The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Director:

Ronald Neame

Writers:

Paul Gallico (novel)
Stirling Silliphant (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

13 December 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Hell, Upside Down

Plot:

A group of passengers struggle to survive and escape, when their ocean liner completely capsizes at sea.

Plot Keywords:

Tidal Wave | Passenger | Survivor | Ocean Liner | Fire

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Gene Hackman	...	Reverend Scott
Ernest Borgnine	...	Det. Lt. Mike Rogo
Red Buttons	...	Martin
Carol Lynley	...	Nonnie
Roddy McDowall	...	Acres
Stella Stevens	...	Linda Rogo
Shelley Winters	...	Belle Rosen
Jack Albertson	...	Manny Rosen
Pamela Sue Martin	...	Susan
Arthur O'Connell	...	Chaplain
Eric Shea	...	Robin
Fred Sadoff	...	Linarcos
Sheila Allen	...	Nurse (as Sheila Mathews)
Jan Arvan	...	Doctor
Byron Webster	...	Purser

Also Known As:

L'aventure du Poséidon (Belgium: French title) (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
La aventura del Poseidón (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
A Aventura do Poseidon (Portugal) [pt]
A posszeidon katasztrófa (Hungary) [hu]
Die Höllenfahrt der Poseidon (West Germany) [de]
Harpatka B'Posiedon (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Het avontuur van de Poseidon (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
I peripeteia tou Poseidonos (Greece) [el]
L'aventura del Posidó (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
L'avventura del Poseidon (Italy) [it]
O Destino do Poseidon (Brazil) [pt]
Poseidon Inferno (West Germany) [de]
Poseidon katastrofen (Sweden) [sv]
Poseydon macerasi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
S.S. Poseidonin seikkailu (Finland) [fi]
SOS Poseidon (Sweden) [sv]
SOS Poseidon kalder (Denmark) [da]
Tragedia Posejdona (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:PG (video rating) | Iceland:16 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | USA:PG (PCA #23341) | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Kent Productions

Trivia:

Shelley Winters trained with an Olympic swim coach so that her character, who is a former award-winning swimmer, would come across more realistically in the underwater scenes.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Martin is placing all his pills out before New Years, there is no green pill. But when Mrs. Rosen asks him about it, it's there.

Quotes:

Robin Shelby: Sis? Susan!
Susan Shelby: Robin! Reverend Scott!
[Everyone looks up and sees Susan clinging to the underside of a table]
Susan Shelby: [frightened] Can you help me?
Robin Shelby: How'd you get up there, sis?
Susan Shelby: That's a stupid question!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Chump Change (2000)

Soundtrack:

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow

The granddaddy of all disaster films

Although after Airport The Poseidon Adventure truly is the film that started the craze... The Towering Inferno, Earthquake, Airport 75 etc. all owe their getting made to this film...while Airport may have started the genre PS perfects it. Top of the line special effects, decent acting, and an edge of your seat story makes this the king of all disaster films. It's so good that no matter what I'm doing if I flip channels and hot this I stop and watch it.