Lois Larson
In the 1970 American air disaster-drama film *Airport*, Van Heflin plays D.O. Guerrero, a failed contractor and bomber on TGA Flight 2. This was Heflin's final film role, in which he portrayed a paranoid, nervous, and sad character who plans to blow up an airliner.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the actor who played the bomber | Van Heflin |
| Name of the character who was the bomber | D.O. Guerrero |
| Name of the movie | Airport |
| Year of the movie | 1970 |
| Genre of the movie | Action, Drama, Thriller |
| Name of the bomber's wife | Inez Guerrero |
| Name of the actor who played the bomber's wife | Maureen Stapleton |
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What You'll Learn
Van Heflin's final film role
In the film, Heflin plays D.O. Guerrero, a former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers demolition expert with a history of mental illness. Guerrero, a failed contractor, buys a ticket aboard Flight 2 and a large life insurance policy, intending to commit suicide by blowing himself up on the airliner. He plans to set off a bomb in an attaché case while flying over the Atlantic Ocean so that his wife, Inez Guerrero (played by Maureen Stapleton), will collect $225,000 of insurance money.
Heflin's performance as the deranged bomber was well-received, with one review describing him as "extremely effective" in the role. However, another review noted that Heflin looked "rather flabby and worn" in the film, which was his final theatrical role before his death in 1971.
Airport was an enormous commercial success, surpassing Spartacus as Universal Pictures' biggest moneymaker at the time. The film won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Helen Hayes' performance as an elderly stowaway and was nominated for nine other Academy Awards. It also marked the beginning of the 1970s disaster film genre, inspiring films such as "The Towering Inferno" and "The Poseidon Adventure."
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D.O. Guerrero's wife, Inez
In the 1970 film Airport, D.O. Guerrero, played by Van Heflin, is the main antagonist. He is a middle-aged man who has had a series of failed jobs. He used to work for the US Army Corps of Engineers as a building and demolition expert, but his mental health issues and anger management problems kept getting him fired, and he even ended up in an Army mental hospital. By 1970, he is bankrupt, and with no easy way out, he sells his wife's mother's wedding ring for a plane ticket.
In the film, D.O. Guerrero is a former US Army Corps of Engineers demolition expert with a history of mental illness. He intends to commit suicide by blowing up TGA Flight 2 and has purchased a large life insurance policy worth $225,000 ($1.57 million in 2021) for his wife, Inez. Guerrero's erratic behaviour at the airport, including mistaking a customs officer for a gate agent, raises red flags for officials. Despite Inez's attempts to stop him and the intervention of the flight crew, Guerrero detonates a bomb in the lavatory, killing himself and injuring several passengers, including Gwen Meighen, the chief stewardess.
The film Airport is based on Arthur Hailey's 1968 novel of the same name and marked the beginning of the 1970s disaster film genre. It was a commercial success, grossing over $128 million on a $10 million budget. The film also starred Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset, George Kennedy, Helen Hayes, and others.
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Failed contractor and bomber
The 1970 American disaster-drama film "Airport" featured Van Heflin in his final film role as D.O. Guerrero, a failed contractor and bomber.
Guerrero, a former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers demolition expert with a history of mental illness, intends to commit suicide by blowing up a Boeing 707 airliner in flight. He purchases a ticket aboard Flight 2 and a large life insurance policy, intending for his wife, Inez, to collect $225,000 in insurance proceeds. His erratic behaviour at the airport, including mistaking a customs officer for a gate agent, attracts the attention of officials.
Heflin's performance as the paranoid bomber was well-received by critics, with one IMDb review noting that he "shines" in his role, despite looking "rather flabby and worn." Another review by Roger Ebert praised Heflin for having "wit enough to abandon all pretense of seriousness" in a film that was otherwise characterised by "simpleminded gags" and "B-movie clichés."
The film "Airport" was based on Arthur Hailey's 1968 novel of the same name and was the first of four films in the Airport film series. It was a commercial success, grossing over $128 million on a $10 million budget.
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Guerrero's erratic behaviour
In the 1970 film Airport, D. O. Guerrero, played by Van Heflin, is a former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers demolition expert with a history of mental illness. Guerrero's erratic behaviour at the airport includes using his last cash to buy a large life insurance policy and mistaking a U.S. Customs officer for an airline gate agent. His odd behaviour attracts the attention of airport officials, who become suspicious of his intentions.
Guerrero, a failed contractor, is down on his luck and plans to commit suicide by blowing up a Boeing 707 jet departing from Chicago's Lincoln International Airport. He intends to detonate a bomb in an attaché case while the plane is flying over the Atlantic Ocean, ensuring that his wife, Inez, will collect a substantial insurance payout.
Inez, aware of her husband's desperate plan, rushes to the airport in a last-ditch attempt to dissuade him. She discloses to the authorities that Guerrero had previously been dismissed from a construction job for mishandling explosives and that their financial situation is dire. Despite her efforts, Guerrero's erratic behaviour continues, and he proceeds with his deadly plan.
As the plane takes off amid a snowstorm, Guerrero's madness becomes apparent to the crew and passengers. Captain Vernon Demerest, a pilot evaluating Captain Anson Harris, confronts Guerrero and attempts to persuade him not to trigger the bomb, informing him that his insurance policy has been nullified. Guerrero's unstable mental state is further emphasised when he briefly considers handing over the bomb, but a troublesome passenger's interference causes him to retreat into the lavatory and detonate the explosive device.
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The bomber's plan to blow up a Boeing 707
The bombers plan to blow up a Boeing 707 is at the heart of the 1970 film Airport, based on the novel by Arthur Hailey. The film centres on a suicide bomber, D.O. Guerrero, played by Van Heflin, who plans to blow up a Rome-bound Boeing 707 airliner, known as The Golden Argosy, in flight.
Guerrero, a failed contractor with a history of mental illness, takes out a life insurance policy with the intention of committing suicide and blowing up the plane. His wife, Inez, realises his intentions and tries to stop him by informing officials that he had previously mishandled explosives. However, Guerrero manages to board the plane with a bomb in his briefcase.
As the plane takes off, the crew becomes aware of Guerrero's presence and the danger he poses. They make the decision to turn the plane back towards Chicago without informing the passengers. Meanwhile, a stowaway, Ada Quonsett, discovers Guerrero's plan and is enlisted by the crew to try to stop him. She attempts to dissuade him by informing him that his insurance policy is nullified, but he does not listen.
The film depicts the response of the airport staff, airline staff, and maintenance crews to the crisis, as they race to prevent the bomber from carrying out his plan and to ensure the safety of the passengers. It showcases the minute-by-minute decisions and personal stories that intertwine during this high-stakes situation.
Overall, the film "Airport" presents a suspenseful and captivating portrayal of the bomber's plan to blow up a Boeing 707, with the characters' personal stories and real-time decisions adding depth and drama to the narrative.
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Frequently asked questions
Van Heflin played D.O. Guerrero, the bomber in Airport (1970).
The film is about an airport manager trying to keep his airport open during a snowstorm, while a suicide bomber plots to blow up a Boeing 707 airliner in flight.
D.O. Guerrero was a former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers demolition expert with a history of mental illness. He intends to commit suicide by blowing up an airliner and has his wife collect the insurance money.
The film starred Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset, Helen Hayes, Maureen Stapleton, George Kennedy, and Barry Nelson.
