The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story

The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story
Directed by	Paul Wendkos
Produced by	Francis Ford Coppola (exec. producer) Fred Roos Tom Sternberg
Written by	Norman Morrill
Starring	Lindsay Wagner Eli Danker Sandy McPeak
Music by	Gil Melle and Demis Roussos
Cinematography	Chuck Arnold
Edited by	James Galloway
Distributed by	Columbia TriStar Television
Release dates	1988 (1988)
Running time	100 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English, Arabic, German

The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story, also marketed as The Flight on video, is a 1988 made-for-TV film based on the actual hijacking of TWA Flight 847 as seen through the eyes of Uli Derickson, the chief flight attendant. Derickson herself acted as a consultant for the movie.

Cast

Lindsay Wagner — Uli Derickson (Chief Flight Attendant)
Eli Danker — "Castro" (Lead hijacker; based on Mohammed Ali Hammadi, real life hijacker of TWA 847)
Sandy McPeak — John Testrake (Captain)
Ray Wise — Phil Maresca (First Officer)
Leslie Easterbrook — Audrey (Flight Attendant)
Laurie Walters — Jane (Flight Attendant)
Joseph Nasser — Saiid (Hijacker)
Steven Eckholdt — Robert Stethem (U.S. Navy Diver)

Synopsis

The movie showcases the first 48 hours of the hijacking, until Derickson's liberation. After the aircraft leaves Athens, Derickson is forced at gunpoint to the flight deck door by "Castro", one of the terrorists. She is able to defuse the situation by communicating with him in German, convincing him to release hostages upon landing in Beirut and Algiers and pleading for the other hijacker to stop harming the passengers. Her efforts are shown to save the lives of all but one hostage, Robert Stethem, whose body was thrown on the tarmac in Beirut.

Criticism

The film was featured in the documentary Reel Bad Arabs because the producers claim it showcases low key Arab stereotypes and portrays "The Middle East" as one large homogenous region.

Trivia

In the movie, the aircraft is accurately depicted as a Boeing 727-200 from the outside, but the mid-cabin galley shown in the cabin scenes is a feature of the Boeing 727-100.
The phrase "Bundesrepublik Deutschland" is misspelled on Uli's passport.

External links

Films directed by Paul Wendkos

The Burglar (1957)
The Case Against Brooklyn (1958)
Tarawa Beachhead (1958)
Gidget (1959)
Face of a Fugitive (1959)
Battle of the Coral Sea (1959)
Because They're Young (1960)
Angel Baby (1961)
Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961)
Gidget Goes to Rome (1963)
Johnny Tiger (1966)
Attack on the Iron Coast (1968)
Fear No Evil (1969)
Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969)
Hell Boats (1970)
The Brotherhood of the Bell (1970)
Cannon for Cordoba (1970)
The Mephisto Waltz (1971)
A Little Game (1971)
Haunts of the Very Rich (1972)
Strangers in 7A (1972)
The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975)
Special Delivery (1976)
The Death of Richie (1977)
A Woman Called Moses (1978)
Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife (1987)
Right to Die (1987)
The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story (1988)
The Great Escape II: The Untold Story (1988)
Cross of Fire (1989)
Blind Faith (1990)
A Match Made in Heaven (1997)

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