The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Ronald Neame
(more)

Writers:

Paul Gallico (novel)
Stirling Silliphant (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

13 December 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Hell, Upside Down

Plot:

A group of passengers struggle to survive and escape, when their ocean liner completely capsizes at sea.

Plot Keywords:

Tidal Wave | Passenger | Survivor | Ocean Liner | Fire

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Gene Hackman	...	Reverend Scott
Ernest Borgnine	...	Det. Lt. Mike Rogo
Red Buttons	...	Martin
Carol Lynley	...	Nonnie
Roddy McDowall	...	Acres
Stella Stevens	...	Linda Rogo
Shelley Winters	...	Belle Rosen
Jack Albertson	...	Manny Rosen
Pamela Sue Martin	...	Susan
Arthur O'Connell	...	Chaplain
Eric Shea	...	Robin
Fred Sadoff	...	Linarcos
Sheila Allen	...	Nurse (as Sheila Mathews)
Jan Arvan	...	Doctor
Byron Webster	...	Purser
John Crawford	...	Chief Engineer
Bob Hastings	...	M. C.
Erik L. Nelson	...	Mr. Tinkham (as Erik Nelson)
Leslie Nielsen	...	The Captain
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Phil Adams	...	Cable Steward (uncredited)
Craig Barley	...	Extra (uncredited)
Todd Bartlett	...	Extra (uncredited)
Charles Bateman	...	First Officer Larsen (uncredited)
Bill Catching	...	Man (uncredited)
Craig Chudy	...	Helmsman (uncredited)
Ronn Cragg	...	Radarman (uncredited)
Jimmy Cross	...	Dinning Room Steward (uncredited)
Fred Dale	...	Man (uncredited)
Connie Ducharme	...	Woman (uncredited)
Jim Galante	...	Assistant Engineer (uncredited)
Bob Golden	...	Wiper (uncredited)
Orwin C. Harvey	...	Falling Man (uncredited)
Larry Holt	...	Falling Man (uncredited)
Chris Howell	...	Man (uncredited)
Kathryn Janssen	...	Woman Seated Next to Purser (uncredited)
Marco López	...	Passenger (uncredited)
Maurice Marsac	...	French Naval Officer (uncredited)
Ernie F. Orsatti	...	Terry - Susan's Date (uncredited)
Victor Paul	...	Kyrenos (uncredited)
Stuart Perry	...	Teddy Parry (uncredited)
Frieda Rentie	...	Indian Woman (uncredited)
Lance Rimmer	...	Extra (uncredited)
Elizabeth Rogers	...	Woman Next to Mr. Tinkham (uncredited)
George Sawaya	...	Bos'n Mate (uncredited)
David Sharpe	...	Man (uncredited)
Paul Stader	...	Martin - Wireless Operator (uncredited)
Mark Tulin	...	Bass Guitarist as Ship Sinks (uncredited)
Waddy Wachtel	...	Crump - Guitarist #1 (uncredited)
Roseann Williams	...	Woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Ronald Neame
Irwin Allen		(co-director: action sequences) (uncredited)

Writing credits
Paul Gallico		(novel)
Stirling Silliphant		(screenplay) and
Wendell Mayes		(screenplay)

Produced by
Irwin Allen	....	producer
Sidney Marshall	....	associate producer
Steve Broidy	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Williams		(music by)

Cinematography by
Harold E. Stine		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Harold F. Kress

Production Design by
William J. Creber		(as William Creber)

Set Decoration by
Raphael Bretton

Costume Design by
Paul Zastupnevich

Makeup Department
Del Acevedo	....	makeup artist
Edwin Butterworth	....	makeup artist (as Ed Butterworth)
Carol Pershing	....	hair stylist
Sheral Ross	....	hair stylist
Allan Snyder	....	makeup artist
Ann Wadlington	....	hair stylist
Daniel C. Striepeke	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Hal Herman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Norman A. Cook	....	assistant director (as Norman Cook)
Les Warner	....	second assistant director
Don White	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Tom Cranham	....	production illustrator
Dan Goozee	....	production illustrator
Bob McLaughlin	....	property master
Ward Preston	....	assistant art director
Jerry Kobold	....	assistant prop man (uncredited)
Charles Stevens	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Richard A. Villalobos	....	leadman (uncredited)

Sound Department
John A. Bonner	....	sound supervisor (as John Bonner)
Herman Lewis	....	production mixer
Theodore Soderberg	....	re-recording mixer
Orrick Barrett	....	boom man (uncredited)
Raul A. Bruce	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects (as L. B. Abbott)
A.D. Flowers	....	mechanical effects (as A. D. Flowers)

