Rating: PG
Genre: Action
Release Date: 05/09/2006
SubTitles: English/Espanol
Dubbed: English
Sound: DD4.0/DD2/DD1
Run Time: 164 Minutes
Flags: Violence, Questionable for Children, Adult Language
Distributor/Studio: 20th Century Fox

A skyscraper and an all-star cast go up in flames in Irwin Allen's classic disaster movie. To celebrate the construction of the Glass Tower, the world's tallest building, architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) and builder James Duncan (William Holden) hold a gala bash on the highest floors. Trouble is, Duncan's son-in-law and electrical subcontractor Roger Simmons (Richard Chamberlain) installed faulty wiring throughout the 138-story behemoth to save money. While the guests -- including Doug's lady friend (Faye Dunaway), a rich widow (Jennifer Jones), a con man (Fred Astaire), and a politico (Robert Vaughn) -- enjoy the party, and a security guard (O.J. Simpson) wonders why his equipment is on the fritz, a burnt-out circuit breaker ignites some garbage on the 85th floor, swiftly turning the high-rise into, well, a towering inferno. With the guests trapped on the 135th floor, it's up to Roberts and Fire Chief O'Hallorhan (Steve McQueen) to find a way to stop the blaze. Though not the first all-star '70s disaster movie (1970's Airport and 1972's The Poseidon Adventure preceded it), The Towering Inferno was the most popular and the most spectacular. In a move that would become more common in late-'90s blockbuster Hollywood, The Towering Inferno's mammoth production was mounted by two studios; screenwriter Stirling Silliphant combined the two novels owned by the studios into one saga. 1970s "shake 'n bake" maestro Allen, with co-director John Guillermin (Allen did the action sequences), tapped into deep fears about the fragility of modern life in the face of extreme natural phenomena, as well as into the envies and insecurities of middle-aged professional men. The Towering Inferno packed theaters and earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture; it won for Cinematography, Editing, and Song. While its heroic, no-nonsense men provided some traditional comfort, The Towering Inferno still might provoke second thoughts about going into a skyscraper.

~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Be the first to review this product!

Cast:
Steve McQueen - Fire Chief Michael O'Hallorhan
Paul Newman - Doug Roberts
William Holden - James Duncan
Faye Dunaway - Susan
Fred Astaire - Harlee Claiborne
Richard Chamberlain - Simmons

Production:
Irwin Allen John Guillermin - Director
Irwin Allen - Producer
Joel Hirschhorn Al Kasha John Williams - Composer
Carl Kress Harold Kress - Editor
Stirling Silliphant - Screen Writer
Raphael Bretton - Set Designer
Ward Preston - Art Director
Frank M. Robinson - Book Author
Thomas N. Scortia - Book Author
Fred Koenekamp - Cinematographer
Jim Freeman - Cinematographer
Joseph Biroc - Cinematographer
Paul Zastupnevich - Costume Designer
Malcolm Harding - First Assistant Director
Newt Arnold - First Assistant Director
Wes McAfee - First Assistant Director
Monty Westmore - Makeup
William J. Creber - Production Designer
Al Kasha - Songwriter
Joel Hirschhorn - Songwriter
Herman Lewis - Sound/Sound Designer
John A. Bonner - Sound/Sound Designer
Theodore Soderberg - Sound/Sound Designer
A.D. Flowers - Special Effects
L.B. Abbott - Special Effects
Logan R. Frazee - Special Effects
Bud Ekins - Stunts
Paul Stader - Stunts Coordinator
Richard Martin Stern - Book Author

Earthquake
    Charlton Heston / PG / 1974
Inferno
    PG13 / 2001
Twister [Special Edition] [2 Discs]
    Helen Hunt / PG13 / 1996
Oceans of Fire
    PG / 1986
The Day After Tomorrow [O-Ring Packaging]
    Dennis Quaid / PG13 / 2004
When Time Ran Out [WS]
    Paul Newman / PG / 1980

1974 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie

1975 British Academy of Film and Television

1974 Golden Globe