Hotel (1967)

Director:

Richard Quine

Writers:

Arthur Hailey (novel)
Wendell Mayes (writer)

Release Date:

19 January 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Warner Bros. unlocks all the doors of the sensation-filled best-seller!

Plot:

Based on the best-selling novel by Arthur Hailey ("Airport"), the story of the clock-like movements of a giant...

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | New Orleans Louisiana | Based On Novel

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Rod Taylor	...	Peter McDermott
Catherine Spaak	...	Jeanne Rochefort
Karl Malden	...	Keycase
Melvyn Douglas	...	Warren Trent
Merle Oberon	...	The Duchess Caroline
Richard Conte	...	Dupere
Michael Rennie	...	Geoffrey - Duke of Lanbourne
Kevin McCarthy	...	Curtis O'Keefe
Carmen McRae	...	Christine
Alfred Ryder	...	Capt. Yolles
Roy Roberts	...	Bailey
Al Checco	...	Herbie Chandler
Sheila Bromley	...	Mrs. Grandin
Harry Hickox	...	Sam
William Lanteau	...	Mason

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Some early UK Pan film tie-in novels wrongly credited the boxer 'Archie Moore' as appearing in this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Hi-fi in Peter's apartment has one record on turntable in first shot. In subsequent shots, there's a second album on spindle.

Quotes:

Peter McDermott: A sure way to empty a hotel fast: drop an elevator.

Movie Connections:

References Casablanca (1942)

Glitzy, All-Star Goings-On from Arthur Hailey and Jack Warner

The late Arthur Hailey was not a great writer, but he was a great storyteller, which made up for it. And that's evident in the films of his books, as well. The original "Airport" is probably the best known, but "Hotel," which later became a hit TV series in the 1980s, is a good, overlooked adaptation as well. One can easily dismiss it as colorful, all-star glitz and gloss, but one is fascinated by it as well.

As directed by Richard Quine, written and produced by Wendell Mayes, and costumed by the legendary Edith Head, it has atmosphere to spare, even if most of that atmosphere is courtesy of the Warner back lot. The story is slight and somewhat diffuse, but the atmosphere and cast, especially Rod Taylor, Melvyn Douglas, Kevin McCarthy, Karl Malden (In a role with almost no dialog!), and the ageless Merle Oberon, keep you riveted every step of the way. And, as with "Airport," there's the usual crisis element, in this case an elevator crash sequence that's suspsnsefully staged.

One complaint, though: Johnny Keating's music, while nice, is often loud and intrusive. Background music is supposed to be just that, BACKGROUND music. If I wanted to hear the score that badly, I would have bought the soundtrack album.