The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Director:

Ronald Neame
(more)

Writers:

Paul Gallico (novel)
Stirling Silliphant (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

13 December 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Tagline:

Hell, Upside Down

Plot:

A group of passengers struggle to survive and escape, when their ocean liner completely capsizes at sea.

Plot Keywords:

Survivor | Tidal Wave | Passenger | Capsize | Band

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Gene Hackman	...	Reverend Scott
Ernest Borgnine	...	Rogo
Red Buttons	...	Martin
Carol Lynley	...	Nonnie
Roddy McDowall	...	Acres
Stella Stevens	...	Linda Rogo
Shelley Winters	...	Belle Rosen
Jack Albertson	...	Manny Rosen
Pamela Sue Martin	...	Susan
Arthur O'Connell	...	Chaplain
Eric Shea	...	Robin
Fred Sadoff	...	Linarcos
Sheila Allen	...	Nurse (as Sheila Mathews)
Jan Arvan	...	Doctor
Byron Webster	...	Purser
John Crawford	...	Chief Engineer
Bob Hastings	...	M. C.
Erik L. Nelson	...	Mr. Tinkham (as Erik Nelson)
Leslie Nielsen	...	The Captain
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Phil Adams	...	Cable Steward (uncredited)
Craig Barley	...	Extra (uncredited)
Todd Bartlett	...	Extra (uncredited)
Charles Bateman	...	First Officer Larsen (uncredited)
Bill Catching	...	Man (uncredited)
Craig Chudy	...	Helmsman (uncredited)
Ronn Cragg	...	Radarman (uncredited)
Jimmy Cross	...	Dinning Room Steward (uncredited)
Fred Dale	...	Man (uncredited)
Connie Ducharme	...	Woman (uncredited)
Jim Galante	...	Assistant Engineer (uncredited)
Bob Golden	...	Wiper (uncredited)
Orwin C. Harvey	...	Falling Man (uncredited)
Larry Holt	...	Falling Man (uncredited)
Chris Howell	...	Man (uncredited)
Kathryn Janssen	...	Woman Seated Next to Purser (uncredited)
Marco López	...	Passenger (uncredited)
Maurice Marsac	...	French Naval Officer (uncredited)
Ernie F. Orsatti	...	Terry - Susan's Date (uncredited)
Victor Paul	...	Kyrenos (uncredited)
Stuart Perry	...	Teddy Parry (uncredited)
Frieda Rentie	...	Indian Woman (uncredited)
Lance Rimmer	...	Extra (uncredited)
Elizabeth Rogers	...	Woman Next to Mr. Tinkham (uncredited)
George Sawaya	...	Bos'n Mate (uncredited)
David Sharpe	...	Man (uncredited)
Paul Stader	...	Martin - Wireless Operator (uncredited)
Mark Tulin	...	Bass Guitarist as Ship Sinks (uncredited)
Waddy Wachtel	...	Crump - Guitarist #1 (uncredited)
Roseann Williams	...	Woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Ronald Neame
Irwin Allen		(co-director: action sequences) (uncredited)

Writing credits
Paul Gallico		(novel)
Stirling Silliphant		(screenplay) and
Wendell Mayes		(screenplay)

Produced by
Irwin Allen	....	producer
Sidney Marshall	....	associate producer
Steve Broidy	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Williams

Cinematography by
Harold E. Stine		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Harold F. Kress

Casting by
Jack Baur

Production Design by
William J. Creber		(as William Creber)

Set Decoration by
Raphael Bretton

Costume Design by
Paul Zastupnevich

Makeup Department
Del Acevedo	....	makeup artist
Edwin Butterworth	....	makeup artist (as Ed Butterworth)
Carol Pershing	....	hair stylist
Sheral Ross	....	hair stylist
Allan Snyder	....	makeup artist
Ann Wadlington	....	hair stylist
Daniel C. Striepeke	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Hal Herman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Norman A. Cook	....	assistant director (as Norman Cook)
Les Warner	....	second assistant director
Donald White	....	second assistant director (as Don White)

Art Department
Tom Cranham	....	production illustrator
Dan Goozee	....	production illustrator
Bob McLaughlin	....	property master
Ward Preston	....	assistant art director
Jerry Kobold	....	assistant prop man (uncredited)
Charles Stevens	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Richard A. Villalobos	....	leadman (uncredited)

Sound Department
John A. Bonner	....	sound supervisor (as John Bonner)
Herman Lewis	....	production mixer
Theodore Soderberg	....	re-recording mixer
Orrick Barrett	....	boom man (uncredited)
Raul A. Bruce	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
A.D. Flowers	....	mechanical effects (as A. D. Flowers)

