She won Best Supporting Actress as Ada Quonsett - an mischevious elderly stowaway. I thought she was delightful, and gave a great perfromance. Any thoughts?
"Ahhh!...and boom goes the dynamite."
Helen Hayes performance is the only thing that makes watchable to some extent this stupid movie. However that year either Karen Black or Lee Grant deserved the Oscar even more.
At least Maureen Stapleton didn't win. That would have been something utterly embarrassing.
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Helen Hayes was perfect.
Oscar well earned.
She pulls the entire movie together.
Yes. Ada Quonsett was the quintessential supporting role.
Hayes stole the movie and deserved the Oscar.
I agree - my Mom and I happened to see this film in 1970 when it was playing in Miami theaters, and my Mom really liked Helen Hayes role as Ada, not just because of her acting, but because she was well-liked and known to many in my Mom's age group since Helen's younger days in silent film...
Van Heflin and Maureen Stapelton (other actors from my Mom's time) were also excellent in their troubled roles - overall, it was a good film...
My favorite part is George Kennedy driving out the B-707 - nothing like the sound of those older screaming jet engines (I could smell the jet fuel from here)...
LOL
"Airport" certainly boasted a veteran all-star cast, most of which had their fine movie careers behind them (though Hayes did mostly talkies, not silent films). Exceptions: Bisset and Stapleton still had a sizable portion of their movie careers in front of them, and Collins on TV.
The same was pretty much true of the crew.
Oh yes, definitely. Hers was the best performance of the whole movie.
shareNo, it should have gone to Maureen Stapleton, but I think the Academy wanted to honor Helen Hayes before she died.
shareHayes' performance was completely mannered. She telegraphed every punchline and look as if she were in a Laurel & Hardy short. I think she was terrible, and I agree with Isaac5855 - Maureen Stapleton was much better in a much more difficult role.
By Hayes' second scene, I was ready to stuff that damned hat down her precious gullet.
Absolutely agree with Jaynrand. Ada Quonsett was a pain in the a..e. Hayes putting up the old shtick of the loveable old girl was just annoying and the part was time consuming no end. Another academy award given away for a stupid role because the actor had missed out before. Margret Rutherford in a similar role in "The VIP's" was SO much better. In fact, she was a delight in every scene (totally getting me to the point that I yearn for her when I see Taylor/Burton/Jourdan) whereas whenever I watch Airport I skip the Quonsett.
shareBut Hayes had not "missed out before"--she had won the Academy Award for Best Actress of 1931-1932.
shareAgree,just watched it and after about 2 minutes of Helen Hayes I was thinking "God this old bag is sooo annoying and why are they spending so much time on her"
Now I come here and fing she won an Oscar????? What the fk? For some stupid "comedy" role on a pretty bad movie? Obviously a sympathy Oscar
Aside from Ingrid Bergman's Oscar win for Murder on the Orient Express and John Mills for Ryan's Daughter, Miss Hayes's Oscar was the worst Oscar win of any category. She so clearly should not have even been nominated. But when you look at the seventies, it really was no surprise that she was nominated. It always bothers me that in that year, you had Sally Kellerman in MASH , Karen Black in Five Easy Pieces and yet , Helen Hayes won for Airport.
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