The Hindenburg (1975)

A film that chronicles the events of the Hindenburg disaster in which a zeppelin burst into flames.

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Richard Levinson (screen story), William Link (screen story),

Stars:

George C. Scott, Anne Bancroft, William Atherton

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George C. Scott	...	Ritter
Anne Bancroft	...	The Countess
William Atherton	...	Boerth
Roy Thinnes	...	Martin Vogel
Gig Young	...	Edward Douglas
Burgess Meredith	...	Emilio Pajetta
Charles Durning	...	Captain Pruss
Richard Dysart	...	Lehman (as Richard A. Dysart)
Robert Clary	...	Joe Spah
Rene Auberjonois	...	Major Napier
Peter Donat	...	Reed Channing
Alan Oppenheimer	...	Albert Breslau
Katherine Helmond	...	Mrs. Mildred Breslau
Joanna Moore	...	Mrs. Channing
Stephen Elliott	...	Captain Fellows

Storyline

This film is a compendium of the facts and fiction of the events leading up to the disaster. For dramatic effect, Sabotage was chosen as the cause, rather than electricity lashing out at a couple of tons of hydrogen.

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Plot Keywords:

disaster | zeppelin | sabotage | blimp | germany | 

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Taglines:

The truth at last? What really happened to The Hindenburg?

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hindenburg

Filming Locations:

Naval Air Base, Lakehurst, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Filmakers Group, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Mono (Westrex Recording System) (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

WLS radio announcer Herbert Morrison was present at the scene of the Hindenburg crash, along with his engineer Charlie Nehlsen, and recorded an eyewitness account of the unfolding tragedy. This audio clip can be heard at the end of the film. However, Nehlsen's recorder was running a bit slow, so that when the recording is played back at normal speed, the pitch of Morrison's real speaking voice is raised slightly. Also note that a slight cracking is audible at one point during the recording. This was caused by the shockwave of the explosion reaching the recorder just after Morrison shouts "It's burst into flames!"

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Goofs

When the Hindenburg flies over New York City, it is shown going north, up the Hudson River from the south end of Manhattan. It should be going south. Lakehurst, N.J. is south of Manhattan.

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Quotes

Ursula, The Countess: The German Air Force is not at all like it used to be, but then again, nothing is.

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Connections

Featured in The Andromeda Strain: Making the Film (2001)

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Soundtracks

"There's A Lot to be Said for the Fuehrer"
Music by David Shire
Lyric by Ed Kleban
Performed by Peter Donat, Robert Clary (uncredited)

User Reviews

The Tragedy In Lakehurst

If a film about The Hindenburg had to be made it certainly would have been made in the decade of the disaster film, the Seventies. But this film labored under a unique handicap that none of the other disaster films of the decade had.

Unlike the sinking of the Titanic or the blowing up of Mount Krakatoa and certainly not like any of the potential but fictional disaster events that were film subjects, The Hindenburg was recorded on sight with newsreel cameras and on radio with Herbert Morrison's never to be forgotten broadcast. A lot of people now still remember it, let alone back in 1975.

What Robert Wise did and maybe more successfully than any other director was make full use of the famous newsreel footage and carefully edited it into his film, with slow motion techniques into the personal attempts by the cast to try and escape the holocaust. The Hindenburg received Oscar nominations for sound, cinematography, and art&set design with a special award for special effects. Yet no nomination for editing which the main plus this film has going for it.

Of course we don't know what ever really happened to the Hindenburg and the film takes account of all the theories put forth. It also uses the real names of the people who were passengers, crew, and officials of the Third Reich. The Nazi government had a big stake in the dirigible fleet they had built, they were as much propaganda value for them as Max Schmeling in boxing and Gottfried Von Cramm in tennis.

Of course had they had access to helium to float the big guys this might never have happened. But the USA had a near total monopoly on the world's helium and was not selling it to Hitler. Hence they used the lighter, but flammable hydrogen with the result of the tragedy.

George C. Scott and Anne Bancroft head the cast as a Luftwaffe official and a worldly old world countess traveling to the USA to visit her deaf mute daughter going to school for same in Boston. The Nazis didn't believe in helping those they considered defectives, another lovable quality about them.

The Hindenburg is a sobering and near factual account of what happened in Lakehurst, New Jersey that afternoon. It's one of the best of the Seventies disaster films and should not be missed.