Visual Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects (as L. B. Abbott)
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Paul Stader	....	stunt coordinator
Phil Adams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Craig R. Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)
Marilyn Bower	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Catching	....	stunts (uncredited)
Craig Chudy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Howard Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Pepper Curtis	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Pepper Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Daheim	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Dale	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carol Daniels	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paula Dell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mike Donovan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Durock	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lila Finn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Donna Garrett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Holt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chris Howell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mike Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Denver Mattson	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Moio	....	stunts (uncredited)
Doug O'Dell	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Doug O'Dell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ernie F. Orsatti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Victor Paul	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Peter Peterson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Allen Pinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bobby Porter	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert Prohaska	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wally Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Sawaya	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Scheiwiller	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rodell Sharpe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Marilyn Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts (uncredited)
June lorna Wilson	....	stunts (uncredited)
James Winburn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Thomas Worrell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Zendar	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Thomas Morris	....	camera operator (as Tommy Morris)
Lou Pazelli	....	key grip
Clyde Taylor	....	gaffer
Henry Gerzen	....	key grip (uncredited)
Bob Henderson	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Tom Kerschner	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
James Mitchell	....	stills (uncredited)
Joe Valdez	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Wally Harton	....	costumes: men (uncredited)
Dick James	....	costumes: men (uncredited)
Barbara Westerland	....	costumes: women (uncredited)

Editorial Department
William DeNicholas	....	assistant film editor
Brent Eldridge	....	digital color correction (uncredited)

Music Department
Vinton Vernon	....	scoring mixer
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (uncredited)
Frank Khoury	....	driver (uncredited)
Jim Martell	....	transportation coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Teresa Brachetto	....	script supervisor
John Campbell	....	unit publicist
Al Gail	....	assistant to producer
Art Volpert	....	production coordinator
Steve Marlowe	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)
Art Volpert	....	production controller (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox)
• Kent Productions (as Kent Productions, Inc.)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (released by) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)
• Fox-Rank (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1973) (France) (theatrical)
• MGM-Fox Films (1972) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (UK) (DVD) (special edition)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1974) (USA) (TV)
• Magnetic Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting (uncredited)
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes (uncredited)
• City of Long Beach, California Museum of the Sea Foundation  portions of this picture filmed aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, with the cooperation of (as the City of Long Beach, California Museum of the Sea Foundation)
• NovaStar Digital  post-production sound services (uncredited)
• P.S.A. Hotels  portions of this picture filmed aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California with the cooperation of (as P.S.A. Hotels, Inc.)
• Queen Mary Corporation  portions of this picture filmed aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California with the cooperation of (as Speciality Queen Mary Corporation)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (35 mm optical prints)

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) (2002) | Iceland:16 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | Peru:14 | UK:PG (tv rating) | UK:PG (video rating: DVD additional material etc) (2006) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | USA:PG (PCA #23341) | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

RMS Queen Mary - 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The original script called for Rev. Scott to send Mrs. Rosen on her underwater mission, and for her to be trapped and need rescuing by him. Gene Hackman decided that his character would never ask her to do this, and suggested their characters' situations be reversed. Director Ronald Neame agreed, and they persuaded Shelley Winters that this was indeed better for her character.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Martin is placing all his pills out before New Years, there is no green pill. But when Mrs. Rosen asks him about it, it's there.

Quotes:

Mrs. Belle Rosen:You see, Mr. Scott? In the water I'm a very skinny lady.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Hot Tub Time Machine/Chloe/How to Train Your Dragon (#2.12)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

Give Me the Simple Life

Twice as good, half as long

If you have three and a half hours to kill, do NOT watch Titanic. Take the three and a half hours and watch the Poseidon Adventure twice. Okay, it's campy and it's the consummate 70s disaster flick, complete with ensemble cast.

But when you put them up against each other, Poseidon Adventure is just leagues better than Titanic. Titanic is over three hours, and centers around two characters. In that time, the two characters are hardly developed at all, they're terribly one dimensional and probably could be summed up in about a sentence each.

Compare this to Poseidon Adventure. Stars off with a dozen main characters, and in half as much time, they all have their own personalities, quirks, and are real identifiable people. And far from the Titanic tendency of stamping "I'm gonna die" on people's foreheads, in the Poseidon Adventure you don't know initially who's going to die- or at least not how or when anyway.

The Poseidon Adventure is just a more interesting movie. It may not be as glossy or as pretty, but it's got it where it counts... it's just a better film.