The Towering Inferno (1974)

At the opening party of a colossal, but poorly constructed, office building, a massive fire breaks out that threatens to destroy the tower and everyone in it.

Director:

John Guillermin

Writers:

Richard Martin Stern (novel), Thomas N. Scortia (novel)

Stars:

Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden

Won 3 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve McQueen	...	Chief O'Hallorhan
Paul Newman	...	Doug Roberts
William Holden	...	Jim Duncan
Faye Dunaway	...	Susan
Fred Astaire	...	Harlee Claiborne
Susan Blakely	...	Patty
Richard Chamberlain	...	Simmons
Jennifer Jones	...	Lisolette
O.J. Simpson	...	Jernigan
Robert Vaughn	...	Senator Parker
Robert Wagner	...	Bigelow
Susan Flannery	...	Lorrie
Sheila Allen	...	Paula Ramsay (as Sheila Mathews)
Norman Burton	...	Giddings (as Normann Burton)
Jack Collins	...	Mayor Ramsay

Storyline

Doug Roberts, Architect, returns from a long vacation to find work nearly completed on his skyscraper. He goes to the party that night concerned he's found that his wiring specifications have not been followed and that the building continues to develop short circuits. When the fire begins, Michael O'Halleran is the chief on duty as a series of daring rescues punctuate the terror of a building too tall to have a fire successfully fought from the ground.

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Plot Keywords:

fire | trapped | party | architect | skyscraper | 

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Taglines:

The tallest building in the world is on fire. You are there with 294 other guests... ...There's no way down. There's no way out.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Flammendes Inferno

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$116,000,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Warner Bros., Irwin Allen Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

165 min

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo (Westrex Recording System) (5.0) (L-R)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Scriptwriter Stirling Silliphant combined the two novels to create one screenplay. The combined three words that make up the titles of the two novels were combined to give the name of the film, and the name of the building that is on fire (The Glass Tower).

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Goofs

Even in the worst design scenario, it is inconceivable that anyone would have put gallons of paint thinner and dozens of cans of spray paint so close to an electrical panel, as shown at the beginning when the fire started.

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Quotes

[Carlos has tied himself to a wine case in preparation for the water tank detonations]
James Duncan: For God's sakes, Carlos, don't tie yourself up to a lot of glass.
Carlos: That's the '29!

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Crazy Credits

The 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. Pictures logos don't appear in the beginning.

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Connections

Featured in The Towering Inferno: Directing the Inferno (2006)

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Soundtracks

The Morning After
(uncredited)
Written by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
Played at the party when Roberts is first reporting the fire to Duncan

User Reviews

One of my all-time favorites

I've seen a lot of great films during my life. However, somehow, The Towering Inferno holds its place near the top of my list of great films, and is at the top of my list of favorite films.

While Irwin Allen's films often have many flaws, they're always entertaining. You won't feel cheated by an Irwin Allen film. This holds true especially for The Towering Inferno. There is something for almost everyone in this film, drama, romance, disaster, and good vs. evil are all present in this epic film.

The plot of the film is pretty well known to anyone who has at least heard of the film. During opening night ceremonies at the Glass Tower, the 138 story skyscraper located in the heart of San Francisco catches fire. What starts as a small electrical fire soon turns into "a night of blazing suspense", with fires breaking out all over the building.

The hard work put into this film is obvious. While the script is rather melodramatic at times, this does not take away from the feeling of peril in the film. The cast may be the best cast ever assembled in Hollywood history. The special effects, for the most part, stand the test of time.

Don't ask me why this film has gotten such a bad rep over the years. The film was nominated for best picture, and won Oscars for best cinematography, best special effects, and best song. The film grossed over 116 million dollars, and with adjusted totals, that is still more than films such as The Passion of the Christ, and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

I recommend that this film be seen. It is well worth renting, or if you can find it, buying.