Murder On Flight 502

Murder On Flight 502 -This 1975 Made For TV Movie was, like Pray For the Wildcats, an ABC Movie of the Week. This movie was made just prior to the “Farrahization” of America, Charlie’s Angels and the nipple poster. Fawcett-Majors (as she was billed then) had a starring role as a stewardess in this romp that almost seems like the movie “Airplane,” only it’s being played straight.

The fun begins in the private “first class lounge” where we get to meet all of the characters who will be sitting in first class and who will also be the only passengers shown on the plane. We see Dr. Anderson get paged and a man act in a very suspicious manner about this, shaking down the concierge of the lounge (played by Mrs. Robert Stack) but then backing off as if nothing is wrong. First clue that something is amiss with these people.

We also see the affable and very stereotyped Jewish mother, the down and out “rock star” (played by none other than Sonny Bono) and a very angry man with his fed up wife. Then who should come bounding in the room but a young post-Partridge and pre-rehab Danny Bonaduce with a large present. That he leaves behind in the room.

Fernando Lamas is there. Gold chains and open collar and all. As is Polly Bergen, who can’t seem to drink enough to overcome her nervous jitters.

Robert Stack is the head pilot and boards the plane, says a few pleasantries to Fawcett and asks how many people are aboard the plane. She answers an even 250. This is an important number to remember because Stack mentions these 250 people (even though we only see the few in first class) throughout the flight.

On his way to the cockpit, Stack is greeted by actor Hugh O’Brien who tells him that he has a gun and asks if it is okay?????? He assures Stack that he’s a cop and licensed to carry a gun. Stack tells him “I’m the only law here.” It’s almost like he’s still playing the roll of Eliot Ness, but a lot more amiable. He gets O’Brien to hand over the gun without shooting him first.

Shortly after take off, as the first class passengers recline in what appear to be lazy boy recliners, there’s a little problem in the first class lounge at the airport. It seems the package was rigged to explode with a “harmless puff of smoke.” After a panic in the lounge, they find out that it is just a joke. But the letter next to it that warns that a “passenger will die” is more ominous. They radio the plane.

By this time, the plane is over the Atlantic Ocean, on its way to London. Stack gets the message and decides to have a “little talking to” to that mischievous little rascal, Bonaduce. He takes him up in the lounge and warns him that “some pranks are funny, but others aren’t.” Bonaduce admits to leaving the bomb like package “as a joke” but knows nothing about the letter. Stack believes him. Boys will be boys.

In the meantime, we see that a barbeque fork (don’t they just serve pre-packaged meals?) is stolen from the kitchen and that the irate guy sees Sonny Bono talking to a young girl (played by Stack’s daughter - he managed to get his whole family involved in this debacle) that makes him even more irate. The guy who was worried about the doctor is even more angry and tries to kill him with the fork. Apparently, the doctor could not save this guy’s wife.

But he’s not the one who sent the message.

Is it the irate guy who hates Sonny Bono? It’s hard to tell. Stack suddenly becomes convinced that the murderer is a “psychopath” and it is up to him to protect “250 people.” Even though he spends most of his time roaming around the plane, he still figures someone has to fly it. So he gives O’Brien back his gun and takes him into his confidence. He also asks the doctor about psychopaths and how to spot them. The doctor says that they can be anywhere from 11 to 80.

That means it can still be Bonaduce or that nice Jewish lady who’s coming on to Walter Pidgeon.
Despite the fact that she’s drunk and being hit on by Fernando Lamas, Polly Bergen is very astute. She notices that the priest who is sitting in the back of the plane is wearing….nail polish! Stack quickly radios into control tower about this. He wants the details of all of the passengers in first class…pronto. After all, he has 250 people to think about.

We then see the angry guy attack Sonny Bono in the lounge. Apparently, his 15 year old daughter was found in Bono’s bed, dead from a drug overdose and the father blames Bono. The girl had runaway and was a drugged up groupie for Bono’s band. But Bono never met her. But Bono makes nicey nicey with the dad, assures him that his daughter was a “real nice girl” and that she talked about him all of the time. Her drug overdose was just “one of those things.”

Is it any wonder that this guy became a politician?

Stack is still on the prowl and the passengers are getting worried. One dead body is found in the elevator to the food supply and a stewardess (not Farrah, of course) is killed. Stack tries to calm everyone down, but you have to wonder if any of them are worried about who’s flying the plane as he plays detective.

Meanwhile, Fernando Lamas is quickly discovered to be a master thief by the drunk, but very observant Polly Bergen. And then we have the motive and the murder.

No, not Lamas! It’s Hugh O’Brien! He has spent so much time tracking Lamas that he has gone mad. Now that Stack gave him back his gun, he orders a select group of the first class passengers (leaving a good 230 alone) up to the lounge in the plane where he taunts Lamas and waives his gun.

Stack tries to talk him out of shooting Lamas. But then asks for a break so that he can tell the co-pilot how to land the plane! O’Brien lets him do this. But instead he tells the co-pilot and navigator to kill the lights. No one seems concerned about a gunshot in an airplane. Finally, after confessing his madness and motives, O’Brien shoots, Stack tackles him in the best Eliot Ness style and the drama is over. After Stack puts out the fire that erupts in the lounge. That is right near the cockpit.

This is one that you have to see to believe. But the one thing that I can’t get over, after seeing this Made For TV 1970s Movie, “Murder on Flight 502,” is WHY O’BRIEN TOLD STACK ABOUT THE GUN IN THE FIRST PLACE?