The Towering Inferno (1974)

Directors:

John Guillermin
Irwin Allen

Writers:

Richard Martin Stern (novel)
Thomas N. Scortia (novel) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 December 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller | Drama

Tagline:

One Tiny Spark Becomes A Night Of Blazing Suspense.

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.

Plot Keywords:

Fire | Party | Trapped | Architect | Skyscraper

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

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
Don Gordon	...	Fireman Kappy
Felton Perry	...	Fireman Scott
Gregory Sierra	...	Carlos
Ernie F. Orsatti	...	Fireman Mark Powers (as Ernie Orsatti)
Dabney Coleman	...	Deputy Chief #1
Elizabeth Rogers	...	Lady in Buoy
Ann Leicester	...	Guest
Norman Grabowski	...	Chief Petty Officer Flaker
Ross Elliott	...	Deputy Chief #2
Olan Soule	...	Johnson (as Olan Soulé)
Carlena Gower	...	Angela Allbright
Mike Lookinland	...	Phillip Allbright
Carol McEvoy	...	Mrs. Allbright
Scott Newman	...	Young Fireman
Paul Comi	...	Fireman Tim
George Wallace	...	Chief Officer
Patrick Culliton	...	Technician
William Bassett	...	Leasing Agent (as William H. Bassett)
John Crawford	...	Callahan
Erik L. Nelson	...	Wes (as Erik Nelson)
Art Balinger	...	Announcer
Norman Hicks	...	Pilot (as LCDR. Norman Hicks)
Thomas Karnahan	...	Co-Pilot (as LTJG. Thomas Karnahan)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mike Johnson	...	Fire Victim in Elevator (uncredited)
Maureen McGovern	...	Herself - Singer at Party (uncredited)
John Moio	...	Security Guard (uncredited)
Hank Robinson	...	Dinner Guest (uncredited)
William Traylor	...	Security Guard in Control Room (uncredited)

Directed by
John Guillermin
Irwin Allen		(action sequences)

Writing credits
Richard Martin Stern		(novel "The Tower")
Thomas N. Scortia		(novel "The Glass Inferno") and
Frank M. Robinson		(novel "The Glass Inferno")
Stirling Silliphant		(screenplay)

Produced by
Irwin Allen	....	producer
Sidney Marshall	....	associate producer

Original Music by
John Williams

Cinematography by
Fred J. Koenekamp		(director of photography) (as Fred Koenekamp)

Film Editing by
Carl Kress
Harold F. Kress

Casting by
Jack Baur

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

Art Direction by
Ward Preston

Set Decoration by
Raphael Bretton

Costume Design by
Paul Zastupnevich

Makeup Department
Naomi Cavin	....	hair stylist
Susan Germaine	....	hair stylist
Emile LaVigne	....	makeup artist (as Emil La Vigne)
Jean Burt Reilly	....	hair stylist
Monty Westmore	....	makeup artist (as Monte Westmore)

Production Management
Norman A. Cook	....	unit production manager
Jere Henshaw	....	production supervisor: Twentieth Century-Fox
Hal Herman	....	executive production manager
Richard Shepherd	....	production supervisor: Warner Bros.

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Newt Arnold	....	assistant director (as Newton Arnold)
Phil Ball	....	second assistant director
Bob Bender	....	second assistant director
Michael Grillo	....	trainee assistant director (as Michael F. Grillo)
Malcolm R. Harding	....	assistant director: action sequences (as Malcolm Harding)
Wesley J. McAfee	....	assistant director (as Wes McAfee)
Donald White	....	second assistant director (as Don White)
Don White	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Tom Cranham	....	production illustrator
Dan Goozee	....	production illustrator
Nikita Knatz	....	production illustrator
Jerry Kobold	....	property master: action sequences
Robert McLaughlin	....	property master
Joseph Musso	....	production illustrator
Steven P. Sardanis	....	assistant art director (as Steve Sardanis)
William Cruse	....	set designer (uncredited)
Ron Greenwood	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Edward T. McAvoy	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
John A. Bonner	....	sound supervisor (as John Bonner)
Don Hall	....	supervising sound editor
Herman Lewis	....	production sound mixer
Theodore Soderberg	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Speak	....	sound mixer: second unit (uncredited)

