Something that struck me when I saw this film new on the big screen in 1975 was the fact that Lee Van Cleef had been a featured player in over 50 films (w/ the exception of just a few such as It Conquered the World & Last Stagecoach West) and now was billed ahead of Barry Sullivan who had first, second or third billing in dozens of films and that Dana Andrews only had a featured/support role!! And Andrews had been a big star in the 1940's & 50's & has the male lead in TWO of my all time favorite films. Laura (1944) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). Well Fredrick March had the male lead in Best Years too but Andrews' part was just as big and important.
Take a Hard Ride was shot in the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain. Just a couple years later the worst airline accident in the history of aviation happened there when well over 400 people were killed as a Boeing 747 clipped another 747 that was crossing the runway while the KLM 747 was in it's take off roll. The KLM slammed into the other 747 at over 160 mph in the fog. The accident was blamed on the KLM pilot & the traffic controller who couldn't see what was on the runway due to thick fog & the captain of the KLM mistakenly thought he was given the go ahead to take off.
I think (or hope) I would have asked the tower "want to confirm I have clearance to take off & nothing is on the runway as I can't see further than 50 yards ahead".
Something that struck me when I saw this film new on the big screen in 1975 was the fact that Lee Van Cleef had been a featured player in over 50 films (w/ the exception of just a few such as It Conquered the World & Last Stagecoach West) and now was billed ahead of Barry Sullivan who had first, second or third billing in dozens of films and that Dana Andrews only had a featured/support role!! And Andrews had been a big star in the 1940's & 50's & has the male lead in TWO of my all time favorite films. Laura (1944) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). Well Fredrick March had the male lead in Best Years too but Andrews' part was just as big and important.
ReplyDeleteTake a Hard Ride was shot in the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain. Just a couple years later the worst airline accident in the history of aviation happened there when well over 400 people were killed as a Boeing 747 clipped another 747 that was crossing the runway while the KLM 747 was in it's take off roll. The KLM slammed into the other 747 at over 160 mph in the fog. The accident was blamed on the KLM pilot & the traffic controller who couldn't see what was on the runway due to thick fog & the captain of the KLM mistakenly thought he was given the go ahead to take off.
I think (or hope) I would have asked the tower "want to confirm I have clearance to take off & nothing is on the runway as I can't see further than 50 yards ahead".
Too bad it falls so very short of the blurb "it rides with the great westerns"
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