Towering inferno on dvd 086162104299 from 20th century fox. So many films simply stop dead for bravura special effects moments, and the towering inferno certainly errs in this department. Thats why our attitude toward the films cardboard characters is. Mar 29, 20 thus was born the towering inferno, a stunningly made, tension filled gem. Leads paul newman and steve mcqueen were superstars. However, as patrick said, it hasnt aged particularly well and today remains mainly watchable only as a.
The movie will also be remembered for producing one of the most awkward screen moments of all time, with fred astaire and o. It was the second highest grossing film of 1974 behind only blazing saddles and was nominated for 8 academy awards including best picture and supporting actor for fred astaire, of which it won three for cinematography, editing and song. It had a huge starstudded cast, state of the art special effects, spectacular stunts and. If there was one common denominator for the 1974 disaster flick the towering inferno, it was. The towering inferno appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2. This may sound absurd, but the towering inferno had a profound effect on my life.
The star also came to the rescue of special effects crewman gary king when one of the mammoth water hoses broke and. The apex of the disaster movie craze of the 1970s was reached with john guillermin and irwin allens the towering inferno. The towering inferno is a 1974 american disaster film produced by irwin allen featuring an. In the wake of the immensely successful 1972 film the poseidon adventure, the 1970s were awash with specialeffectsdriven disaster films e. Scenespecific commentary by mike vezina, special effects director on xmen. The towering inferno, one of irwin allens best efforts as movie producer, actually probably his best effort considering the other disaster film that came after in the late 70s irwin allen who was producer of the film also directed some scenes aswell even thou john guillerman was credited as director for the film.
Within minutes the gala event turns into a hellish inferno, as a raging fire traps societys most prominent citizens on the top floor. Jun 18, 2017 chief ohallorhan steve mcqueen, the towering inferno. Though the films eight academy award nominations may seem laughable today, theres no denying infernos strength at tapping the eras sense of morbid paranoia. The towering inferno firstrate visual spectacle the new. The film has incredible special effects, terrific performances from all of the cast and a wonderful score by john williams. The spx of an inferno the art of towering irwin allen. This is an amazing cast of stars, yet theyre pretty much there just to meet grisly deaths by falling, crushing, strangling, and of course, burning. The towering inferno is a nearly threehour suspense film for. The photos below are from the excellent archive about the movie from ryan thoryk with thanks. I first saw the movie during its initial theatrical release in 1974, when i was but seven years old. The behind the scenes drama of 1974s the towering inferno. A b movie disaster flick with major studio backing, a cast that puts the term allstar to shame, and effects that, for the most part, hold up with todays blockbusters. So were reintroducing a 1970s can design featured in the movie.
Robinson book author fred koenekamp cinematographer harold kress editor herman lewis soundsound designer irwin allen director, producer jim freeman cinematographer joel hirschhorn songwriter john a. Towering inferno by irwin allen, john guillermin irwin. Bigger, grander, and more elaborate than any of the similar fare which preceded it, the towering inferno towered at the boxoffice, too. Released in the united states on november 15, 1974, earthquake ranked third among the highgrossing film of the year. Montreal on the day after tomorrow over 30 extendeddeleted scenes inside the tower. The towering inferno crackles alight with a dtshd master audio 5. The film was initially released on dvd by 20th century fox home entertainment on april 15, 2003, with a special edition released on may 9, 2006. Though not quite as attractive as the new transfer for the poseidon adventure, the anamorphic inferno usually looked good. Sheila allen, american actress and producer, died november 15, of pulmonary fibrosis, at the age of 84.
Irwin allen produced the film as well as directed the major action. It had a huge star studded cast, state of the art special effects, spectacular stunts and. A great deal of the sonic action is front weighted with nice. The towering inferno was a huge hit upon its release. Winner of three academy awards, this sepctacular suspense thriller features dazzling special effects and a star studded cast including paul newman, steve mcqueen, william holden and faye dunaway. Its a technical achievement more concerned with special effects than with people. Bonner soundsound designer john williams composer music score. At nearly three hours, this was a rather long movie, but i loved every minute of it and thoroughly embraced the disaster movie genre that became so popular. The special effects are smashing, better than those in earthquake even. To see cinema legends such as newman, mcqueen, holden and astaire doing their stuff is.
