


And, like the rest of the surrounding movie, it still stands up beautifully, as gripping and horrifying today as it was the day it was made. Kress to somehow feel at once both breathlessly sudden and agonizingly protracted, each additional tilt of the camera another nail in the coffin. It’s a staggering set piece, shot and cut to cruel perfection by director Ronald Neame and editor Harold F. Furniture slides and then tumbles, pianos plummet in an avalanche of ivory, pulverized glass commingles with confetti in an ominous flurry, partygoers are hurled like ragdolls and brutally crushed, with the last to fall clinging hopelessly to the floor (now the ceiling) before gravity inexorably claims them. The bridge is first to go, instantly obliterated by the brunt of the wave, before death and destruction spread to the ballroom where the passengers have gathered to celebrate. Slammed on New Year’s Eve by a tsunami caused by an underwater earthquake, the ocean liner SS Poseidon capsizes in swift, spectacular fashion.

#Poseidon adventure tv#
Poseidon, “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972,) “Beyond The Poseidon Adventure” (1979), a TV film, “The Poseidon Adventure” (2005), and “Poseidon” (2006) with Richard Dreyfus and Kurt Russell.Catastrophe strikes about half an hour into The Poseidon Adventure, in a sequence that remains ingenious and exhilarating to this day. – There’s been four films featuring a luxury liner called The S.S. – The Queen Mary was used for a few exterior shots of the deck and early interior shots of the staterooms. Shelley Winters did receive a nomination but lost to Eileen Heckart. – After reading the script, Stella Stevens, the actress that played Linda Rogo, said the woman that plays the “fat lady” Belle Rosen will get an Oscar nomination. At the time, it was the highest amount ever paid. – When the film’s theatrical release ended, ABC paid $1 million for the broadcast rights. Scott and Burt Lancaster both turned down the role of Reverend Scott Gene Wilder turned down the role of haberdasher James Martin. At the time the film was made, Winters was only 51. – Shelley Winters’ character, Belle, was an older, retired woman with grandchildren. – Irwin Allen’s wife Sheila had a bit part playing the ship’s nurse. She was never able to lose the extra weight. – To play the role of older and out-of-shape Belle Rosen, Shelley Winters gained 35 pounds. – Jack Albertson was one of a few performers to receive all three top awards for acting. – “The Poseidon Adventure” was the second highest-grossing film of 1972, with $93 million in ticket sales. The film is also considered the most harrowing and suspenseful film in the disaster genre. Since the film is basically an action flick, “Poseidon” isn’t known for its eloquent and moving dialog, even though the cast includes five Academy Award-winning performers: Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Jack Albertson, and Shelley Winters.Įven though the 1971 film “Airport” was the first of the big block-buster disaster films, “The Poseidon Adventure” is considered the film that started the morbid race to escape film craze that folks in the 1970s loved. That’s if they can stay ahead of the seawater pouring into the crippled ship. Their goal is the engine room and their only slim chance of being rescued. The film follows ten passengers from varied backgrounds haphazardly, making their way through this upside-down hell. On New Year’s Eve, the ship is hit by a massive wave and turns upside down. Poseidon, is making its final voyage before heading to a scrap yard in Greece.

In case you have a phobia of watching films with water, here’s a blueprint of the 1972 disaster flick.Īn aging luxury liner, The S.S.
#Poseidon adventure movie#
So begins a harrowing race to the bottom that is now the top - What a disaster! -And movie fans couldn’t get enough.Ģ022 marks the 50th anniversary of “The Poseidon Adventure” sailing into theaters. And those desperate measures include Winter’s ample fanny. Gene Hackman is midway up a towering metal Christmas tree with his hands pressed firmly on Shelley Winters’ derriere.ĭesperate times call for desperate measures.
