When Time Ran Out... (1980)

An active volcano threatens a south Pacific island resort and its guests as a power struggle ensues between the property's developer and a drilling foreman.

Director:

James Goldstone

Writers:

Gordon Thomas (based on the novel "The Day the World Ended" by), Max Morgan Witts (based on the novel "The Day the World Ended" by)

Stars:

Paul Newman, Jacqueline Bisset, William Holden

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Newman	...	Hank Anderson
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Kay Kirby
William Holden	...	Shelby Gilmore
Edward Albert	...	Brian
Red Buttons	...	Francis Fendly
Barbara Carrera	...	Iolani
Valentina Cortese	...	Rose Valdez (as Valentina Cortesa)
Veronica Hamel	...	Nikki
Alex Karras	...	Tiny Baker
Burgess Meredith	...	Rene Valdez
Ernest Borgnine	...	Tom Conti
James Franciscus	...	Bob Spangler
John Considine	...	Webster
Sheila Allen	...	Mona
Pat Morita	...	Sam

Storyline

Tourists are surprised by a volcanic eruption in a lonesome hotel in the Caribic. The hotel owner ignores all warnings and advises his guests to wait for a rescue team. Only a small group follows expert Hank to reach higher regions. They start an adventurous journey across the island.

---

Plot Keywords:

volcanic eruption | 1980s | pacific ocean | pacific island | 1980s film | 

---

Taglines:

Caught in a game of power. Playing time: 24 hours. Prizes: Untold wealth. Rules: None.

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller

---

Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Toward the end of his life, Paul Newman confessed in interviews that this was the only film he ever did solely for the money. He called it "that volcano movie" and said that he and most of the cast knew it would be a bomb from day one. Many believe that part of his salary from this movie was used as seed money for a salad dressing business he was setting up with A.E. Hotchner, with 100% of the profits, after taxes, going to educational and charitable organizations. Newman's Own, established in 1982, has raised over $260 million for charities all over the world, and continues to grow and prosper.

---

Goofs

After night falls, characters and/or the camera view the volcano from various angles, some 90 degrees removed from one another, but the same side of the volcano is visible, with the same patterns of lava flow. It's clearly a piece of stock footage matted into the frame.

---

Quotes

Rene Valdez: Thoses two, remind me of Rose and myself...a long time ago,
Shelby Gilmore: I know what you mean,

---

Alternate Versions

The expanded video version (141 minutes) includes many extended and additional scenes including the following (SPOILERS!): A longer exchange between Jacqueline Bisset and William Holden regarding his marriage proposal, much more footage surrounding Alex Karras' cockfighting endeavors and the revelry at Mona's bar, more crowd reaction scenes during the initial assault on the hotel by fireballs, more discussion between James Franciscus and William Holden about the imminent threat of the volcano, a scene between Veronica Hamel and James Franciscus about how severe the danger really is, a scene in which James Franciscus tells Edward Albert that they are half brothers, a scene between Edward Albert and Barbara Carrera in which she admits she loves James Franciscus and a far longer caravan scene which includes various conversations amongst all the survivors as they are driving/riding to safety.

---

Connections

Featured in Vintage Video: When Time Ran Out... (1980) (2020)

User Reviews

Failed and boring catastrophe movie that even a wasted all-star cast cannot save

An active volcano threatens a south Pacific island resort and its guests as a power struggle ensues between the property's developer , James Franciscus , and a drilling foreman , Paul Newman . Molten lava and explosion spread across the island . As an all-star cast is on the run when Mother Nature blows her top .

Exciting film about a volcanic eruption threatens a Pacific island that packs blasts , thrills , overwhelming scenes of blowing up , suspense , excessive talking and turns out to be slightly entertaining . Allen's shameless rehash of all his disaster film clichés set on a Pacific island in which time never seems to run out , as a video version runs 141 minutes . Disastrous catastrophe movie in which lacks characterization , being an immense bore . Lousy screenplay by the prestigious Carl Foreman and Stirling Silliphant ; both of whom were presumably well paid . This formula intrigue movie belongs to catastrophe genre of the 70s , being the undisputed king , ¨The towering inferno¨ along with ¨Earthquake¨ , ¨Two minutes warning¨ and many others ; this formula disaster movie was widely developed by Irwin Allen , previously winner of numerous Oscars for ¨Poseidon¨ until the failures as ¨Beyond Poseidon¨, ¨Swarm¨ and this ¨When the time ran out¨ , retitled ¨Earth's final fury¨ . Filmed at the height of the disaster genre from the 7os , this entry in the spectacular series profits of an all-star though really wasted and a suspenseful final that takes place at a bridge surrounded by molten lava . The bridge was 30 feet above the stage, with smoke bombs and light flashes used to simulate the lava. Main cast carries out average acting such as Paul Newman , Jacqueline Bisset and William Holden , he was hospitalized for six days during production to treat his alcoholism after director James Goldstone convinced producer Irwin Allen that Holden was a danger to himself and others in the cast. Furthermore , a top-notch secondary casting such as Valentina Cortese , Barbara Carrera , Veronica Hamel , Alex Karras , Burgess Meredith , Red Buttons , James Franciscus , Pat Morita and Ernest Borgnine . Ernest Borgnine claims in his memoirs that the reason why the film's special effects were so cheap looking was that the huge amount spent on location shooting absorbed what was usually spent on FX. Many actors were all under contract with Irwin Allen, and appear in this film to void their contracts.

Colorful and gripping photography in Panavision by Fred J. Koenekamp . Intriguing and thrilling score by Lalo Schifrin in his usual style . This big-budgeted disaster movie was middlingly directed by James Goldstone ; this was final feature film of Goldstone . He was a director and writer, known for Scalplock (1966) , ¨Jigsaw¨ ,¨A Man Called Gannon¨ , ¨They Only Kill Their Masters¨ , ¨Red sky at morning¨ , ¨Winning" or "500 miles" and ¨Swashbuckler¨ . Goldstone was also an ordinary TV movies director and subsequently made another catastrophe film , Roller-coaster (1977), much better than the disastrous and monumental bore ¨When time ran out¨ .

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 March 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Earth's Final Fury

Filming Locations:

Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa - 78-128 Ehukai Street, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,400,994, 30 March 1980

Gross USA:

$3,763,988

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,763,988

Company Credits

Production Co:

International Cinema, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min 141 min (video) 109 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1