THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE
Movie
Year: 1972
Director: Ronald Neame
US Premiere: 13 December 1972
Produced by Kent Productions, Inc.
Released by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Copyright 1972 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Plot Summary
An ocean liner is capsized by an enormous tidal wave. Survivors must make a trecherous journey up through the hull of the overturned ship, to make their escape.
Cast
The Cast of The Poseidon Adventure
Gene Hackman - Reverend 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
Jan Arvan - Dr. Caravello
Byron Webster - Purser
John Crawford - Chief Engineer Joe
Bob Hastings - Master of Ceremonies
Erik L. Nelson - Mr. Tinkham, Bridge Officer
Leslie Nielsen - Captain Harrison
Uncredited (in alphabetic order):
Phil Adams - Cable Steward
Rene Armand - Vocal for "The Morning After"
Craig Barley - Extra
Todd Bartlett - Extra
Charles Bateman - First Officer Larsen
Doug Bell - Officer on Dance Floor
Jack Berle - Man on Dance Floor
Eldon Burke - Male Passenger in Overturned Ship
Dusty Cadis - Man at Sermon and in Dining Room
Bill Catching - Man
Lisa Christy - Woman Diner
Craig Chudy - Helmsman
Ronn Cragg - Radarman
Jimmy Cross - Dinning Room Steward
Fred Dale - Engineer
Ray Didsbury - Male Passenger in Overturned Ship
Dick Durock - Tall Passenger in Overturned Ship
Connie Ducharme - Female Passenger next to Reverend Scott
Len Felber - Male Diner
Jim Galante - Assistant Engineer
Bob Golden - Wiper
Valerie Hall - Passenger at Sermon, in Dining Room and as different passenger in overturned ship
Orwin C. Harvey - Falling Man
Francine Henderson - Lady at Sermon and with broken neck after ship finished rolling over
Francine Henderson - Woman in Overturned Ship (as different passenger in different dress)
Larry Holt - Falling Man
Chris Howell - Night Helmsman
Kathryn Janssen - Woman Seated Next to Purser in Yellow Dress
Lorraine Keeling - Overturning Ship Female
Bob Liddle - Passenger at Sermon and in overturned Dining Room
Marco López - Passenger at Sermon and in Dining Room
Maurice Marsac - French Naval Officer, Rescuer
John McKnight - Man on Dance Floor
Monty O'Grady - Passenger at Sermon
Michael Omartin - Keyboard Player
Ernie F. Orsatti - Terry, Susan's Date
Victor Paul - Kyrenos, falls through skylight (not seen)
Stuart Perry - Teddy Parry, Drummer
Tony Regan - Man following Doctor
Frieda Rentie - Indian Woman
Lance Rimmer - Extra
Elizabeth Rogers - Woman Next to Mr. Tinkham
George Sawaya - Bos'n Mate, Rescuer
Toni Schaber - Overturning Ship Female
Sheila Scotti - Passenger at Sermon and in Dining Room
David Sharpe - Man
Paul Stader - Martin, "Sparks" Wireless Operator
Ron Stein - Male Passenger next to Manny Rosen
Norman Stevans - Man following Doctor
Hank Sylvie - Woman at Sermon and in Dining Room
Mark Tulin - Dog, Bass Guitarist
Robert “Waddy” Wachtel - Crump, Long Haired Guitarist
Roseann Williams - Woman next to Rogo
Judy Woodbury - Overturning Ship Female
Stunts
Phil Adams |
Keith Morhart |
Production Crew
Producer - Irwin Allen
Director - Ronald Neame
Director of Action Sequences - Irwin Allen
Story - Paul Gallico
Screenplay - Stirling Silliphant, Wendell Mayes
Director of Photography - Harold E. Stine, A.S.C.
Production Designer - William Creber
Film Editor - Harold F. Kress, A.C.E.
