Earthquake (1974)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

George Fox (written by)
Mario Puzo (written by)

Release Date:

15 November 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

An Event...

Plot:

Various stories of various people as an earthquake of un-imagineable magnitude hits Los Angeles.

Plot Keywords:

Earthquake | Policeman | Police | Widow | Daredevil

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Stewart Graff
Ava Gardner	...	Remy Royce-Graff
George Kennedy	...	Sgt. Lew Slade
Lorne Greene	...	Sam Royce
Geneviève Bujold	...	Denise Marshall (as Genevieve Bujold)
Richard Roundtree	...	Miles Quade
Marjoe Gortner	...	Jody
Barry Sullivan	...	Dr. Willis Stockle
Lloyd Nolan	...	Dr. James Vance
Victoria Principal	...	Rosa Amici
Walter Matthau	...	Drunk (as Walter Matuschanskayasky)
Monica Lewis	...	Barbara
Gabriel Dell	...	Sal Amici
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	Officer Emilio Chavez (as Pedro Armendariz Jr.)
Lloyd Gough	...	Bill Cameron

Runtime:

123 min | USA:160 min (TV version) | Canada:121 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Singapore:PG | Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1976) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG (Certificate #24032)

Filming Locations:

1329 Carroll Avenue, Central Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

The Filmakers Group

Trivia:

When the movie played at Graumann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood in 1974 it was shown in "Sensurround" with heavy bass speakers set on the floor around the theater. Very soon after the preview performances, a giant net had to be rigged above the patrons because of fear that the ornate ceiling decorations might break loose and fall on the audience below due to the low bass rumble of earthquake sequences. During the film's initial preview performances at the theatre, the Sensurround vibrations actually caused an occasional, very small and harmless piece of plaster or paint to crack and fall down onto the audience. Worried that continuous periods of strong sound waves throughout the film's exclusive run might loosen elements of the ceiling's ornamentation and light fixtures, the theatre management ordered the safety net to be slung below the entire auditorium ceiling, just below the ornamentation. This action was publicized in the local papers. Whether or not the ceiling's very visible "safety net" was an actual, workable safety measure or whether it was merely a publicity gimmick, it did serve to heighten audience anticipation of the film's effects.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The exterior of the parking garage falling apart with the aftershock is a combination of miniature on the top and live action at the bottom. The debris falling off the miniature disappear behind the live action on the bottom.

Quotes:

Chief Inspector, L.A. Dept. of Water & Power: Find anything?
Diver at Hollywood Reservoir: [surfaces] All OK as far as I can tell! I'll check again!
[submerges]
Chief Inspector, L.A. Dept. of Water & Power: I guess we won't find anything until after the shaft is pumped out, but everything looks fine.
Max, Assistant Dam Caretaker: Right. People drown in elevators every damn day of the week!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Buck Henry/Gordon Lightfoot (#1.21)" (1976)

This film was good...deal with it!

People that bash this poor movie, and many others, need to write what they really feel about it, instead of stoop to low means by conformity. The only reason people knock this classic is because most others do. This movie is great! This movie is wonderful, perfect! This movie has all the right moves. A star- studded cast, a nice disastrous situation to keep your mind tuned in, and a good script by Mario Puzo. Yes, this film was a major studio film. But, back then, even the studio films were made well. It's really sad that the same thing cannot be said for films now. Puzo provides the film with a wonderful, developed story about the entire community of Los Angeles, and what they suffer due to the consequences of our fore-fathers putting land on the west coast. Naturally, earthquakes are not uncommon in the California area, but there has never been such a horrible quake since the early 1900's, and so, as entertainment, we are shown the effects of that kind of a quake. The film sticks to basic facts, which is a plus in my book. The quake is said to be at least a 7.1 or so, and this is logical, seeing as the highest number on a seismograph is 9.0. With that being said, it's fun to think of what a large earthquake would do to the city of L.A. were such a disaster to occur, fun, for imaginative entertainment, heaven help us if this ever does happen. The film is quite tense, and it creeps up to the final moment when you as an audience knows there is no scape for the fate of these normal everyday people. The cast is very good, despite what most people think. All the actors are full of chemistry that bonds well with every one else like a perfect fit for a puzzle piece. The casting may have been a little heteroclite, but films today are ten times worse. The cast-members do their best, and the development is very suspenseful, and terror is only supplied when needed. Such a good way to do this kind of film. Think of it, disaster films today would fall at least an entire football field short of what people say this film was, and is. All in all, this is a good movie, and more people should just take it as it is, and stop complaining.