The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Director:

Ronald Neame

Writers:

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

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

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew

Colour:

Colour

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 her autobiography Esther Williams claims she was offered the role of Belle Rosen by producer Irwin Allen because of her former swimming roles (though this remains open to debate, as the character of Belle Rosen called for a large woman).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Mr. Rogo, Susan and Robin are hoisting Belle Rosen up the ramp with the fire hose, Mr. Rogo is clearly struggling pulling her hefty weight up on one end of the hose, while on the other end of the hose, Susan is simply holding the end and Robin is blabbing away barely pulling at all.

Quotes:

Captain Harrison: Oh, my God!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "90210: Zero Tolerance (#1.23)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Auld Lang Syne

The best of the disaster flics.

I saw this movie Christmas day 1972 a week after its release with my sister and a packed theater. I LOVED IT. Having read the book before seeing the movie I knew what to expect and was anxious to see how the makers were going to do everything. The book is a little confusing after the ship turns turtle. Unless you are familiar with the interior of an ocean liner, which I was not, it was hard to imagine the characters surroundings just reading about them, I personally needed a visual reference for the action and the makers delivered in spades. I kid you not, when the ship began to turn over every single person, including myself, in the theater began to lean to the same side the ship was going, everyone gasping as it went nearly falling out of their seats. A truly remarkable shared experience I will never forget. The power of cinema is awesome. Although some of the dialogue is cheesy and most of the characters are cardboard it is still a good movie. Few people know that the book came about following an incident the author had years ago. Mr. Gallico gave an interview to the Saturday Evening Post when the movie came out and said the idea came to him following his passage on an ocean liner that rolled over in turbulent seas and managed to right itself just at the brink of going all the way over. Anyone who has seen the movie should read the book.