As a member of the special effects crew working on the film and personally. The towering inferno cast and crew cast photos and info. Ill be frank i cant really call this movie a timeless classic only that i know that o. Dec 20, 1974 the towering inferno is a nearly threehour suspense film for arsonists, firemen, movie technology buffs, building inspectors, worry warts. A classic thats right up there with the poseiden adventure, airport, earthquake, the hindenburg, etc. A huge glass tower block, touted as the tallest building in the world, bursts into flame on its opening night. Huge set pieces and detailed production design welcomes the audience in, in its luxuriously behemoth paragon that falls like adequacy outweighs potential. Heres my archive of stuff relating to the building and the movie, including blueprints, original model photos and more. The towering inferno 1974 if there was one common denominator for the 1974 disaster flick the towering inferno, it was. It all came back to me thenthe genesis of the film the towering inferno. Recent events in london, however, remind us that such dreadful disasters do happen in real life. An allstar cast includes steve mcqueen as michael ohallorhan, the fire chief determined to get the blaze under control, while paul newman stars as embarrassed architect doug roberts, trapped inside with fellow guests fred astaire, richard chamberlain and robert wagner. The seventies was a decade where disaster movies, such as the poseidon adventure 1972 and earthquake 1974, thrilled audiences with dramatic stories and special effects. The towering inferno 1974 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
Though not a bad presentation, the transfer disappointed. The towering inferno firstrate visual spectacle the. A fascinating behind the scenes insight into the making of the epic disaster film the towering inferno. A dedication ceremony at the worlds tallest skyscraper turns into a highrise catastrophe when a defective wire in its systemscontrol panel causes an electrical flareup. Directed by john guillermin, the film is a coproduction between 20th century fox and warner bros. The towering inferno 1974 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Orsatti, faye dunaway was often late to the set or didnt appear at all. The towering inferno firstrate visual spectacle the new york. At any rate, the towering inferno remains genuinely spectacular and exciting with its worldclass special effects and stunts. The star also came to the rescue of special effects crewman gary. Movie special effects the towering inferno tower models disaster movie model maker in and out movie making a movie real model movies.
I noticed light edge enhancement through the film, and this contributed to mild softness. However, none of them matched the starpower and visual grandeur of this tale of a brandnew san francisco skyscraper whose upper floors burst into flame during the opening ceremony. Its also a movie to make me happy i dont live in a highrise. Even many decades later, the towering inferno is an awesome film, a guilty pleasure at the least and a classic at its best. The towering inferno became the biggest of the seventies cycle of disaster movies, which began four years earlier with airport. Irwin allen, the producer and a magician at creating special effects. The towering inferno, one of irwin allens best efforts as movie producer. The glass tower 8 floors, from the movie the towering. The film, which opened yesterday at the national and. The towering inferno is a nearly threehour suspense film for arsonists, firemen, movietechnology buffs, building inspectors, worry warts. The disaster film trend reached a zenith in 1974 with the combined releases of airport 1975 the first airport sequel, earthquake and the towering inferno.
Sneaking away from a party for a newly opened 5story skyscraper, robert wagner and susan flannery barely have time to bask in the afterglow from their extramarital quickie before realizing theyre about to be engulfed in flames. Forgotten gems of visual effects part three the towering inferno 1974 as a kid in the 1960s, i was shaped considerably by the numerous television shows of irwin allen, where much excitement, spectacle and out of this world adventure was to be had on a weekly basis. The movie to kick start the disaster movie all starts with the the towering inferno. The casting can make or break any film as we know, with infernos cast being great. The towering inferno is one of the greatest disaster pictures made, a personal and professional triumph for producer irwin allen. A bmovie disaster flick with major studio backing, a cast that puts the term allstar to shame, and effects that, for. The towering inferno the towering inferno 1974 is the towering accomplishment of the 1970s cinema of disaster.
Jul 29, 2009 the towering inferno crackles alight with a dtshd master audio 5. The 1970s was the decade for disaster movies, and this one tops the list. The towering inferno 1974 classic disaster movie cast. It was adapted by stirling silliphant from a pair of novels, the tower by richard martin.
