No Highway in the Sky (also known as No Highway) is a 1951 black-and-white aviation drama film directed by Henry Koster from a screenplay by R. C. Sherriff, Oscar Millard, and Alec Coppel, based on the 1948 novel No Highway by Nevil Shute. The film stars James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Glynis Johns, Jack Hawkins, Janette Scott, Elizabeth Allan, Ronald Squire, and Jill Clifford.
It was one of the first films that depicted a potential aviation disaster involving metal fatigue. Although the film follows the plot of Shute’s novel in general, No Highway in the Sky notably omits references to the supernatural contained in the original novel, including the use of automatic writing to resolve a key element in the original novel’s story. Also, the role of Scott, the recently appointed administrator who narrates the novel, is curtailed in the film version; which means that the featured scientist, Mr Honey, comes across as more eccentric than in the novel, changing the relationship between them.
The film also introduces the term “boffin” for the under-appreciated and seemingly self-centred and eccentric scientist, as distinct from earlier usage to describe a scientist who is making vital (and appreciated) contributions.
Synopsis
Theodore Honey is an aeronautical engineer being sent to Labrador from London to examine the wreckage of a new passenger plane designed by his company. His theory is that the planes are susceptible to metal fatigue after a specific amount of time in the air. The absent minded Honey boards the Reindeer class plane and only realizes that this plane is due to fail in the next few hours after the plane is airborne. He decides to warn the crew and creates an incident regardless of whether he is right or wrong.
Cast
James Stewart as Theodore Honey
Marlene Dietrich as Monica Teasdale
Glynis Johns as Marjorie Corder, Stewardess
Jack Hawkins as Dennis Scott, chief of metallurgy at RAE
Janette Scott as Elspeth Honey
Elizabeth Allan as Shirley Scott
Ronald Squire as Sir John, Director of RAE
Jill Clifford as Peggy, Stewardess
Directed by Henry Koster
Screenplay by
R. C. Sherriff
Oscar Millard
Alec Coppel
Based on No Highway
by Nevil Shute
Produced by Louis D. Lighton
Cinematography Georges Périnal
Edited by Manuel del Campo
Music by Malcolm Arnold
Production
company
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
Distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
Release dates
28 June 1951 (United Kingdom)
21 September 1951 (United States)
Running time 98 minutes
Countries
United Kingdom
United States
Language English
source