The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Nine people explore a cruise ship at sea in a manner that turns their whole lives upside down.

Director:

Ronald Neame

Writers:

Paul Gallico (novel), Stirling Silliphant (screenplay by)

Stars:

Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Hackman	...	Reverend Scott
Ernest Borgnine	...	Mike Rogo
Red Buttons	...	James Martin
Carol Lynley	...	Nonnie Parry
Roddy McDowall	...	Acres
Stella Stevens	...	Linda Rogo
Shelley Winters	...	Belle Rosen
Jack Albertson	...	Manny Rosen
Pamela Sue Martin	...	Susan Shelby
Arthur O'Connell	...	Chaplain
Eric Shea	...	Robin
Fred Sadoff	...	Linarcos
Sheila Allen	...	Nurse (as Sheila Mathews)
Jan Arvan	...	Doctor Caravello
Byron Webster	...	Purser

Storyline

A passenger ship, on her way to the scrap yard is pushed to her limits by the new owners to save on the dismantling fees. A tidal wave hits her, flipping her over so that all the internal rooms are upside down. A priest takes a mixed band of survivors on a journey through the bowels of the ship in an attempt to survive.

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Plot Keywords:

new year's eve | swimming underwater | tidal wave | ocean liner | 1970s | 

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Taglines:

Hell, Upside Down

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The cast includes 5 Oscar Winners (Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Shelley Winters and Jack Albertson) and 1 Oscar nominee (Arthur O'Connell).

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Goofs

When the water starts flooding the dining room, it sprays onto the light fixtures causing them to go off. Seconds later, it is spraying onto them again.

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Quotes

Mike Rogo: She's got nothin' on underneath.
Linda Rogo: Just panties. What else do I need?

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: At midnight on New Year's Eve, the S. S. POSEIDON, enroute from New York to Athens, met with disaster and was lost. There were only a handful of survivors. This is their story. . .

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Connections

Featured in Beyond Titanic (1998)

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Soundtracks

The Song from The Poseidon Adventure
aka "The Morning After" (1972)
Words and Music by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
Orchestration Alexander Courage
Performed by Renée Armand (uncredited)

User Reviews

Still holds up... hardly dated at all

The clothes and the likes are really the only thing that date this film. 35 years old, and it still holds up well. No CGI featured, and none required. I have not read the book of this film, so I cannot say if it is an accurate adaptation, in the spirit of the original. I will say that it is a well-produced piece of fiction. The plot is quite good. The writing is good, and has very realistic, great moments. Dialog is well-done, and delivered equally well. The characters are credible and well-written. There is a reasonable amount of development and background for them. The special effects are undeniably excellently done. They are convincing throughout. Nature itself becomes the threat, with realistic physics. The camera-work and editing are nicely done, save for an awkward cut or two. Cinematography is effective. The pacing is solid for the whole film. As far as the technical aspect goes, the film is great. The acting is of high quality. The kid isn't the most annoying ever seen. The tension is admirable. I haven't watched particularly many disaster films... in fact, this film may be 50% of the total amount... so I can't say if this is an outstanding one. I'm not sure you can really watch this without noticing the theme of passivity versus activity... or, blind faith versus a more critical, independent faith. The film takes a definite stance on that. All in all, entertaining and worth your time. I recommend this to any fan of the actors and/or the genre. 7/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Hebrew

Release Date:

13 December 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Poseidon Adventure

Filming Locations:

RMS Queen Mary - 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$264,850, 17 December 1972

Gross USA:

$84,563,118

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$84,563,118

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Irwin Allen Productions, A Ronald Neame Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1