Well written. I remember the case, having lived in LA all my life till ’94. I was in my twenties when it happened. I didn’t realize members of the crew had their careers damaged as a result, & to what degree. But I did know Landis in particular didn’t suffer—though nearly everyone believed he was at fault for having such disregard for everyone’s safety.

One point about the TZ movie that stays with me is how it represented, in those early Reagan years, the nadir in how US military were portrayed. Actually comparing US infantrymen to Nazis! To SS! Only in those post-Vietnam days would that fly.

I also didn’t realize that the Morrow episode remained largely intact. I mean, what a basic, undeveloped idea—a bigot gets cast into Nazi Germany of Jim Crow America. Duh!! Hard to believe that was actually written at all. I always assumed the crash & subsequent deaths compelled Landis to go with what he already had in the can.

Thanks for the piece….