No one took movie stardom more seriously than Steve McQueen. Once the actor became a certified box-office draw in the early 1960s on the strength of "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape," he got incredibly picky about his projects. McQueen knew his tough, taciturn type, and he rarely played against it. He was also disinclined to play anything other than the lead, and he demanded to be paid at his market value.
This proved problematic when he signed on to play heroic fireman Thomas O'Halloran in Irwin Allen's "The Towering Inferno." All-star disaster movies were quite the rage in the early 1970s, and were not looked down upon critically. George Seaton's 1970 adaptation of Arthur Hailey's "Airport" earned 10 Academy Award nominations, with Helen Hayes winning Best Supporting Actress. Three years later, Ronald Neame's "The Poseidon Adventure" racked up eight nominations, and two wins (for Best Original...
This proved problematic when he signed on to play heroic fireman Thomas O'Halloran in Irwin Allen's "The Towering Inferno." All-star disaster movies were quite the rage in the early 1970s, and were not looked down upon critically. George Seaton's 1970 adaptation of Arthur Hailey's "Airport" earned 10 Academy Award nominations, with Helen Hayes winning Best Supporting Actress. Three years later, Ronald Neame's "The Poseidon Adventure" racked up eight nominations, and two wins (for Best Original...
- 4/1/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
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