The 1970s: The Golden Age of Disaster Movies
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- DirectorGeorge SeatonHenry HathawayStarsBurt LancasterDean MartinGeorge KennedyA bomber on board an airplane, an airport almost closed by snow, and various personal problems of the people involved.The granddaddy of 'em all, it started the Decade of Disaster off with a bang. Literally. It also established the "cast of thousands" approach with multiple characters, storylines, and subplots by the planeload. Though later efforts would not emphasize human drama nearly as much as this film, especially once more and more money began being spent on more and more spectacular special effects and action sequences.
- DirectorRonald NeameStarsGene HackmanErnest BorgnineShelley WintersA group of passengers must embark on a harrowing struggle for survival after a rogue wave capsizes their cruise ship at sea.One of the first films I saw in a movie theater as a little tyke, and it made quite a big impression. Further established the tropes of this potent subgenre, with Gene Hackman making quite an impression as the priest who has lost his faith.
- DirectorJohn GuillerminStarsPaul NewmanSteve McQueenWilliam HoldenAt the opening party of a colossal, but poorly constructed, office building, a massive fire breaks out that threatens to destroy the tower and everyone in it.You do get to see both Steve McQueen and Paul Newman at the absolute top of their game. The plot here once again is the hubris of mankind mixed with capitalist greed, a theme that would be plundered again in Titanic and many other movies. But of course, from our perspective, one of the more entertaining and hilarious parts of this movie is O.J. Simpson as a hero.
- DirectorMark RobsonStarsCharlton HestonAva GardnerGeorge KennedyVarious interconnected people struggle to survive when an earthquake of unimaginable magnitude hits Los Angeles, California.They are coming fast and furious now, and making a killing at the box office. Here Chuck Heston chews scenery and Lorne Greene tries not to fall asleep. The site of the "big flood" after the dam burst scene is still a notable stop on the Universal Studios backlot tram tour all these years later.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsRoy ScheiderRobert ShawRichard DreyfussWhen a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Cape Cod, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.An argument could be made that this is a monster movie, not a disaster movie, per se. But a lot of the same hallmarks are here. The eagle-eyed law enforcement official and/or scientist whose dire warnings of doom are ignored, leading to panic, destruction and loss of life. A trope that would be repeated hundreds of times.
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsGeorge C. ScottAnne BancroftWilliam AthertonA chronicle of the Hindenburg disaster in which a zeppelin burst into flames.A large structure, built by people, blowing up and burning to ashes, causing the loss of dozens of lives. That could be The Towering Inferno, or, could be this movie, one that usually gets forgotten in the rundown of Seventiies Disaster Movie Mayhem.
- DirectorJames FrawleyStarsJoseph BolognaStockard ChanningJohn BeckA nuclear powered bus driving cross-country, from New York City to Colorado, is destined for disaster due to the machinations of a mysterious group allied with the oil lobby.You know something is recognizable trend once parodies start appearing making fun of it. Here was the first stab at that, years prior to the much more beloved Airplane! Sure, I love Airplane! as much as the next guy, but I feel that this movie has been unjustly forgotten, and plenty of quirky charm. Oh, yeah, it was also completely ripped off by the legendarily bad TV series Supertrain.
- DirectorJack SmightStarsCharlton HestonKaren BlackGeorge KennedyA 747 in flight collides with a small plane, and is rendered pilotless. Somehow the control tower must get a pilot aboard so the jet can land.Chuck Heston again. He was on a roll in the early 1970's, starring in science fiction hits and disaster parades like this one. I clearly remember going into New York City and seeing this with my family in Times Square. I also very clearly remember Carol Burnett's sketch parodying this film, in which she played a hilariously cross-eyed Karen Black.
- DirectorJohn GuillerminStarsCharlton HestonJames BrolinYvette MimieuxA crazed Vietnam vet bomber hijacks a Boeing 707 in this disaster film filled with the usual early '70s stereotypes, and demands to be taken to Russia.Chuck Heston playing a macho pilot AGAIN! Another forgotten one, but still enjoyable for disaster movie fans all the same.
- DirectorIrwin AllenStarsMichael CaineKatharine RossRichard WidmarkA huge swarm of deadly African bees spreads terror over American cities by killing thousands of people.Again, arguably more of a science fiction film, but as it was produced by Irwin Allen, it was marketed more like a disaster movie.
- DirectorJerry JamesonStarsJack LemmonLee GrantJoseph CottenArt thieves hijack a 747, hit fog and crash into the ocean, trapping them and the passengers under one hundred feet of water.One of the few on this list that I have not seen. I think this is the one where the plane goes down in The Bermuda Triangle? Yeah, The Bermuda Triangle was really BIG in the 1970's. They should have thrown Bigfoot and UFOs in there too somehow.