IMDb > The Towering Inferno (1974)
The Towering Inferno
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The Towering Inferno (1974) More at IMDbPro »

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The Towering Inferno (1974) -- 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.
The Towering Inferno (1974) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   13,032 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Richard Martin Stern (novel)
Thomas N. Scortia (novel) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Towering Inferno on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 joulukuu 1974 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Thriller | Drama more
Tagline:
One Tiny Spark Becomes A Night Of Blazing Suspense. more
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. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 12 nominations more
User Comments:
McQueen and Newman create sparks more (151 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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
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Additional Details

Runtime:
165 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Paul Newman's and Steve McQueen's names are staggered in the opening credits, closing credits, and on the posters so that, depending on which way you read it (top to bottom or left to right), both appear to get top billing. This is known as "diagonal billing", This strategy was being worked on when Newman and McQueen almost co-starred together in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), but McQueen eventually dropped out of the project and was replaced by the lesser known Robert Redford. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When the fire crew slide down the fireman's pole to answer the alarm call the pole can clearly be seen moving from side to side. A real fireman's pole is fixed solidly to both ceiling and floor. more
Quotes:
James Duncan: Did you change Doug's electrical specifications?
Roger Simmons: I most certainly did.
James Duncan: For God's sake, why?
Roger Simmons: The reason should be obvious, especially to you.
James Duncan: We've got a fire, and if it was caused by anything you did I'm going to hang you out to dry, then I'm going to hang you.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Retarded Animal Babies (2003) (V) more
Soundtrack:
We May Never Love Like This Again more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
23 out of 30 people found the following comment useful.
McQueen and Newman create sparks, 13 joulukuu 2003
Author: Brian W. Fairbanks (brianwfairbanks@yahoo.com) from Cleveland, Ohio

Your typical dumb disaster flick, produced by the king of the genre, Irwin Allen, made notable by the presence of Steve McQueen and Paul Newman who finally agreed to share the screen as equals, something they almost did in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." The ever competitive McQueen made his film debut with a bit part in "Somebody Up There Likes Me" in which Newman starred, and one of his ambitions was to finally get top billing over his number one rival. Even with the so-called "diagonal billing" employed in the film and its advertising (with Newman's name elevated slightly above McQueen's), those of us who read from left to right can see that McQueen got his wish. He also got the best role. He's the firefighter, a tight jawed man of action, while Newman is saddled with the less sympathetic role of the architect. But the real star is the burning building. It burns, and impressively at that, but there's something very claustrophobic about this situation which results in less action than Allen's previous smash, "The Posiedon Adventure."

But the acting is better. In addition to McQueen and Newman, the cast includes Richard Chamberlain (particularly good), William Holden, Faye Dunaway, and Fred Astaire. That's an improvement over Carol Lynley and Eric Shea, both of whom Gene Hackman had the misfortune of emoting with two years earlier. Whatever one thinks of this particular genre, "The Towering Inferno" is probably the best of the bunch.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Towering Inferno (1974)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
High Time for a remake!! thecottonfamily
Jennifer Jones kathmaxwell828586
Why didnt the building collapse mattep74
The two firefighters tblount76
Since when do architects specify electrical equipment? jmacleve
One thing I like about this movie dergeier117
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