IMDb > The Towering Inferno (1974)
The Towering Inferno
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The Towering Inferno (1974) More at IMDbPro »

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The Towering Inferno (1974) -- At the opening party of a collosal, but poorly constructed, office building, a massive fire breaks out that threatens to destroy the tower and everyone in it.
The Towering Inferno (1974) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   13,036 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Richard Martin Stern (novel)
Thomas N. Scortia (novel) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Towering Inferno on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 December 1974 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Thriller | Drama more
Tagline:
One Tiny Spark Becomes A Night Of Blazing Suspense. more
Plot:
At the opening party of a collosal, but poorly constructed, office building, a massive fire breaks out that threatens to destroy the tower and everyone in it. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 12 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(34 articles)
Two More Clips from Roland Emmerich’s ‘2012’
 (From Screen Rant. 5 November 2009, 1:35 PM, PST)

What I Watched, What You Watched: Installment #10
 (From Rope Of Silicon. 27 September 2009, 1:56 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
The Towering Inferno more (151 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Steve McQueen ... Fire Chief Michael O'Hallorhan

Paul Newman ... Doug Roberts

William Holden ... Jim Duncan

Faye Dunaway ... Susan

Fred Astaire ... Harlee Claiborne

Susan Blakely ... Patty Duncan Simmons

Richard Chamberlain ... Roger Simmons
Jennifer Jones ... Lisolette Muller
O.J. Simpson ... Harry Jernigan

Robert Vaughn ... Senator Gary Parker

Robert Wagner ... Dan Bigelow
Susan Flannery ... Lorrie
Sheila Allen ... Paula Ramsay (as Sheila Mathews)
Norman Burton ... Will Giddings (as Normann Burton)
Jack Collins ... Mayor Robert Ramsay
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Additional Details

Runtime:
165 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Irwin Allen directed all the action sequences in the film, including the climactic final explosions to put the fire out. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: At the beginning of the film, a Bell Jet Ranger Helicopter lands on top of the tower. A wind sock is seen showing a strong wind towards the side of the helicopter. A helicopter can NEVER land with a side wind. It is very dangerous. more
Quotes:
Dan Bigelow: I'll be back, with the whole fire department. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Hell's Highway (2002/I) (V) more
Soundtrack:
The Morning After more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
31 out of 39 people found the following comment useful.
The Towering Inferno, 15 June 2005
10/10
Author: amandalouden96 from United Kingdom

What a movie! it has an all star cast including Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden and many more.

The basis for this movie is the opening of the worlds tallest building, but things aren't as perfect as they seem as architect Paul Newman discovers inadequate electrical wiring in the building which could result in dangerous concequences. He then reports this to the buildings owner James Duncan but he doesn't think that it is a problem and still decides to go on with the opening ceremony which puts 300 peoples lives in the balance while trapped on the top of the 138 storey skyscraper when the building goes on fire due to the poor wiring, this results in unpredictable explosions and fires breaking out everywhere in the building. It is now up to fireman Steve McQueen his crew and the aide of the Navy to rescue the 300 people on top of the building and put out the fire.

By far the best disaster movie ever made with a terrific all star cast. Not to be missed!

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Towering Inferno (1974)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
High Time for a remake!! thecottonfamily
Jennifer Jones kathmaxwell828586
Why didnt the building collapse mattep74
The two firefighters tblount76
Since when do architects specify electrical equipment? jmacleve
One thing I like about this movie dergeier117
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