LAX Terminal 3, TWA, and the movies

[Dont call me Shirley]

Let's lighten things up for a bit!

The other day I caught most of the rather good 1963 movie "Sunday in New York" on TV. http://imdb.com/title/tt0057543/plotsummary


Besides a young and very lovely Jane Fonda, another highlight of the movie is TWA in the glory days! While much of the film was actually shot in New York, anyone familiar with LAX T3 would see that the airport scenes had (then brand new) LAX terminal 3 standing in for Idlewild Airport.

Owing in no doubt to TWA's long standing special relationship with Hollywood, a number of movies and TV shows were shot at T3. (Sunday in New York and a certain 1980 comedy are among them.) When I worked at LAX in late eighties it was not unusual to see location shots being done there. More often than not it was some forgetable TV movie of the week, however.


What is your favorite terminal 3 movie?

Or, what is the oddest airport that terminal three "pretended" to be in a movie or TV show.

 

[Hopeful]

You could find a slew of movies that feature various airlines, not just TWA.

 

[Man of the People]

Have you seen Terminal 3 lately? Looks like a morg.

 

[MCI transplant]

You could find a slew of movies that feature various airlines, not just TWA.

<_< Hey Hopeful! Don't be so defencive here! I'm sure if you looked hard enough you could even find aa in one of those movies!

 

[Hopeful]

<_< Hey Hopeful! Don't be so defencive here! I'm sure if you looked hard enough you could even find aa in one of those movies!

Not defensive at all. If you read the first post of this thread it mentions "TWA's long standing special relationship with Hollywood." It sounds as if TWA was the only airline to be special enoough to appear in films. I personally have seen more movies with PANAM in the back drop and more photos of Eastern Airlines that were taken during the heyday of avaition in the 30's. 40's, 50's and 60's.

By the way, many a movie features AA aircraft. No need to look that hard!

Out of business airlines such as TWA, PANAM, EASTERN, NATIONAL, AIR FLORIDA, REPUBLIC, PEIDMONT, ETC,ETC. should be discussed in a forum dedicated to just that: OUT OF BUSINESS AIRLINES!

 

[MCI transplant]

Not defensive at all. If you read the first post of this thread it mentions "TWA's long standing special relationship with Hollywood." It sounds as if TWA was the only airline to be special enoough to appear in films. I personally have seen more movies with PANAM in the back drop and more photos of Eastern Airlines that were taken during the heyday of avaition in the 30's. 40's, 50's and 60's.

By the way, many a movie features AA aircraft. No need to look that hard!

Out of business airlines such as TWA, PANAM, EASTERN, NATIONAL, AIR FLORIDA, REPUBLIC, PEIDMONT, ETC,ETC. should be discussed in a forum dedicated to just that: OUT OF BUSINESS AIRLINES!

<_< Hopeful---- I believe the man was referring to the TWA/Howard Hughs connection! And TWA started in California as Transcontenental and Western Airlines! TWA also toated itself as being "The Airline of the Stares!" durring one of their P.R. campaigns about that same time frame!But I'm sure aa has done many movies also! And yes Hopeless, we all know TWA is "out of business!" Lighten up man!!!!!

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

<_< Hopeful---- I believe the man was referring to the TWA/Howard Hughes connection!

I was indeed referring to the HH connection and the "airline of the stars image". And TW staffers did tell me that it was because of that relationship T3 would often be be used for location shots. More often than not, TWA was not featured in
the movie, bit the locale was easy to recognize. Sometimes a TW a/c was used with the name of a fictional airline stickered over the TWA titles.

Perhaps I should have called the thread "Terminal Three and the Movies." My bad. I any event, TWA is a "paart" of AA now [no it is not my intention start yet another merger thread] and this forum not an improper place to discuss. And AA did take over T3.

 

[Wretched Wrench]

TWA's glory days went away with the passing of the Connies.

 

[mga707]

Let's lighten things up for a bit!


Or, what is the oddest airport that terminal three "pretended" to be in a movie or TV show.

Wasn't quite Terminal 3--it was actually the old LAX terminal building on Avion Drive (wher the World Way postal facility now stands)--but I recall laughing when said terminal 'stood in' for London airport in some low budget 1950's sci-fi flick I once saw. If nothing else, the palm trees clearly glimpsed in one shot gave it away!

 

[mga707]

<_< Hey Hopeful! Don't be so defencive here! I'm sure if you looked hard enough you could even find aa in one of those movies!

"Three Guys Named Mike" was practically a feature-length AA commercial!
But I would agree that, especially during HH's tenure as TWA prez, TW managed to get themselves shown (product placement) in far more motion pictures than any other airline.

 

[MCI transplant]

TWA's glory days went away with the passing of the Connies.

<_< The last Connie flew for TWA in the latter part of 1967! I think! :unsure: Than came the jets: 707's, and 880's! Those were the "Up,Up, and away" days! And stews in paper uniforms!!!And us mechanics with water guns!!!

 

[Hopeful]

The ironic thing is that we are discussing the heyday of aviation where it was actually an enviable thing to work for an airline!

 

[nbmcg01]

<_< The last Connie flew for TWA in the latter part of 1967! I think! :unsure: Than came the jets: 707's, and 880's! Those were the "Up,Up, and away" days! And stews in paper uniforms!!!And us mechanics with water guns!!!

TWA NEVER had "stews". Both TWA and then Continental used the term "hostess." TWA and Coke had the most recognized brand names in the world and that did not go away with the Connies. TWA is now a very important part of aviation AND American's history so don't be so fast to discount the bits and pieces that you hear from proud employees and former customers.
I had the honor of working for PanAM and TWA when being a flight attendant WAS considered "glamorous" (only by others-lol), at a time when they were the only designated "flag carriers". We have earned a pride in our past from our reputation of excellence, despite external financial challenges, highjackings, terrorists, bks, greedy corporate raiders, labor disputes, and hostile takeovers. We NEVER lost our reputation for superior service to our customers.
Maybe some "old school" is just what this industry needs. Celebrate our history because it IS now your history too.

 

[kirkpatrick]

TWA NEVER had "stews". Both TWA and then Continental used the term "hostess."

As the sole survivor of TWA's first class of male flight attendants, I remember that term well. Many times I stood at the front of the cabin with an oxygen mask in my hand while "A" flight attendant asked the passengers to give their attention to the hostess at the front of their cabin.

I also recall being thrown out of the "hostess lounge" at ORD when we occupied the entire G concourse. It seems the ladies had the habit of getting comfortable (undressed) between flights and didn't like the idea of guys in there. I suppose if I had been gay it might not have mattered.

Then there was the captain who chewed me out in a loud voice in operations because I wasn't wearing my cap. We weren't issued caps as part of our uniform.

And the time I sat in operations in BDL while they struggled to find me a hotel room. We shared rooms on domestic at the time, and a 707 had a basic crew of four, so that was two rooms. The crew went off to party without me and I went to a different hotel by myself.

All in all, however, my entire career has been a blast. And it isn't over yet.

MK

 

[Wretched Wrench]

TWA NEVER had "stews".

In the sixties, I knew a number of ladies who spoke of themselves as "stews" for TWA. I had a TWA agent friend who also used the term, so it was common and seemed to be accepted. Mechs, too.

Perhaps it is like AA calling us AMTs or whatever, but we still call ourselves mechanics, as does everyone else.