Smash-Up on Interstate 5 (1976)

A disaster movie opening with an enormous multi-vehicle crash on a Californian highway. After the opening stunt-filled action, a flashback of the crash victims' lives prior to and leading ... See full summary »

Director:

John Llewellyn Moxey

Writers:

Eugene Price (teleplay), Robert Presnell Jr. (teleplay),

Stars:

Robert Conrad, Sian Barbara Allen, Buddy Ebsen

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Conrad	...	Sergeant Sam Marcum
Sian Barbara Allen	...	Barbara Hutton
Buddy Ebsen	...	Al Pearson
Herb Edelman	...	Danny
David Groh	...	Dale
Scott Jacoby	...	Lee Bassett
Joe Kapp	...	Officer Estevez
Sue Lyon	...	Burnsey
Vera Miles	...	Erica
Donna Mills	...	Laureen
Harriet Hilliard	...	June Pearson (as Harriet Nelson)
George O'Hanlon Jr.	...	Pete
Terry Moore	...	Trudy
Bonnie Ebsen	...	Penny
Tommy Lee Jones	...	Officer Hutton

Storyline

A disaster movie opening with an enormous multi-vehicle crash on a Californian highway. After the opening stunt-filled action, a flashback of the crash victims' lives prior to and leading up to the accident. The closing replays the entire "smash up" from various angles and in slow motion, depicting much carnage and indifference to the victims.

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Plot Keywords:

highway | disaster | interstate | policeman | pregnant woman | 

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Taglines:

15 Lives Bound Forever in One Shattering Second ... The Most Awesome Automobile Accident Ever Filmed!

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 December 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Carambolages

Filming Locations:

La Canada Flintridge, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmways Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Interstate 5 runs north-south on the west coast of the United States paralleling US Route 101 from the Mexican to the Canadian borders connecting the cites of San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento (California), Medford, Eugene, Salem, Portland (Oregon), Tacoma, Seattle, Everett and Bellingham (Washington).

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Goofs

For the entire film, Sgt. Marcam's CHP cruiser is a then-new 1976 Dodge Monaco (an intermediate sized car). For the crash sequence at the end of the film, his car changes into a much larger 1973 Dodge Monaco (no doubt a budget consideration, as the car is wrecked).

User Reviews

A 70s special: disaster movie piffle

This movie amounts to little of significance, but it has for some reason stuck in my consciousness ever since I saw it. With a well-known cast, I am a bit surprised it doesn't turn up occasionally on late-night or weekend small-station airings. The "smash-up" of the title is a massive 40 or 50-car accident on the Southern California freeway which both opens and closes the film. After the initial footage of the accident, the film skips back a day or two to tell the stories of several of the victims: a woman having an affair with a married man, some young criminals on the lam, a biker gang, and an elderly couple (the wife suffering from cancer), among others. The action leads back to the wreck, which is reshown in greater (and gorier) detail, followed by its immediate aftermath. The acting is rather good as I remember, especially Sian Barbara Allen as the "other woman" and Buddy Ebsen and Harriet Hilliard (Nelson) as the sweetly tragic elderly couple. As I've been writing this, I realize how much I'd like to see it again. I guess that amounts to a fairly strong recommendation.