The Disappearance of Flight 412

The Disappearance of Flight 412 is a rather cheaply made TV movie with really bad sound that doesn't seem to make any point. If there are indeed UFOs visiting our fair planet we can't seem to ever get a handle on it with anything definitive. If they are and the government has documentation they are covering it up. Hardly anything revelatory.

Air Force Colonel Glenn Ford is in charge of a flight group in which one of his flight crews is making some radar equipment checks. They see a strange object in the sky, some Marine jets are scrambled and they disappear off the radar scope. Ford's crew is diverted to a secret base nearby his base that he does not know anything about. But with a little sleuthing he tracks down where his men are gets them out.

Quite frankly he should have dropped it right there, but he pursues it and gets himself in a ringer with General Kent Smith. The conclusion, there really isn't any.

Robert F. Lyons does the best acting job as the colonel in charge of the top secret installation, a really smarmy type. Ford does his usual professional job. But in the final analysis the only people who this film might appeal to are aviation buffs.

Glen Ford has always been a consummate actor. When in any role, he becomes the character and thus is very believable. Ocassionaly however the role is one which lacked substance and thus even the best actor can only do his best, despite it's limitations. Such is the film " The Disappearance of Flight 412. " The story was written by George Simpson and directed by Jud Taylor. What should have been an exciting subject, namely U.F.O.'s and should have garnered a much wider audience, proved the opposite. Glenn Ford, plays Col. Pete Moore a highly experience Base Commander of a modern Flight Wing. While under his command a special flight takes off to study strange electrical interference over his base. However flight 412 suddenly encounters three objects over the skies of the base which turn out to be three genuine U.F.O.'s. Surprised by their speed and maneuverability, two additional Marine Phantom jets are scrambled to intercept them. However, as quickly they appeared, they disappear. However, the flight of the air force Lockheed is abruptly ordered to divert to a clandestine base for 'Special Debriefing.' From that point on, things which were strange before, now become an incident in Classified circles. No one is allowed to know what happened over the skies and the crew are subjected to Brain washing as they learn what they saw, NEVER happened at all. Further, since no information is forthcoming, Col. Pete More (Glenn Ford) has to investigate himself. This movie does a good job of creating interest, but fails to bring closure to the story. Although, the information is gathered, NOTHING is allowed to be known to those who already known it. The cast for this film is superb as such superior actors as Bradford Dillman, David Soul, Robert F. Lyons and Guy Stockwell from Digger Control give deep interest to the movie. What exactly goes on behind close door in Goverenment, is never discussed, instead Americans are convinced that Lies are what the Air Force expect of it's personal. All the characters who accepted the lies, were promoted, they others were not. Interesting. ****

Occasionally tense, but ultimately disappointing tale of a routine test mission that witnesses the disappearance of two fighter jets who are scrambled to intercept a suspected UFO. No-nonsense Colonel (Ford) and his Major (Dillman) delve into the mystery when their plane is diverted to a remote, de-commissioned air base in the desert, its crew (Soul, Lyons, Mullavey and Clay) interrogated by Special Investigations Detachment to ascertain what they actually saw, and prevent a national security breach.

All the players acquit their roles with professionalism and competence - Stockwell as the burly, sunglasses wearing head interrogator casts an ominous aura, but his passive threats have no substance (the worst outcome suggested is demotion or demobbing). Familiar actors Jack Ging, Ken Kercheval, Ed Winter, Kent Smith, Morris Buchanan and Jesse Vint have supporting roles of varying proportions, and Soul in particular is dominant in his role as the airmen's fearless leader (the scene in which he stages a daring escape attempt should have been a suspense highlight, alas, it fails to ignite the fading embers).

But despite the capable cast, the tele-movie is really just an introduction to the UFO phenomenon, with little actual substance or depth. A couple of tense moments during the multitude of interrogations, despite the bark, there's no bite.

Once upon a time movies used to be made for TV, and this was one of the better ones. Others have done a good job of encapsulating the plot and cast of characters, so I won't rehash that. For those looking for exciting chases and special effects, this is not your movie. Rather it is a character study, and a good one at that. The crux is openness and truthfulness versus secrecy and obfuscation. Do the people have a right to know the truth about what our government is doing? Under what circumstances is secrecy acceptable? Who watchers the watchers? Serious questions, and just as valid today, if not more so than in 1974, when this movie was made.

Jud Taylor directed this TV movie that stars Glenn Ford as Colonel Pete Moore, in charge of the Whitney Radar Test Group that has sent a four-man crew on flight 412 to investigate electrical difficulties, but instead encounters what may either be a blip, or a UFO, but after they are interrogated by a mysterious military intelligence team(led by Guy Stockwell) that does not want to hear about "science fiction", the men find themselves uncomfortably at odds with their own government. Can Col. Moore get to the bottom of this matter, save his crew and all their careers? Reasonably good film defies its low budget and brief running time to tell a well-acted and tense narrative that doesn't provide easy answers, but instead unfolds in a matter-of-fact way, which is most effective. Also stars Bradford Dillman, David Soul, Robert F. Lyons, and Kent Smith.