Besides the skipper, "He's crazy Lou, he builds toy airplanes."
Peter Finch as Captain Harris.
Lew Moran,
If you marched a hundred and six miles by the stars and your calculations were just one per cent out, you could pass the Eiffel Tower in daylight and never even see it.
and
Standish
Insurance companies move in mysterious ways. Much like God only far less generous.

This message has been deleted.

This message has been deleted.

Hardy Kruger's Dorfmann definitely was my favorite. Besides the fact that I had a crush on the actor, I loved the character's brilliance and his cool dignity when his expertise is ridiculed by Towns as making "toys." I believed in his character and wanted to see him vindicated, and he was. When he and Towns make their peace at the end it was very satisfying.
But I will also give credit to Jimmy Stewart's Towns I didn't exactly like his sarcastically grumpy, stubborn character, but Stewart played him excellently. And also excellent was Attenborough. His character was such a good, calm voice of reason that when he finally despaired, his hysterical little laugh made me want to break into tears.
Really a great movie with a wonderful cast.

I'm confused. The question is "who is your favorite character", yet many of the posters in this thread describe which actor in their opinion gave the finest performance.
While I think it's hard to answer the latter, since the drama clearly lives of the ensemble of the cast and the fact that they worked so well together, I must say that my favorite character is Christian Marquand's Dr. Renaud. If I were stuck in a similar situation with a bunch of people, I wouldn't mind having him around.

1. Dorfmann, because he's an iron-willed machine who makes Maguyver look clueless by comparison.
2. Crow, for his rogueish good-nature and undefeatable sense of humour.
3. Standish, because he was a plain and limited guy who still managed to get through.
4. Moran, for being a great mediator and a constant voice of reason.
5. Towns, because he was a strong leader and an amusingly stubborn character.
6. Harris, for his tragically misguided, but ultimately poigniant idea how of men should behave in a crisis.

This message has been deleted.

One oif the reasons I love this film so much is that it is like an onion. I've seen it several times, since the early 1980s when it was on TV (in the UK). And every time I see it I notice another actor giving a great performance.
I mean I always knew that it was a great set of performances. But that first time I saw it I noticed
in particular
Jimmy Stewart as being fantastic. Then the second time I remember thinking Attenborough was terrific. Then the third time I noticed Ian Bannen. Another time Borgnine was my favourite. I am watching it again now and I am loving Peter Finch
There's not many films you could respond to like this.

"Maybe I should go alone"

• Quint, Jaws.

I was surprised that they didn't eat the lame camel that was put out of it's misery!!!

Favorite character: Dorfmann. Complex character and well acted by Hardy Kruger. I've always loved Hardy Kruger, I am sorry he wasn't in more American films.

This message has been deleted.

And while he's still alive, when he has been bad, you can spank the monkey!
Naw, not really!

This message has been deleted.

crawfrordboon,
interesting take on the characters you mentioned above. If you have not, try reading the novel upon which the film is based. The author is Elleston Trevor.
with regards, JKHolman

Frank Townes is my favorite character. Wanna know why? Hot Pilot, lol.

Trucker Cobb and the man who could speak Arabic. (DR Reunad)?
The sun is too loud

Being one of my favorite films I wouldn't pick a single one as my favorite. I can tell you my least favorite: Captain Harris (Peter Finch)how'd you like to be Watson being ordered around by that bastard?
But it's really an ensemble film and the best parts are the interplay between Jimmy Stewart, Richard Attenborough, and Hardy Kruger (nominated for Golden Globe but refused it). The point is that all characters are essential to the success of the plane. The doctor represents humanitarianism. I do think Ernest Borgnine was too over the top though.
Attenborough mastered stuttering speach here. It's a film of it's time when creativity was in the air. Please don't waste your time and money on the remakeor any remakes for that matter.
Play the game existence 'til the endof the beginning

This question's a toughie ! My favourite actor,of all time, is James Stewart.
However, I don't think I could say any actor in this film does less than a brilliant job. Having just viewed the re-make starring Dennis Quaid I realise just how great the James Stewart version is. Every character's 3D. The re-make's terrible, made for kids with loads of computer graphics, just a waste of money.
Now if you were to ask me who is my favourite character in the film, then I'd have to say Heinrich Dorfmann as played by Hardy Kruger. He is brilliant in the role. Frank Towns is the regular tortured hero but Heinrich Dorfmann now he's something different. Just compare Hardy Kruger's performance with Giovanni Ribissi's in the re-make. No contest.

mufreighter,
Hear! Hear!

• JKHolman

This message has been deleted.

This message has been deleted.

My favourite is Peter Finch's Captain Harris. Yes, he's stupidly British, yes he observes rank - but he is an officer in the British Army, so what would one expect? He offers himself in sacrifice for the others not once - but twice.
Aberstein - you belong in the glasshouse, mate - that sort of bolshy talk!
"Someone has been tampering with Hank's memories."

Without question, my favorite character is Kruger's Dorfmann.
Not for his acting, which, though good, isn't up to the caliber of a Stwerart or an Attenborough; no, the question is who's my FAVORITE, and it's Dorfmann, hands down.
I'm a model aircraft junkie, and if we aeromodellers have a patron saint, it'd be Dorfmann's characternot only does he include a bit of modelling history into the story (Stringfellow, Henson, etc.) but his demeanor captures the fierce defensiveness of those of us who've taken crap most of our lives for 'playing with toy airplanes.'
Although not being a model aircraft junkieI
wholeheartedly
agree! :-)))
His crowning moment comes when he's confronted by Stewart and Attenborough about his lack of experience with the 'real stuff;' his sneering reply to their doubt is my favorite point in the whole movie:
"Mr. Towns a toy plane is something you wind up and it rolls along the floor. A model airplane is something totally different"
O HELL yes!
My most favourite scene in movie history!
Yours, Thusnelda

Without question, my favorite character is Kruger's Dorfmann.
Not for his acting, which, though good, isn't up to the caliber of a Stwerart or an Attenborough; no, the question is who's my FAVORITE, and it's Dorfmann, hands down.
I'm a model aircraft junkie, and if we aeromodellers have a patron saint, it'd be Dorfmann's characternot only does he include a bit of modelling history into the story (Stringfellow, Henson, etc.) but his demeanor captures the fierce defensiveness of those of us who've taken crap most of our lives for 'playing with toy airplanes.'
His crowning moment comes when he's confronted by Stewart and Attenborough about his lack of experience with the 'real stuff;' his sneering reply to their doubt is my favorite point in the whole movie:
"Mr. Towns a toy plane is something you wind up and it rolls along the floor. A model airplane is something totally different"
O HELL yes!