The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Director:

Ronald Neame

Writers:

Paul Gallico (novel)
Wendell Mayes (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

13 December 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Thriller | Action | Drama

Tagline:

Hell, Upside Down

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Radar | Claustrophobic | Band | Capsize | Stockings

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Gene Hackman	...	Rev. Frank Scott
Ernest Borgnine	...	Det. Lt. Mike Rogo
Red Buttons	...	James Martin
Carol Lynley	...	Nonnie Parry
Roddy McDowall	...	Acres
Stella Stevens	...	Linda Rogo
Shelley Winters	...	Belle Rosen
Jack Albertson	...	Manny Rosen
Pamela Sue Martin	...	Susan Shelby
Arthur O'Connell	...	Chaplain John
Eric Shea	...	Robin Shelby
Fred Sadoff	...	Mr. Linarcos
Sheila Allen	...	Nurse Gina Rowe (as Sheila Mathews)
Jan Arvan	...	Dr. Caravello
Byron Webster	...	Purser
John Crawford	...	Chief Engineer Joe
Bob Hastings	...	New Year's Emcee
Erik L. Nelson	...	Mr. Tinkham (Bridge Officer) (as Erik Nelson)
Leslie Nielsen	...	Captain Harrison
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Phil Adams	...	Cable Steward (uncredited)
Craig Barley	...	Extra (uncredited)
Todd Bartlett	...	Extra (uncredited)
Charles Bateman	...	First Officer Larsen (uncredited)
Craig Chudy	...	Helmsman (uncredited)
Ronn Cragg	...	Radarman (uncredited)
Jimmy Cross	...	Dinning Room Steward (uncredited)
Jim Galante	...	Assistant Engineer (uncredited)
Orwin C. Harvey	...	Falling Man (uncredited)
Larry Holt	...	Falling Man (uncredited)
Chris Howell	...	Helmsman Double (uncredited)
Kathryn Janssen	...	Woman seated next to purser (uncredited)
Marco López	...	Passenger (uncredited)
Maurice Marsac	...	French Navy Officer (uncredited)
Ernie F. Orsatti	...	Terry (Susan's date) (uncredited)
Victor Paul	...	Kyrenos (uncredited)
Stuart Perry	...	Teddy Parry (uncredited)
Allen Pinson	...	Extra (uncredited)
Bobby Porter	...	Eric Shea Double (uncredited)
Lance Rimmer	...	Extra (uncredited)
Elizabeth Rogers	...	Woman next to Mr. Tinkham (uncredited)
George Sawaya	...	Bos'n Mate (uncredited)
David Sharpe	...	Man (uncredited)
Paul Stader	...	Martin, Wireless Operator (uncredited)
Tom Steele	...	Extra (uncredited)
Mark Tulin	...	Bass Guitarist as ship sinks (uncredited)
Waddy Wachtel	...	Crump, Guitarist #1 (uncredited)

Directed by
Ronald Neame

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paul Gallico		novel
Wendell Mayes		screenplay
Stirling Silliphant		screenplay

Produced by
Irwin Allen	....	producer
Sidney Marshall	....	associate producer
Steve Broidy	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Williams

Cinematography by
Harold E. Stine		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Harold F. Kress

Casting by
Jack Baur

Production Design by
William J. Creber		(as William Creber)

Set Decoration by
Raphael Bretton

Costume Design by
Paul Zastupnevich

Makeup Department
Del Acevedo	....	makeup artist
Edwin Butterworth	....	makeup artist (as Ed Butterworth)
Carol Pershing	....	hair stylist
Sheral Ross	....	hair stylist
Allan Snyder	....	makeup artist
Ann Wadlington	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Hal Herman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Norman A. Cook	....	assistant director (as Norman Cook)
Les Warner	....	second assistant director
Don White	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Tom Cranham	....	production illustrator
Dan Goozee	....	production illustrator
Bob McLaughlin	....	property master
Ward Preston	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
John A. Bonner	....	sound supervisor (as John Bonner)
Herman Lewis	....	production sound mixer
Theodore Soderberg	....	sound re-recording mixer
Raul A. Bruce	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects
A.D. Flowers	....	mechanical effects

Visual Effects by
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Paul Stader	....	stunt coordinator
Phil Adams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)
Marilyn Bower	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Catching	....	stunts (uncredited)
Craig Chudy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Howard Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Pepper Curtis	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Pepper Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Daheim	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Dale	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carol Daniels	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paula Dell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mike Donovan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Durock	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lila Finn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Donna Garrett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Holt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chris Howell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mike Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Denver Mattson	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Moio	....	stunts (uncredited)
Doug O'Dell	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Doug O'Dell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ernie F. Orsatti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Victor Paul	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Peter Peterson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Allen Pinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bobby Porter	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert Prohaska	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wally Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Sawaya	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Scheiwiller	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rodell Sharpe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Marilyn Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts (uncredited)
June lorna Wilson	....	stunts (uncredited)
James Winburn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Thomas Worrell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Zendar	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Tommy Morris	....	camera operator
Lou Pazelli	....	key grip
Clyde Taylor	....	gaffer

Editorial Department
William DeNicholas	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator
Vinton Vernon	....	score mixer
Renée Armand	....	singing voice: Carol Lynley (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (uncredited)
Jim Martell	....	transportation coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Teresa Brachetto	....	script supervisor
John Campbell	....	unit publicist
Al Gail	....	assistant to producer
Art Volpert	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Irwin Allen Productions (as Irwin Allen's Production)
• Kent Productions Inc.
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (as Twentieth Century-Fox presents)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)
• Fox-Rank (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox (2006) (UK) (DVD) (special edition)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Magnetic Video (video)

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting
• City of Long Beach, California Museum of the Sea Foundation  cooperation
• P.S.A. Hotels  cooperation
• Queen Mary Corporation  cooperation

Also Known As:

Aventura del Poseidón, La (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Aventure du Poséidon, L' (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
A Aventura do Poseidon (Portugal) [pt]
A Posszeidon katasztrófa (Hungary) [hu]
Aventura del Posidó, L' (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Avventura del Poseidon, L' (Italy) [it]
Destino do Poseidon, O (Brazil) [pt]
Höllenfahrt der Poseidon, Die (West Germany) [de]
Harpatka B'Posiedon (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
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]

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:

Iceland:16 | UK:PG (video rating) | South Korea:12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | 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:

Irwin Allen Productions

Trivia:

The sequence where Nonnie (Carol Lynley) rehearses "The Morning After" with her band mates was the first scene to be filmed. Originally Waddy Wachtel (the guitarist) was to be cast as her brother Teddy, but as Wachtel had brown eyes and Lynley was blue-eyed, drummer Stuart Perry was cast as Nonnie's brother.

Goofs:

Continuity: Linda Rogo had to change into her husband's shirt because she didn't wear a bra and couldn't climb in her gown. However, when she is in the smokestack about to climb the ladder, a bra strap is visible.

Quotes:

Robin Shelby: The third engineer promised to show me the propeller shaft!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders (#11.3)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

The Song From The Poseidon Adventure

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.