Director: Cy Endfield
Screenplay by: Cy Endfield, Sigmund Miller
Based on a Story by Sigmund Miller
Starring: Richard Attenborough, Stanley Baker, Hermione Baddeley, George Rose, Bernard Braden, Diane Cilento, Barbara Kelly, David Kossoff, Harry Secombe, Sybil Thorndike, Marty Wilde
Country: UK
Running Time: 91 min
Year: 1959
Cy Endfield was an American film director/writer/producer (not to mention inventor and magician) who’s probably best known for the British films he made, following his blacklisting in Hollywood during the McCarthy era. His 1964 war epic Zulu is certainly his most famous work here in the UK, but he first started working on much lower-key productions in the country.
Set somewhere in between these was Jet Storm, made in 1959. Shot in Shepperton Studios over 5 weeks, the film was more than likely inspired by the bombing of a plane in 1955 by Jack Gilbert Graham, who was believed to have done the deed to get back at his mother, who was on the plane, and receive a hefty insurance payout.
Jet Storm is being released on Blu-ray by Imprint and, finding myself intrigued by the description, I requested a copy to review.
The film follows Ernest Tilley (Richard Attenborough), a grief-stricken scientist who boards a transatlantic flight from London to New York with a deadly secret. Two years earlier, Tilley’s young daughter was killed in a hit-and-run accident, and he has deduced through private investigation that one of his fellow passengers, James Brock (George Rose), was the man responsible. Overcome with bitterness and a desire for retribution, Tilley smuggles a bomb aboard the aircraft and threatens to detonate it, prepared to sacrifice himself and everyone else on board in order to take his revenge.
As the crew, led by Captain Bardow (Stanley Baker), tries to maintain order, the passengers splinter into opposing camps – some pleading for compassion and patience whilst the crew deal with the problem, others demanding drastic measures to force Tilley’s hand. Tensions escalate as fear spreads through the cabin.
The amusingly cheesy theme song (with lyrics by Endfield and sung by Marty Wilde, who also plays a role in the film) that runs over the credits immediately dates Jet Storm. The film was also made when air travel was still somewhat of a luxury, so seeing how comfortable and spacious the flight is, in comparison to the Ryanair and Easyjet flights we get crammed into these days, also makes it look like another time and place.
However, beyond these surface elements, the film has actually aged very well. Whilst the title and short plot description might suggest an action-packed thriller, in reality, it’s more of a psychological, character-driven drama where the thrills take place in the back of your mind. It’s all about the onboard dynamics of this microcosm of modern society, and the fractioning off of the passengers, driven by fear, anger and misplaced machismo, is all too familiar these days.
What I especially liked in the film was the depiction of its ‘villain’, played superbly by the great Richard Attenborough. Whilst Tilley’s decision to take the lives of a large group of innocents alongside his prime target is unforgivable, there is sympathy to be found in the character through the incident that drove him to this point. He’s not depicted as an out-and-out ‘madman’, even though many of the passengers describe him as such, but as a sad, broken figure in need of help. This also makes for a surprisingly moving end to the film, without wanting to go into too much detail.
In taking this more psychological approach, it’s a very talk-heavy film, but the range of characters and calibre of performers keeps it interesting, on top of the inherent tension of the situation.
It all has a distinctly British air about it, with a certain ‘politeness’ throughout, away from the outbursts that flare up here and there. A Hollywood take on the story would have more explosions and daring physical attempts to save the day, rather than the stiff-upper-lipped, thoughtful approach here.
There’s also a Britishness in how it doesn’t always take its frightening central situation entirely seriously. There are a number of sarcastic little lines thrown in to avoid histrionics. Stage and screen icons Harry Secombe and Sybil Thorndike provide a number of these and have great chemistry as a pair who become good friends during the ordeal. There’s also a divorcing couple, who are a fun addition to the cast of characters. You expect them to be bickering throughout, but actually, they’re the calmest, most cool-headed characters, quipping about the situation whilst playing cards to decide who takes which of their belongings.
The cast is wonderful in general, with a veritable who’s who of film and TV stars, largely from the UK. They may not all be well-known now, but they will have been then, and several went on to bigger things in later life. Whilst it’s more of an ensemble piece, Stanley Baker plays the main ‘hero’, if you like. He’s his typical strong, grounded self, but it works perfectly here. He made a number of films with Endfield (and even later set up a production company with him), so they clearly worked well together.
The treatment of women in the film isn’t particularly progressive (one of the flight crew’s ‘flirting’ with a new hostess would likely be seen as sexual harassment now), and there’s an unnecessary running ‘joke’ about Zulus (made by the same character) that seems rather racist. You could, perhaps, see the latter as a comment on the film Baker and Enfield would make a few years later though, as there’s a good chance the director was already eyeing up the story by that point.
It’s unfair to put too much emphasis on dated elements when critiquing a film that’s 56 years old though. On the whole, Jet Storm is a tense and surprisingly affecting psychological thriller that remains thought-provoking to this day. Bolstered by a fine cast, it’s a small gem that I’m pleased to see dug up.
Film: 
Jet Storm is out now on Blu-Ray, released by Via Vision as part of their Imprint Collection. It looks immaculate. Details are crisp, and it has a nice, rich tonal balance. It’s a touch on the light side but this allows for clearer detail levels. I’ve used screengrabs throughout my review to give you an idea of how it looks. It sounds good too. There were some issues with ‘s’ sounds in places, but this is common to films of this era.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
– 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray
– NEW Audio Commentary by film critic Kim Newman and Jo Botting from the BFI National Archive (2025)
– NEW Film historian Sheldon Hall on ‘Jet Storm’ (2025)
– Theatrical Trailer
– Audio English LPCM 2.0 Mono
– Aspect Ratio 1.66:1
– Optional English HOH Subtitles
– Limited Edition Slipcase
Kim Newman and Jo Botting provide a commentary. They give plenty of background on the cast, crew and similar films, more generally. They have a nice rapport and keep the tone light, which makes for an easy listen.
Sheldon Hall also talks about the film in an interview. He focuses mainly on Enfield’s career but goes on to look at how Jet Storm fits into this and where it led some of the other figures behind the film. It’s another valuable addition to the set.
So, Imprint have put together a strong package for this lesser-known thriller that’s well worth a watch.
Disc/Package:
