The Roasting
The legend is that whenever disaster movie director Irwin Allen yelled "cut!" on the set, the next words out of his mouth would always be "is everyone okay?" Allen's The Towering Inferno ('74), which he directed the action sequences for (while John Guillermin handled the straight-dialogue scenes), is pricey merd, of course. And yet I've watched it several times for the cheap and tawdry thrills (i.e., watching actors pretend to die horribly), and because of a sense of oddly enjoyable revulsion I get out of hearing the awful Maureen McGovern sing "We May Never Love Like This Again."
I'm a huge fan of that little "I'm okay, baby" look that the damp-towel-protected Robert Wagner gives his girlfriend (Susan Flannery) before running out of an office suite and immediately getting roasted alive -- delicious! Plus I've never been able to get enough of watching Flannery, Jennifer Jones, Robert Vaughn and Richard Chamberlain fall over 100 stories to their deaths. And I've always respected the fact that instead of succumbing to cynicism over taking a straight-paycheck job, costars Steve McQueen and Paul Newman man up and deliver solid, earnest performances.
"In the DVD commentary, it is pointed out that because both McQueen and Newman were promised the same pay and identical number of lines of dialog," says the film's Wikipedia page. "One actor had to go back to the studio to shoot additional scenes to equalize the final number of lines of dialogue."
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on June 3, 2009 at 9:44 AM
comment #1
Rich S.
says ...
Marvelous trash. Not as good as the original Poseidon Adventure, but better than a lot of the other disaster pics that followed it.
I still remember owning the Cracked magazine version, "The Towering Mess." In their version, the fire was caused when they cut costs on the building by wiring it with spaghetti. The real McCoy is almost that ludicrous.
Posted by Rich S.
at June 3, 2009 10:30 AM
comment #2
drbob
says ...
The 70's is indisputably the greatest decade in film history. Yet, The Towering Inferno is an Academy Award Best Picture nominee. Does not compute.
Posted by drbob
at June 3, 2009 10:48 AM
comment #3
BurmaShave
says ...
One of the more claustrophobic and archaic movies of the 1970s. It looks like it was made 15 years before it was. I've really never understood its appeal, and its Best Picture nomination is obviously a disgrace of the highest order. Also not to get absurd, but I think 9/11 really diminished whatever fun was to be had from it. But then I didn't grow up with it.
Posted by BurmaShave
at June 3, 2009 10:56 AM
comment #4
Don Murphy
says ...
actually I must admit that the line Wagner shouts at his mistress (who was wearing a skimpy man's shirt that my ten year old self liked a lot) "I'll be back with the whole damn fire brigade" as the theme music swells is one of my favorite moments in cinema. Ridiculous and brilliant at the same time.
Posted by Don Murphy
at June 3, 2009 10:56 AM
comment #5
moviemaniac2002
says ...
And something else about 'Inferno' you'll never
see happen again....Fox and WB both bought
seperate books about burning skyscapers....
....so they actually joined forces and combined
the books into one movie....(Unlike today's
mindset...where you end up with "Dante's Peak/Volcano", "Deep Impact"/Armageddon", etc, etc...."
And the film was no doubt a satisfying spin of the karma wheel for McQueen....to now share
top billing with Newman...when McQueen scrabbled for some recognition playing the fourth-guy-from-the-left in "Somebody Up There Likes Me"
As for Allen, this was his Top-Of-Everest
moment in the sun....before he took a spiraling
plummet into ridicule and massive failure with
"The Swarm" and "When Time Ran Out" (never a more appropriately titled movie, for both Allen
and 70's All-Star disaster genre.)
Posted by moviemaniac2002
at June 3, 2009 10:59 AM
comment #6
Joe G
says ...
A bad movie, it was shot like a TV movie-of-the-week from the period. But I've seen it many times. Somehow watchable in a way that Earthquake, for example, never was.
The whole thing is so Old Testament. Steve McQueen was God and William Holden was his prophet. The bit where the crowd defies Holden's barring them from the elevator (on McQueen's orders) only to descend to a horrible, fiery death - I always loved that. Probably because I was such a prolific reader of bible stories at the time.
.
Posted by Joe G
at June 3, 2009 11:10 AM
comment #7
televisiontears
says ...
One of my top guilty pleasures, but what a waste of such a great cast.
Posted by televisiontears
at June 3, 2009 11:13 AM
comment #8
Markj74
says ...
I'd much rather sit through The Towering Inferno than X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Star Trek or Terminator: Salvation. Classy John Williams score too.
Posted by Markj74
at June 3, 2009 11:18 AM
comment #9
corey3rd
says ...
where's talk of OJ Simpson's break through performance - and years later when the girl does it in Fame
Posted by corey3rd
at June 3, 2009 11:23 AM
comment #10
Pelham123
says ...
This looked great on the big screen way back when & like many other films from the '70's there was the real threat of death to most, if not all, the characters in the film. That kept you on the edge of your seat. Let me second Don's vote on that skimpy man's shirt scene. I was the same age &, well, woof.
Posted by Pelham123
at June 3, 2009 11:49 AM
comment #11
BurmaShave
says ...
markj you're not discerning in your hatred at all, you're one of those p.Vice types that has the same reaction to anything new. Tiresome.
Posted by BurmaShave
at June 3, 2009 12:00 PM
comment #12
dangovich
says ...
Also, if I'm not mistaken, the man's dress shirt made an appearance on Stella Stevens in the Poseidon Adventure.
Posted by dangovich
at June 3, 2009 12:18 PM
comment #13
George Prager
says ...
Saw it at a Drive-In. I win.
Posted by George Prager
at June 3, 2009 12:18 PM
comment #14
Travis Crabtree
says ...
You'd think Robert Wagner doused those towels in kerosene the way he goes up like a torch within nanoseconds of running out the door....
Also.... freeze frame the helicopter on the roof just as it explodes... as it hovers it's a Bell Huey (that is, an actual helicopter).... then it switches to the phoniest-looking cardboard, high school-play mock-up of a helicopter that can be seen a frame or two before it blows up....
I never saw the movie as "fun", in fact, it's quite typically dreary in a 70's disaster movie way... (that is, Bruce Willis doesn't save the day with a quip)
Seeing the film post 9/11 has made it that much drearier and frightening...
Loved it as a kid..... also loved that era's action movie posters that featured illustrations of practically every exciting scene happening all at once..... COOL!
Posted by Travis Crabtree
at June 3, 2009 12:31 PM
comment #15
va
says ...
prager ---- so did I - with Earthquake!
Posted by va
at June 3, 2009 12:51 PM
comment #16
Steven Kar
says ...
I also have a problem with THE STING not only being nominated for Best Picture but actually winning it in 1974.
I like the movie, it's a lot of fun, I love its two leading stars, but come on!
Posted by Steven Kar
at June 3, 2009 12:58 PM
comment #17
DavidF
says ...
I think the only good thing about the film (which I made it through once) is the SCTV parody...which, sadly, does not seem to be on youtube.
Posted by DavidF
at June 3, 2009 1:08 PM
comment #18
rr3333
says ...
Sorry to ruin your Susan Flannery fantasies, but she's aged very poorly. She's almost a man, baby.
http://a.media.soapnet.go.com/media/images/galleries/20090317_SFlannery_laughing_240x320.jpg
Posted by rr3333
at June 3, 2009 1:16 PM
comment #19
Travis Crabtree
says ...
Faye Dunaway knocked me for a loop as a kid.... seeing her on TV in Bonnie and Clyde, Little Big Man and then seeing her tempting Paul Newman to bed in Inferno made me feel all funny in my funny parts
Posted by Travis Crabtree
at June 3, 2009 1:30 PM
comment #20
BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey
says ...
Just the other day I was saying how critics buy Blu-Rays of olden days trash and slate the new trash, despite it being the same level of trash or perhaps worse. I've seen the Towering Inferno some damn Saturday afternoon on ITV. It was fucking rubbish.
Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey
at June 3, 2009 1:46 PM
comment #21
EnglishBob
says ...
Also.... freeze frame the helicopter on the roof just as it explodes....
Just why DID that helicopter explode anyway?
Love the movie, by the way. Where else will you see OJ Simpson, Bobby Brady and Fred Astaire all in the same flick!
Posted by EnglishBob
at June 3, 2009 2:16 PM
comment #22
poseidon72
says ...
