The Flight of the Phoenix (1965): Cast & Plot
The Flight of the Phoenix is a 1965 adventure drama directed by Robert Aldrich, starring James Stewart as Capt. Frank Towns, Richard Attenborough and Peter Finch. It runs 2 hours 22 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 22m (142 min)
- Director
- Robert Aldrich
- Original language
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English - After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Flight of the Phoenix About?
The premise of The Flight of the Phoenix without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
After a cargo plane is torn down by a sandstorm in the Sahara, fewer than twelve survivors scramble for survival. Among them is an aircraft designer who proposes salvaging the intact wing to construct a new, makeshift plane. The crew must race against dwindling food and water supplies to finish the improvised Phoenix before hope runs out.
The Flight of the Phoenix Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- sahara desert
- stranded in the desert
- crash landing
- airplane accident
- survival
- hot weather
- dusty
- sweaty cloth
- sweaty
- airplane
- pilot
- engineer
+38 more Show fewer
- aviation
- sun
- desert
- thirst
- captain
- disaster film
- airplane crash
- repairs
- man wears eyeglasses
- arab
- water
- antifreeze
- disaster
- dancing woman
- pretending to have a leg injury
- fake limp
- ensemble cast
- odds
- survival adventure
- hope
- sandstorm
- cargo plane
- all male cast
- stutter
- manic laughter
- insubordination
- grave digging
- german accent
- french accent
- fake injury
- emergency landing
- british soldier
- welding
- wrist slitting
- sergeant
- oil rig
- oasis
- monkey
The Flight of the Phoenix Cast & Characters
James Stewart leads the cast as Capt. Frank Towns, with Richard Attenborough as Lew Moran and Peter Finch as Capt. Harris. Directed by Robert Aldrich; 16 actors are credited in all.
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Director Robert Aldrich
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James Stewart as Capt. Frank Towns -
Richard Attenborough as Lew Moran -
Peter Finch as Capt. Harris - Ronald Fraser as Sergeant Watson
Also Starring in The Flight of the Phoenix
· 12 more- Christian Marquand Dr. Renaud
- Ernest Borgnine Trucker Cobb
- Hardy Krüger Heinrich Dorfmann
- Dan Duryea Standish
- Ian Bannen Crow
- William Aldrich Bill
- Alex Montoya Carlos
- George Kennedy Bellamy
- Gabriele Tinti Gabriel
- Barrie Chase Farida
- Stanley Ralph Ross Arab Singer (voice) (uncredited)
- Peter Bravos Tasso
More from Robert Aldrich
More films directed by Robert Aldrich, best-rated first: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Hustle, The Longest Yard and The Frisco Kid.
The Flight of the Phoenix Plot Summary
What happens in The Flight of the Phoenix from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Aboard a cargo plane traveling from Jaghbub to Benghazi in Libya, Captain Frank Towns (James Stewart) and navigator Lew Moran (Richard Attenborough) lead a diverse crew and passenger list that includes Captain Harris (Peter Finch), Sgt. Watson (Ronald Fraser), Dr. Renaud (Christian Marquand), and engineer Dorfmann (Hardy Krüger), along with Standish (William Aldrich) and oil workers such as Trucker Cobb (Ernest Borgnine), Crow (Ian Bannen), Carlos, and Gabriele. Aboard the long flight, the atmosphere mixes professional discipline with mounting fatigue as the group contends with the realities of a dangerous journey far from help. The situation becomes even tenser as the plane’s cruise is interrupted by a sudden sandstorm, and a catastrophic engine failure forces a crash-landing in the Sahara.
Full summary
The whole story of The Flight of the Phoenix, scene by scene
The Flight of the Phoenix Trailers & Videos
The trailer of The Flight of the Phoenix.
How Well Do You Know The Flight of the Phoenix?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actor portrays Captain Frank Towns, the veteran pilot who leads the survivors?
Cars in The Flight of the Phoenix
2 cars on screen: the 1957 Ford F-Series and the 1965 Buick Sportwagon.
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1957 Ford F-Series Minor role -
1965 Buick Sportwagon Background role
Seen The Flight of the Phoenix?
Movies Like The Flight of the Phoenix
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Flight of the Phoenix, Flight to Fury and Flight from Ashiya.
The Flight of the Phoenix FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Flight of the Phoenix, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Flight of the Phoenix?
The Flight of the Phoenix runs 2 hours 22 minutes (142 minutes).
When was The Flight of the Phoenix released?
The Flight of the Phoenix was released on December 15, 1965.
Who directed The Flight of the Phoenix?
The Flight of the Phoenix was directed by Robert Aldrich.
More films by Robert Aldrich Who is in the cast of The Flight of the Phoenix?
The Flight of the Phoenix stars James Stewart as Capt. Frank Towns, Richard Attenborough as Lew Moran and Peter Finch as Capt. Harris, among 16 credited actors.
Does The Flight of the Phoenix have a post-credit scene?
No. The Flight of the Phoenix has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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