Special Effects by
A.D. Flowers	....	mechanical effects
Logan Frazee	....	mechanical effects
Gerald Endler	....	mechanical effects (uncredited)
Jay King	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects
Frank Van der Veer	....	optical cinematography (uncredited)
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Paul Stader	....	stunt coordinator
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buff Brady	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tony Brubaker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard E. Butler	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Caruso	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roydon Clark	....	stunts (uncredited)
Erik Cord	....	stunts (uncredited)
Everett Creach	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roger Creed	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paula Crist	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Howard Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paula Dell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Dial	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nick Dimitri	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Duran	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bud Ekins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Stephanie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tony Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lila Finn	....	stunts (uncredited)
James W. Gavin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Hice	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Holt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mike Johnson	....	stunt double: Robert Wagner (uncredited)
Mike Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kevin N. Johnston	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Julius LeFlore	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Lerner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lars Lundgren	....	stunts (uncredited)
Denver Mattson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Troy Melton	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Moio	....	stunts (uncredited)
Minor Mustain	....	stunt performer (uncredited)
John Nowak	....	stunts (uncredited)
Doug O'Dell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Regina Parton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Regis Parton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Victor Paul	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Peter Peterson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bobby Porter	....	stunts (uncredited)
Glenn Randall Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dar Robinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walter Robles	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Thomas Rosales Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wally Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Glynn Rubin	....	stunt performer (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Scheiwiller	....	stunts (uncredited)
Felix Silla	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Marilyn Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Peter Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Terhune	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Verbois	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Washington	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Waters	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred M. Waugh	....	stunts (uncredited)
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts (uncredited)
James Winburn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Yerkes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Zendar	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Joseph F. Biroc	....	director of photography: action sequences (as Joseph Biroc)
Kathy Fields	....	still photographer
Orville Hallberg	....	camera operator: action sequences
Bill Hannah	....	gaffer: action sequences
Thomas Laughridge	....	camera operator
John Murray	....	key grip
Lou Pazelli	....	key grip: action sequences
Frank Redmond	....	assistant camera
Gene Stout	....	gaffer
Orlando Suero	....	still photographer
Ron Anderson	....	electrician (uncredited)
Curtis Foster	....	rigging gaffer: second unit (uncredited)
Jim Freeman	....	cinematographer: San Francisco (uncredited)
Owen Marsh	....	camera operator: "b" camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
William DeNicholas	....	assistant editor
Jack Hooper	....	negative cutter
George E. Swink	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Leonard A. Engel	....	supervising music editor (as Len Engel)
Ted Keep	....	score mixer
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestrator (as Herbert Spencer)

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

Other crew
Elizabeth Atkinson	....	production assistant
Jack Cavallero	....	technical advisor: battalion chief S.F.F.D.
Albert Gail	....	executive assistant to producer
Marie Kenney	....	script supervisor
George Leslie	....	production controller
Pete Lucarelli	....	technical advisor: battalion chief L.A.F.D.
Steven Marlo	....	dialogue coach
Don Morgan	....	unit publicist
Esther Stephenson	....	script supervisor: action sequences
Art Volpert	....	production coordinator
William Welch	....	executive assistant to producer
Lewis Wolff	....	real estate consultant
Ed Conlon	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Tony Habeeb	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Edward Summer	....	marketing consultant (uncredited)
Sharon Thurgood	....	studio teacher (uncredited)

Thanks
Keith P. Calden	....	the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: chief of The San Francisco Fire Department
Raymond M. Hill	....	the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: chief of The Los Angeles Fire Department

Production Companies

• Irwin Allen Productions
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (present) (as Twentieth Century-Fox)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (present) (as Warner Bros.)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1974) (non-USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1975) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1975) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1975) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (double feature with "Volcano")
• Warner Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Magnetic Video (video)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Van der Veer Photo Effects (opticals)

Other Companies

• San Francisco Fire Department  the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of (as The San Francisco Fire Department)
• San Francisco Board of Fire Commissioners  the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of (as The San Francisco Board of Fire Commissioners)
• Los Angeles City Fire Department, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of
• Los Angeles City Board of Fire Commissioners  the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of (as The Los Angeles City Board of Fire Commissioners)
• MacGillivray Freeman Films  aerial photography
• Pacific Title  titles
• Department of the Navy  the cooperation of, is gratefully acknowledged (as The Department of the Navy)
• Department of Defense, The  the cooperation of, is gratefully acknowledged

Runtime:

165 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

France:U | Hungary:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1975) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:16 (w) | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:PG | UK:A

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Irwin Allen Productions

Trivia:

At first Irwin Allen did not want to use music at the first 5 minutes of the Helicopter Sequence. John Williams told Allen that he could come up with 5 minutes of music for the beginning. When Allen heard it, he agreed with Williams.

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.

Quotes:

James Duncan: You know there's... nothing that any of us can do to bring back the dead.

Movie Connections:

References Tea and Sympathy (1956)

Soundtrack:

The Morning After

Hot Potato.

"Grand Hotel"-styled disaster epic that, along with the original "Airport" and "The Poseidon Adventure", became a monstrous money-maker which dominated not only economically, but also critically. "The Towering Inferno" is an intense affair as a high-rise skyscraper in San Francisco seems to be a state-of-the-art marvel, but sometimes things are not as perfect as they seem. There are still flaws in the building and naturally a small spark in a utility room will lead to an overwhelming night of terror and heroism. A who's who cast in Hollywood at the time makes up the mind-blowing list of performers. Paul Newman, Robert Vaughn, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Steve McQueen, Susan Blakely, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Wagner and Jennifer Jones all make lasting impressions. However it is Fred Astaire (in an Oscar-nominated role of a lifetime) and then-Buffalo Bill superstar O.J. Simpson (showing the style, grace and power that he showed on the playing field here in his debut screen performance) that stand out and create a higher dimension to an honestly corn-filled story. A terribly difficult production to pull off due to the very large scope involved. The technical effects compete well with the all-world performers to make a stunningly impressive movie. Near the top of the usually ho-hum genre of the period. 4 stars out of 5.