IMDb > The Towering Inferno (1974)
The Towering Inferno
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The Towering Inferno (1974) More at IMDbPro »

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The Towering Inferno (1974) -- At the opening party of a collosal, but poorly constructed, office building, a massive fire breaks out that threatens to destroy the tower and everyone in it.
The Towering Inferno (1974) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   13,200 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Contact:
View company contact information for The Towering Inferno on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 December 1974 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
One Tiny Spark Becomes A Night Of Blazing Suspense. more
Plot:
At the opening party of a collosal, but poorly constructed, office building, a massive fire breaks out that threatens to destroy the tower and everyone in it. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 12 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(52 articles)
Christmas TV movies have lost their special glitter | Jason Solomons
 (From The Guardian - TV News. 5 December 2009, 4:09 PM, PST)

Son of Birthday Suits
 (From FilmExperience. 24 November 2009, 4:27 AM, PST)

User Comments:
The Best Of The Disaster Flicks? more (151 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Steve McQueen ... Fire Chief Michael O'Hallorhan

Paul Newman ... Doug Roberts

William Holden ... Jim Duncan

Faye Dunaway ... Susan

Fred Astaire ... Harlee Claiborne

Susan Blakely ... Patty Duncan Simmons

Richard Chamberlain ... Roger Simmons

Jennifer Jones ... Lisolette Muller
O.J. Simpson ... Harry Jernigan

Robert Vaughn ... Senator Gary Parker

Robert Wagner ... Dan Bigelow
Susan Flannery ... Lorrie
Sheila Allen ... Paula Ramsay (as Sheila Mathews)
Norman Burton ... Will Giddings (as Normann Burton)
Jack Collins ... Mayor Robert Ramsay
more
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Additional Details

Runtime:
165 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Paul Newman did most of his own stunts, including climbing up and down the bent stairwell railing. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When the fire crew slide down the fireman's pole to answer the alarm call the pole can clearly be seen moving from side to side. A real fireman's pole is fixed solidly to both ceiling and floor. more
Quotes:
Dan Bigelow: What happened, somebody hang the wallpaper upside down? more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
We May Never Love Like This Again more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
30 out of 39 people found the following comment useful.
The Best Of The Disaster Flicks?, 3 April 2006
8/10
Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

"Disaster Movies" were a big hit in this era, with airplane crashes, earthquakes, fires, etc. This one made huge fires and firemen fashionable for awhile. It certainly had people talking, and it may have been the best of those "disaster" flicks.

The movie certainly had an all-star cast: Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Susan Blakely, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner and (gulp) O.J. Simpson. Even Jennifer Jones came out of a long retirement to return to films. It was really nice to see her again.

What really surprised me about this film when I watched it earlier this year was that the special effects were still good, and the film is almost 40 years old. It was also good to see Steve McQueen being the good guy again. He was the best character in the film. The worst was William Holden, who turned out to play a lot profane-spewing nasty people as soon as the Hays' code was totally abolished in 1967. Same thing for Paul Newman. McQueen, meanwhile, kept his class as did Jones, of course, and Astaire.

The film is almost three hours long but, a few soap opera scenes aside, it's a solid adventure story that holds up well and it served a good purpose, making hotel owners more aware of potential fire hazards.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (151 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Towering Inferno (1974)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
most shocking death in a film (spoilers) thames-5
Huge mistake- fire on the 65th floor??? flashbackweekend
High Time for a remake!! thecottonfamily
Why didnt the building collapse mattep74
Jennifer Jones kathmaxwell828586
Scenic elevator rescue = impossible Rhapthorne
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