan of since the appearance of an obscure, truly delightful but neglected gem titled ' You're A Big Boy Now ' , which was directed by Coppola -- yes, that Coppola. The next one, circa ? 1977 ? is a blur : I believe that I thought it was acceptable but was like a shallow-water version of the Poseidon Adventure. The final one, another blur, circa 1979, I simply detested : the world's stupidest investigative reporter can't figure out that her armaments - manufacturer boyfriend is trying to kill her, even though a heat-seeking missile from his company follows her plane, a renegade French jet tries to shoot them down, a man is murdered in her house warning her about said boyfriend, &, on 2d trip ( ! ) on same plane, the sabotaged plane depressurises & the plane is failing. Oh, & she has his signed illegal contracts with her all along. Zero film quality.<br /><br />I could tell immediately that Minneapolis aeroport was used for establishing shots from the SA sign, SuperAmerica fuel chain. ciao !<br />-- Pearl<br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-2726573671011833882015-01-12T04:19:37.784-08:002015-01-12T04:19:37.784-08:00You love this one, too ! I was just watching it a...You love this one, too ! I was just watching it a couple of days ago in the real Great-Lakes region ( the ' storm ' shown on-screen barely qualifies as an average storm, by the by, but, still, it's great for my businesses ) . <br /><br />We HAVE to return to Lincoln Airport, for EVERY aeroport in the Eastern two-thirds of North America, including, even, ( we are informed & told breathlessly, ) Detroit, is closed. AND, it MUST be runway twenty-niner. It MUST be, even though that specific runway is blocked by a stuck aeroplane. It must be twenty-niner, & not that short, awful # 22, for we can't halt & stop in time & will inevitably crash through the perimeter fence into the residential subdivision which some genius planner decided to place there because the land happened to be cheap at the time. The plane will inevitably kill all the children & their babysitters on the land there. But NOT the parents, for that lot of geniuses have chosen to hold a protest rally against plane noise on the evening of the biggest snow-storm in 6 years ! ( If they thought it was loud before, are they really due for & in for a surprise ! ) <br /><br />Everything in a Ross-Hunter is like some sort of super-caffeinated grand-opera or top-flight Shakespearean production. Every development is accompanied by violins blaring in order to emphasise that this is very IMPORTANT -- pay attention, people ! When the co-pilot is is trying to persuade & convince the Guerrero ( ? correct orthography ? ) chap to turn over the bomb peacefully, I swear that the crew & passengers are on the verge of holding each others' hands & swaying & singing ' We are the world ' & ' Kumbaya, my lord ' . & Jacqueline Bisset slapping Helen Hayes into an Academy Award ! ( Let's go for the Oscar, Helen ! ) I can't stop laughing whilst typing this. Dean Martin SANS cocktail glass as co-pilot ? No young adults, mods, rockers, or hippies in this bizarre parallel universe ? Priceless, must take a break ... ( laughing too hard) -- PearlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-63883200867498592502014-05-16T08:21:05.636-07:002014-05-16T08:21:05.636-07:00Those are some terrific observations to come back ...Those are some terrific observations to come back with after having had such a lukewarm memory of it! <br />I like that the snow still serves as an effective atmosphere, and that Jean Seberg's hair still works to undermine both her performance and beauty. <br />And yes, Dino at the helm of an airplane is a sobering proposition.<br />Glad you gave the film another, look-see, Wille! Appreciate the follow up.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-30002290009072069892014-05-16T08:17:57.373-07:002014-05-16T08:17:57.373-07:00Thank you for your comments.
I think I still long ...Thank you for your comments.<br />I think I still long to return to the occasional unironic enjoyment of a pop entertainment film. It becomes rarer as i get older (I saw the Christopher Reeve "Superman" as an adult, but it so gently poked fun at itself I don't know if my being swept up in it counts as unironic). Can't even recall the last contemporary epic or disaster film that got me feeling the way I did about "Airport." Still, it's great to think back to when there was such a time. Always terrific hearing from you, GOM. Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-65230036662494640332014-05-16T03:48:30.904-07:002014-05-16T03:48:30.904-07:00Hello Ken, I saw "Airport" again and it ...Hello Ken, I saw "Airport" again and it is very entertaining and enjoyable. I love how it snows all the time until the ending. The dark winter night of the film is adds to the tension. <br /><br />I don't really know what to think about Helen Hayes´ performance. I think it is entertaining while at the same time a little cute. This time I think Jean Seberg carried herself well despite the hairdo. She and Burt make a nice couple. I usually like Dean Martins easy going personality but it seems out of place in this film. He belongs in a sunnier climate. I can't picture him maneuvering a huge jet plane.<br />Thanks again for the great review, WilleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-54671016222957665252014-05-14T21:31:43.851-07:002014-05-14T21:31:43.851-07:00I think I lost it at the caption "Gwen has a ...I think I lost it at the caption "Gwen has a heart to heart talk with her father"; (I'm also going to have to remember your phrase "rip him a new asshole" and use it in conversation some time.) Like you, I saw this film as a kid when it first came out and took it quite seriously. Now looking at your screenshots, I'm shocked by how bad are the clothes styles (the butterscotch-yellow of the uniforms is quite unappealing) and how dowdy Jean Seberg, the film's nominal star, looks. (Why would Ross Hunter, who went out of his way to display aging actresses like Lana Turner or Jane Wyman in stylish and glamorous clothes do that to her?) Still, I remember the film as quite exciting, and even now can recall how impressed I was by Maureen Stapleton's performance. There's something about being a kid and being able to watch such stuff unironically; nowadays, when everything MUST be a putdown, we would be appalled to admit to being so innocent and unhip. Your terrific post makes me want to see this film again, just to see how I would react to it after so long a time - thanks!Grand Old Movieshttp://grandoldmovies.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-45897834137763748122014-05-10T03:33:17.597-07:002014-05-10T03:33:17.597-07:00Thanks very much, Joe! That's very kind!