Special effects al kasha songwriter bud ekins stunts carl kress editor frank m. The towering inferno the towering inferno is a character driven feature about unity and fascism brewing at a point of annihilation. Earthquake is a 1974 american ensemble disaster drama film directed and produced by mark robson. This irwin allen film was directed by john guillermin king kong 1976, nominated for eight academy awards including best picture, and it took home awards for best cinematography, best editing, and even best song. Chief ohallorhan steve mcqueen, the towering inferno. At the opening party of a colossalbut poorly constructedoffice building, a massive fire breaks out. With magnificent special effects and a neverending number of fiery death traps, the film cranks up the temperature and keeps it at a fever pitch. The towering inferno, one of irwin allens best efforts as movie producer, actually probably his best effort considering the other disaster film that came after in the late 70s irwin allen who was producer of the film also directed some scenes aswell even thou john guillerman was credited as director for the film john directed the actiondisaster scenes, irwin directed other scenes everytime. This made some scenes impossible to film and caused other actors such as william holden and jennifer jones to become quite upset. The towering inferno is a 1974 american disaster film produced by irwin allen featuring an ensemble cast led by paul newman and steve mcqueen. The towering inferno 1974 the towering inferno 1974. The towering inferno 1974 an epic disaster movie, the towering inferno is a spectacular, allstar cookout. Jul, 2016 the behind the scenes drama of 1974s the towering inferno.
Everything about the production was largerthanlife, from the astronomical budget, the powerhouse studio effort, the top stars, the fantastical storyline, massive sets, and the booming box office receipts. The towering inferno 1974 directed by john guillermin. The most popular and critically lauded of the cookiecutter disaster movies of 1970s, the towering inferno set the highwater mark for the genre. The towering inferno is a brawny blockbuster of a movie, by far the best of the mid1970s wave of disaster films. The 1974 irwin allen disaster blockbuster, the towering inferno, a follow up to his 1972 hit, the poseidon adventure, with another true all star cast. The towering inferno was obviously a big budget film, with its ton of special effects and, most of all, its allstar cast. The upper 15 floors of the glass tower was built as a facade in the dirt parking lot of the 20th century fox ranch in malibu, california, including drapes for all the windows and an explosion hole at the outside elevator track. Jan 21, 2014 john landis famously said that the problem with special effects shots is that when they turn out good, directors want to use every foot of film, and that is anathema to editing a tightly paced film. Considering that the towering inferno was the biggest film of 1974 it was.
When i was an impressionable teenager in 1975 i saw towering inferno 4 times at the cinema, still a record for me, and despite the years and jaded view of middle age, this is still a thrilling film, mainly because the effects are so realistic, no cgi then, and the characters are. The best scene in the irwin allenproduced disaster blockbuster the towering inferno comes fairly early. John landis famously said that the problem with special effects shots is that when they turn out good, directors want to use every foot of film, and that is anathema to editing a tightly paced film. After they trade what they hope wont be their last. The towering inferno was released in theatres on december 14, 1974. When i was an impressionable teenager in 1975 i saw towering inferno 4 times at the cinema, still a record for me, and despite the years and jaded view of middle age, this is still a thrilling film, mainly because the effects are so realistic, no cgi then, and the characters are so presented well if a bit archly at times. Thus was born the towering inferno, a stunningly made, tension filled gem. The towering inferno is one of his better works, and its no exception to any of these rules.
Forgotten gems of visual effects part three the towering. With only a few seventiesera limitations revealed by the highdef format of the film, the towering inferno still holds strong as the benchmark of what disaster movies the kind of films roland emmerich attempts to make should be all about. The glass tower is a fictitious building from the movie the towering inferno, and if youve seen the movie, the entire building isnt really shown especially the elaborate plaza base, and the back was never modeled. The last stand, and branko racki, stunt coordinator. On the bright side, itll take much longer for the towering inferno to be pillaged by a modern remake, a fate already endured more than once by the poseidon adventure.
Its fun and campy yes i think it was funny how people burned alive and fell to their deaths. A great deal of the sonic action is front weighted with nice, clear dialogue being delivered among the devastation. The towering inferno is a brawny blockbuster of a movie, by far the best of. Staring paul newman, susan blakely, jennifer jones and richard chamberlain. The widow of the director and producer, irwin allen, shirley appeared in some of her husbands productions in minor roles, including the poseidon adventure 1972 and the towering inferno 1974 in which she is pictured.