# The High and the Mighty **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 28, 2000, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-high-and-the-mighty/27261 "2000-07-28T20:47:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-high-and-the-mighty/27261/1 "2000-07-28T20:47:56Z")
I really liked this movie. The “granddaddy” of the disaster film genre. In it, a commercial airliner developes engine problems on a trans-Pacific flight John Wayne, a washed-up pilot, has to pull himself together and bring the plane home. I bought a DVD player a couple of months ago, and decided I’d pick up a copy of _The High and the Mighty_. Heck, _every_ pilot should own a copy! Guess what? IT HASN’T BEEN RELEASED!!! I called Batjac Productions, who owns the movie, and was curtly told, “It’s not out. I don’t know when it will be out. It needs to be restored. I don’t have any other information.” Since the receptionist spat it out so quickly, they must know that people want to see this movie. What are they waiting for? Now, some of you know me; and you know I’d _never_ stir up any trouble. 🙂 Therefore, I’d _never_ suggest a mail blitz on Michael Wayne… Batjac Productions Inc Michael A. Wayne 9595 Wilshire Blvd #610, Beverly Hills, CA 90212 310/278-9870 … to get this movie released. But if you happen to be cruising around the internet and you find Batjac’s address… somewhere… and you want to see a great film, who would I be to stop you? ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-high-and-the-mighty/27261/2 "2000-07-28T21:25:52Z")
I’ve actually seen the classic _Jet Pilot_ on DVD, think I should snag a copy. It’s got archive footage of the X1 and Chuck Yeager nearly bought the farm overstressing an F86 flying stunts for it. ---
**Author:** ![Anti\_Pro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Anti\_Pro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anti_Pro)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2000, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-high-and-the-mighty/27261/3 "2000-07-29T03:41:44Z")
Hey, I’m just tickled that someone else even HEARD of this film, when I asked for it at Blockbuster, I got the ‘deer in the headlights’ kind of look from the teeny bopper behind the counter, ‘didja look in the ‘Titles’ book?’ was the best she could do. I’ll take your advice, but maybe a few letters to AMC couldn’t hurt, just to see this movie again on tv would be nice. ---
**Author:** ![silent\_rob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@silent\_rob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silent_rob)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2000, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-high-and-the-mighty/27261/4 "2000-07-29T09:07:05Z")
I’d like to check out the movie. Has it just not been released on DVD or has it not been released on video too? ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2000, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-high-and-the-mighty/27261/5 "2000-07-29T09:13:44Z")
I love The High and the Mighty. I think the plane is a DC-4 back in the good old days when the flight crew was four: pilot, copilot, navigator and engineer. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2000, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-high-and-the-mighty/27261/6 "2000-07-29T14:43:43Z")
> [@](#): > > I’d like to check out the movie. Has it just not been released on DVD or has it not been released on video too? The woman at Batjac said it wasn’t out. I didn’t ask about DVD or VHS, so it sounds as if it just isn’t available. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2000, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-high-and-the-mighty/27261/7 "2000-07-29T18:36:04Z")
This might be the reason it’s not released yet, Johnny… > [@](#): > > Business Data for High and the Mighty, The (1954) > > Copyright Holder > Presently in dispute Found here: [http://us.imdb.com/Business?0047086](http://us.imdb.com/Business?0047086) Doesn’t look like a letter writing campaign will do any good under the circumstances. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2000, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-high-and-the-mighty/27261/8 "2000-07-29T19:21:53Z")
Shayna, I looked at the link, but there was no other information. Any idea who the disputing parties are? Seems like a silly reason to keep the film out of circulation. Heck it’s almost half a century old! How long do copyrights last? If it goes into the public domain, I’ll bet it gets released _tout de suite_.