At th...Thanks very much, Joe! That's very kind!<br />At the time, had I been aware of the Jean Seberg of "Breathless" and "Bonjour Tristesse" (my favorite) I would have been horrified too. And until you mentioned it, I never notice how much she DOES look like a Hitchcock blond in this!<br />I wonder what the average age of the makeup and hair people were working on a film like this...very likely a team of folks at the very least in their 50s, who only knew how to make women up according to 1961 standards of beauty.<br />And I love that you brought up that Dana Wynter Hitchcock episode. I reference it none of my other posts as my absolute favorite of the entire series. It traumatized me as a kid, and did Wynter ever look more gorgeous? Those cheekbones!<br />Always glad to hear from you...like me, someone who was THERE when these movies came out, and still remembers! Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-48055981762614839842014-05-09T12:50:54.766-07:002014-05-09T12:50:54.766-07:00Another wonderful post that summons up my memories...Another wonderful post that summons up my memories of a classic good/bad movie.<br />I remember being horrified by the way Jean Seberg looked in this film after being so charmed by her freshness in 'Breathless' - what was up with Ross Hunter turning beautiful young women into stiff matrons? Did he think this would make the older dames in his films feel better?<br />Also, am I the only one who thinks Hunter made Seberg look like Tippi Hedren?<br />Don't get me started on Dana Wynter. Always loved her in almost anything (did you ever see that great Alfred Hitchcock episode where she played the nurse in the isolated mansion? One of the creepiest TV hours ever!)<br />You know a movie is bad when you come out talking about the make-up! lol Keep up the good work, Ken! Joe Meyershttp://blog.ctnews.com/meyersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-29680928237983532982014-05-08T04:54:28.745-07:002014-05-08T04:54:28.745-07:00Hello Wille!
I return the compliment, as I found s...Hello Wille!<br />I return the compliment, as I found several of your observations to be very amusing (Lancaster on the phone all the time, and your suggestion that someone might have had it in for Seberg with her costuming and hairstyle).<br />I think it's the organic nature of sequels to gradually dispense with the pacing of the successful original and just ratchet up the action. That is certainly true of the "Airport" franchise. It got so they dispensed with the character stuff as quickly as a pre-commercial sequence of "Fantasy Island", and each movie had to top itself in terms of action. Normally I hate that stuff, but when it comes to disaster films, the excesses added to their fun. <br />I hope you do enjoy seeing this one again. The slower pace is actually quite seductive here. You trust where it's taking you.<br />Thanks, Wille!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-20632165158443131382014-05-08T04:07:50.547-07:002014-05-08T04:07:50.547-07:00Thank you Ken for your very entertaining and funny...Thank you Ken for your very entertaining and funny review! I have to watch this one again. As a teen I loved the Airport films and my very favourite one was ´77. It seems that the first of the series tried to be be a serious adult drama (with lots of middle aged people as you mention) while the others seemed more geared to be exciting disaster movies. <br /><br />The first Airport movie is fascinating because it was so lavishly produced. High quality entertainment! It's so long that I remeber feeling it was a little too seroius what with Burt Lancaster on the phone all the time. <br /><br />Parts of it are great fun, though. I like that you appreciate Jacqueline Bissets character as strong female, I must look at it again for her sake. It's amazing how much traveling by air has changed over the years, as you say. I get nostalgic for the innonence of the times. It'll never be the same...<br /><br />What I remember most from the film is Jean Seberg. I really like her but it is a bit painful to watch how micast she is in the film. She's no fun and comes across as a shrew. I feel SO sorry for her every time I see her in that hair and that horrible outfit. It seems almost as if someone at Universal wanted to ruin her comeback to american films!<br />-WilleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-92075978791824732052014-05-07T08:36:32.844-07:002014-05-07T08:36:32.844-07:00Hi Mark
Ha! That "Miss Helen Hayes" thin...Hi Mark<br />Ha! That "Miss Helen Hayes" thing is (I think) a Ross Hunter show of respect in billing befitting her status as "The First Lady of the American Stage" rather than an actress-mandated, on set requirement. It makes me smile though...it always reminds me of Gomer Pyle and Tiny Tim.<br /><br />The Stepford Stewardesses of Virgin Airlines sound like a bit of heaven to this infrequent flyer. I never care is people are being fake courteous on jobs, courteous is rare enough! Your particular experience sounds more like what I usually see on flights.<br />Disaster films are a matter of taste. Seems many have a nostalgic affection for them, or like them as emblems of a genre from the past. If you should check some out in the future, I'd suggest not to apply too sturdy a logic requirement. They're more fun that way. Thanks, Mark!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-27100780931691416072014-05-07T02:34:12.490-07:002014-05-07T02:34:12.490-07:00MISS Helen Hays? Is this another one of those &quo...MISS Helen Hays? Is this another one of those "Miss Ross" things?<br /><br />I don't believe I've seen "Airport". There are several "disaster" films from the 1970s I've not seen (although I have seen a few), and this is one of them.<br /><br />Ken, if you've ever been on Virgin Airlines (the one started up by Richard Branson), you'll know that the airline attendants (mostly female) are still rather friendly...a bit TOO friendly. I think the training facility for Virgin airline attendants must be somewhere in Stepford. A game you might like to play is "try to wipe the fake smile off the face of the Virgin air hostess". I did this (inadvertently) once by taking a picture of myself on the tarmac, roughly halfway between the plane and the airport. The airline hostess who castigated me for this minor act of defiance saw me again on the plane and was pissed at me for the rest of the flight.<br />So yes, they ARE human, after all!Mark Vanselownoreply@blogger.com