The President's Plane Is Missing (1973)
While on the brink of a military confrontation with China, Air Force One crashes in the desert, killing the President. This brings Vice-President Kermit Madigan to power who, having been left in the dark by the president, must now rely on his predecessor's aides to guide him. But they have markedly different viewpoints and hidden agendas. Will he blunder his way into a nuclear exchange with the Chinese?
A commander in crisis.
Vice President Kermit Madigan: Lost it? How do you lose the President's airplane?
Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA
(Studio)
Pennsylvania Avenue NW at Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
(on location)
Lafayette Park - Pennsylvania Avenue & H Street NW, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
(on location)
Independence Avenue SW at 12th Street SW, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
(on location)
Filmed in 1971 but delayed for airing by ABC because that was the year of President Richard Nixon's trip to China and they didn't want to show the Chinese as villains.
This was Tod Andrews's final television appearance before his death on November 7, 1972 at the age of 57. He died almost a year prior to its broadcast.
Air Force One, a VC-137C, a Boeing 707-353B, is depicted by a former United Airlines Boeing 720B-022, and carries the serial number 62-6001 (tail number 26001), one digit up from President John F. Kennedy's 62-6000 (tail number 26000), as if it was part of a two aircraft order. The actual serial 62-6001 was assigned to a Martin AGM-12 Bullpup missile.
Jeff Burton, who played a reporter, and Tod Andrews, who played the president of the title whose plane is missing, had each played an ill-fated astronaut who both had the misfortune of landing on the title destination in Planet of the Apes (1968) and Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), respectively. This was Andrews' last acting role, while Burton had only a few more roles, including only one feature film after this.
Factual errors
John Amos' character is listed in the credits as "Marine Corporal", and the reporter Damon, when surprised at how little security is at the desert military compound, refers to "one lousy corporal" guarding the gate. In fact the stripes on John Amos' uniform are clearly visible and show him to be a 3-stripe sergeant.
In the 65th minute, there is reference made to the 'Canadian Mounted Police.' They are the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP, and would not properly be referred to any other way.
In a teletext early in the movie, part of the body reads "Fuel exhaustion time was re-ached." Correctly, the word would be 'reached,' not hyphenated. Even though it is separated at the end of one line and the beginning of the next, it would not be hyphenated because it is one syllable.
Incorrectly regarded as goofs
While the President is not aboard Air Force One when it crashes, the plane uses the call sign Air Force One instead of the correct call sign SAM 26001. This is because the flight is a cover for the President's actual, top secret, destination on another aircraft.
Revealing mistakes
The airport that is used to depict Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County, Maryland, is clearly located in Southern California as a row of Washingtonia robusta palm trees (also known as Mexican fan palms) is visible in the distance at the end of the film.
Anachronisms
The title is misleading because the plane was discovered after about one third of the movie. 'The President is Missing' would have been a more appropriate title.
Character error
As the bodies from the crash are being recovered, Mark Jones walks up to General Dunbar and addresses him as Colonel Dunbar.