Visual Effects by
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Paul Stader	....	stunt coordinator
Phil Adams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)
Marilyn Bower	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Catching	....	stunts (uncredited)
Craig Chudy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Howard Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Pepper Curtis	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Pepper Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Daheim	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Dale	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carol Daniels	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paula Dell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mike Donovan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Durock	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lila Finn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Donna Garrett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Holt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chris Howell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mike Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Denver Mattson	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Moio	....	stunts (uncredited)
Doug O'Dell	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Doug O'Dell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ernie F. Orsatti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Victor Paul	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Peter Peterson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Allen Pinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bobby Porter	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert Prohaska	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wally Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Sawaya	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Scheiwiller	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rodell Sharpe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Marilyn Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts (uncredited)
June lorna Wilson	....	stunts (uncredited)
James Winburn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Thomas Worrell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Zendar	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Tommy Morris	....	camera operator
Lou Pazelli	....	key grip
Clyde Taylor	....	gaffer
Henry Gerzen	....	key grip (uncredited)
Bob Henderson	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Tom Kerschner	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
James Mitchell	....	stills (uncredited)
Joe Valdez	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Jack Baur	....	casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Wally Harton	....	costumes: men (uncredited)
Dick James	....	costumes: men (uncredited)
Barbara Westerland	....	costumes: women (uncredited)

Editorial Department
William DeNicholas	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator
Vinton Vernon	....	scoring mixer

Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (uncredited)
Frank Khoury	....	driver (uncredited)
Jim Martell	....	transportation coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Teresa Brachetto	....	script supervisor
John Campbell	....	unit publicist
Al Gail	....	assistant to producer
Art Volpert	....	production coordinator
Steve Marlowe	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)
Art Volpert	....	production controller (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Kent Productions
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (released by)
• Fox-Rank (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox (2006) (UK) (DVD) (special edition)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1974) (USA) (TV)
• Magnetic Video (video)

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting
• Central Casting  extras casting (uncredited)
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes (uncredited)
• City of Long Beach, California Museum of the Sea Foundation  portions of this picture filmed aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, with the cooperation of (as the City of Long Beach, California Museum of the Sea Foundation)
• P.S.A. Hotels  portions of this picture filmed aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California with the cooperation of (as P.S.A. Hotels, Inc.)
• Queen Mary Corporation  portions of this picture filmed aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California with the cooperation of (as Speciality Queen Mary Corporation)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (35 mm optical prints)

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:PG (video rating) | Iceland:16 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | USA:PG (PCA #23341) | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Kent Productions

Trivia:

In the scene in which Rev. Scott rescues Robin, the set was built on tracks which would slowly lower the inclined set into a large water tank. The set was supposed to stop moving once the set was half-submerged, but for some reason it continued until the camera crew was underwater. The film magazine was rushed to the lab, where immediate processing showed the film was undamaged.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Belle decides to go underwater and save everyone's life, the camera cuts to a closeup of her. She is fingering the swimming medal around her neck. But the surrounding shots have her hands clasped in front of her.

Quotes:

Reverend Frank Scott: Give her your shirt.
Mike Rogo: My shirt?
Linda Rogo: Come on!
Mike Rogo: Linda, next time you put something on, like I told you to put on!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Gorgo (#10.9)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

The Song From The Poseidon Adventure (The Morning After)

Still Seaworthy

Anyone who has seen as many disaster movies as I have knows that this is absolutely the best one ever made. For a film nearly thirty years old, Poseidon Adventure is still so effective that it would cause anyone planning to take a cruise to think twice. You probably know the plot--luxury liner capsized by a tidal wave. This synopsis is brought to life with suspense, drama, and sometimes, terrifying reality. One of the most effective cinematic touches is that in nearly every scene, the camera is slowly swaying back and forth to give us a sense that we really are at sea. Something "Titanic" completely missed.

We follow the journey of ten survivors through the inverted ship to their hopeful rescue--narrowly escaping fires, explosions, and flooding corridors every step of the way. The sets are epic and nothing less than spectacular. Especially the inverted dining room when the Atlantic Ocean comes crashing in, and the engine room which is now a horrifying twisted metal inferno. The cast is good, however Gene Hackman, Shelly Winters, and Stella Stevens are best. Hackman is our handsome hero, Winters is our unselfish caring mother, and Stevens is absolutely radiant (pre-capsize) and adds a welcome touch of humor to the mess.

No, the movie is not perfect, and it is of course starting to look a bit dated. However the suspense and dazzling effects will keep you glued to your seat and you certainly won't be bored. Poseidon Adventure is a true classic. A must see for everyone--not just disaster movie fans.