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    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1970s
    Movies - 1970s Movies - T 3 Mins Read

    Towering Inferno, The (1974)

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    This is junk, but it’s star-studded junk, with some of Hollywood’s greatest actors forced to team up with some of its worst to rescue trapped VIPs from the top floor of a burning 136-story skyscraper in San Francisco during its inauguration ceremony party.

    The fire traps the various luminaries gathered there for the dedication ceremony, including owner James Duncan (William Holden), his daughter Patty (Susan Blakely), conman Harlee Claiborne (Fred Astaire), Senator Gary Parker (Robert Vaughn), and Security Officer Jernigan, played by O.J. Simpson – whose presence, as with the concept of people trapped in one of the world’s tallest building as it collapses in flames, makes it a rather more uncomfortable experience to watch today.

    Architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) comes to the rescue, aided by Fire Chief Mike O’Hallorhan (Steve McQueen) – who could have told them this was going to happen – and the film proves that giving the electrical wiring contract to the lowest bidder – morally bankrupt subcontractor, Simmons (Richard Chamberlain) – doesn’t always pay.

    The construction company was going perilously over-budget on the project and needed Simmons to save two-million dollars somewhere . . .

    The movie came in the wake of The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and Earthquake (1974) but exceeded their success. There were probably a number of reasons for this; Towering Inferno had two big stars, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen, so the film could exploit what was left of the “buddy movie” genre; two blue-eyed boys fighting the flames together.

    Unlike most disaster films of the 1970s, this is big-budget, big-spectacle stuff, with seemingly few expenses spared on the state-of-the-art effects and Oscar-winning cinematography (the film was nominated for eight Academy Awards in total, including Best Picture), and the cast all give good value for money, particularly Astaire.

    Producer Irwin Allen – who had made his name with TV  shows like Lost In Space, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea and Land Of The Giants – spent the rest of his career trying to repeat the recipe, culminating in the ultimate bee-invasion movie, The Swarm (1978).

    The Towering Inferno won three Oscars: Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing and Best Song – The über seventies schmaltz-fest We may never love like this again, sung by Maureen McGovern.

    If you visit San Francisco, you can take a ride in the scenic elevators featured in the movie. They are at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

    Michael O’Hallorhan
    Steve McQueen
    Doug Roberts 

    Paul Newman
    James Duncan 

    William Holden
    Susan Franklin 

    Faye Dunaway
    Harlee Claiborne 

    Fred Astaire
    Patty Simmons 

    Susan Blakely
    Roger Simmons 

    Richard Chamberlain
    Lisolette Mueller 

    Jennifer Jones
    Jernigan 

    O.J. Simpson
    Senator Gary Parker 

    Robert Vaughn
    Dan Bigelow 

    Robert Wagner
    Lorrie 

    Susan Flannery
    Paula Ramsay 

    Sheila Mathews
    Will Giddings 

    Norman Burton
    Mayor Ramsay 

    Jack Collins
    Kappy 

    Don Gordon
    Scott 

    Felton Perry
    Carlos 

    Gregory Sierra
    Mark Powers 

    Ernie Orsatti
    Deputy Chief #1 

    Dabney Coleman
    Lady in buoy 

    Elizabeth Rogers
    Guest 

    Ann Leicester
    Flaker 

    Norman Grabowski
    Deputy Chief #2 

    Ross Elliott
    Johnson 

    Olan Soulé
    Angela Allbright 

    Carlena Gower
    Phillip Allbright 

    Mike Lookinland
    Mrs. Allbright 

    Carol McEvoy
    Young fireman 

    Scott Newman

    Director
    John Guillermin
    Producer 

    Irwin Allen

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