The Towering Inferno is far and away better than most of the big studio popcorn film released nowadays. It was not only the highest grossing film of 1974 but it was nominated for best picture, Won the Golden globe award. Robert Wagners death scene was classic as was the films last act when they blow up the water tanks to put out the fire. Jeff your right-Newman and Mcqueen gave real performances which elevated the overall film.
I did a radio show on the film and the disaster genre in general-http://blog.entertainmenttodayandbeyond.com/2008/08/24/chucks-top-ten-disaster-films-of-all-time/
Posted by poseidon72
at June 3, 2009 2:28 PM
comment #23
Halhillco
says ...
The most seriously shocking thing there is to say about TOWERING INFERNO is that in the year 1974 against the brilliant cinematography of CHINATOWN and LENNY and the non-even-nominated GODFATHER II, this piece of schlock won the Oscar. If that doesn't make you doubt every award the Academy has given out before or since nothing will.
Posted by Halhillco
at June 3, 2009 3:18 PM
comment #24
mpneeb
says ...
Prager: Good.
va: better.
Posted by mpneeb
at June 3, 2009 3:53 PM
comment #25
Baron Munchausen-by-Proxy
says ...
Drive-ins are nice and all - but I had the view-master version of this film!
And it was quite the family-viewing staple of holiday-time "NBC Saturday (and Sunday) Night at the Movies", too. They used to regularly b'cast it over two nights, with 40 minutes of scenes added to pad out the running time of the theatrical (one of the 're-edited for television' films that used the most of that type of footage).
It should also be noted that Columbia's in-house attorney invented the then-novel "Laverne & Shirley" credit as a solution to the above-the-title credit fight between Newman & McQueen. ['above' the other actor is better, and 'left-most' is also better, so one actor getting 'left-and-lower' while the other gets 'right-and-higher' splits the difference nicely.
Posted by Baron Munchausen-by-Proxy
at June 3, 2009 5:01 PM
comment #26
corey3rd
says ...
like we'd expect the English to understand the greatness of Earthquake. You live in a country where your biggest natural disaster threat is mildew.
Posted by corey3rd
at June 3, 2009 5:27 PM
comment #27
George Prager
says ...
...or the corner pub closed on Boxing Day.
Posted by George Prager
at June 3, 2009 5:43 PM
comment #28
COCO
says ...
Cheese....on popcorn. Loved it as a teen. Like all
70's movies,,,dated....dated....but better than ''Earthquake'' and I always went to Chuck's films. On to ''2012.''
Posted by COCO
at June 3, 2009 6:47 PM
comment #29
lipranzer
says ...
The only fond memory I have of this film is the part where Faye Dunaway parodies TEA AND SYMPATHY - "Years from now, when they talk about this - and they will - remember to tell them it was my idea." The fact this got nominated alongside CHINATOWN, THE CONVERSATION, and GODFATHER II - three of the greatest films of the 70's, and the latter being my favorite movie of all time - for Best Picture (LENNY isn't quite in the same league as those three, but at least it's got quality to speak of) still mystifies me (and yes, there have been many, many bad nominees before and after, but still).
Posted by lipranzer
at June 3, 2009 8:33 PM
comment #30
poseidon72
says ...
It amazes me how many people want to call a movie like this schlock or unworthy of awards.
The Towering Inferno is a very well executed, well acted and suspenseful film. For what its trying to accomplish it a really good movie. McQueen is GREAT in it. Audiences LOVED it. Its highly entertaining and YES it WAS one of the best films of 1974!
chuck
Posted by poseidon72
at June 4, 2009 8:08 AM
comment #31
Alan Spencer
says ...
Allen would actually yell: "Cut! Is anyone hurt?!?!" I heard him shout it through a megaphone on the set.
Posted by Alan Spencer
at June 4, 2009 9:00 AM
comment #32
Markj74
says ...
BurmaShave: What a curious comment to make. I'm not at all against new films. I just demand a certain level of competence. The Hurt Locker, for example, is an excellent modern day film, as is The Wrestler, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, There Will Be Blood etc.
But The Towering Inferno is certainly a far superior film to any of the crud that's hit our summer screen so far. At least there was some ambition behind the project.
Try and back up your points in future without making ludicrous assumptions. This is the internet though, I guess I should know better.
Who or what is p. Vice btw?
Posted by Markj74
at June 5, 2009 4:06 AM
comment #33
gafi
says ...
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Posted by gafi
at May 23, 2011 4:58 AM