Associate Producer - Sidney Marshall
Music - John Williams
Words and Music for "The Song from The Poseidon Adventure" - Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
Orchestration - Alexander Courage
Unit Production Manager - Hal Herman
Casting - Jack Baur
Assistant to the Producer - Al Gail
Stunt Coordinator - Paul Stader
Assistant Director - Norman Cook
Production Coordinator - Art Volpert
Second Assistant Directors - Les Warner, Don White
Unit Publicist - John Campbell
Makeup Artists - Ed Butterworth, Del Acevedo, Allan Snyder, Daniel C. Striepeke
Hair Stylists - Carol Pershing, Sheral Ross, Ann Wadlington
Costume Designer - Paul Zastupnevich
Women's Costumer - Kathleen McCandless
Set Decorator - Raphael Bretton
Assistant Art Director - Ward Preston
Production Illustrators - Tom Cranham, Dan Goozee
Special Photographic Effects - L.B. Abbott, A.S.C.
Mechanical Effects - A.D. Flowers
Sound Supervision - John Bonner
Boom Operator - Orrick Barrett, Raol A. Bruce
Production Mixer - Herman Lewis
Re-recording Mixer - Theodore Soderberg
Scoring Mixer - Vinton Vernon
Camera Operator - Tommy Morris
First Assistant Cameraman - Fred Smith
Gaffer - Clyde Taylor
Key Grip - Lou Pazelli
Assistant Film Editor - William DeNicholas
Digital Color Correction - Brent Eldridge
Script Supervisor - Teresa Brachetto
Property Master - Robert McLaughlin
Assistant Property Master - Jerry Kobold
Lead Man - Richard A. Villalobos
Construction Coordinator - Charles Stevens
Transportation Coordinator - Jim Martell
Drivers - Chris Haynes, Frank Khoury
Trivia
- The Poseidon Adventure principal filming took place between 27 March and 11 July 1972 (a total of 70 days).
- Several scenes were filmed aboard the ocean liner the Queen Mary which now resides at Long Beach in California. These include the scene of Eric Shea climbing up to the bridge in the storm, Red Buttons jogging along the deck, the communal area and corridor outside Rogo's stateroom, the sermon on the deck, and John Crawford in the engine room.
- Much of the filming took place on the Twentieth Century Fox stages B, 6, 14 and the moat for the water sequences.
- Gene Hackman's brother Richard worked on The Poseidon Adventure as a stunt coordinator.
- Jack Albertson appeared twice in Land of the Giants.
- The filming minature of the Poseidon can be viewed at the San Pedro Maritime Museum in Los Angeles county.
- Stuntman Dick Durock who appears as a passenger in the overturned ship was a stunt double for Guy Williams in Lost in Space.
- Many of the passengers on the Poseidon also enjoyed a well cooked (okay, burnt) dinner at the top of The Towering Inferno. See how many people you can spot in both movies.
- The President of the United States (Norman Stevans from The Return of Captain Nemo) appears as one of the passengers following the doctor in the overturned ship.
- Tony Regan also played the scientist in the Land of the Giants episode The Weird World.
Behind the Scenes
Selection of storyboards from The Poseidon Adventure
Shooting Schedule for The Poseidon Adventure
We thought researchers of The Poseidon Adventure would find the above selection of storyboards and shooting schedule pages useful. Thank you to Cynthia Liljeblad for sharing them with us.
Awards and Nominations
Academy Award Oscars Won 1973
Best Music, Original Song "The Morning After" - Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
Academy Award Special Achievement Award 1973
Visual Effects - L.B. Abbott and A.D. Flowers
Academy Award Nominations 1973
Best Costume Design - Paul Zastupnevich
Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Shelley Winters
Best Art Direction/Set Direction - William Creber and Raphael Bretton
Best Cinematography - Harold E. Stine
Best Film Editing - Harold F. Kress
Best Music, Original Dramatic Score - John Williams
Best Sound - Theodore Soderberg and Herman Lewis
Golden Globes Win 1973
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture - Shelley Winters
Golden Globes Nominations 1973
Best Motion Picture Drama - Irwin Allen Producer
Best Original Score - John Williams
Best Original Song "The Morning After" - Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
British Bafta Film Award Win 1973
Best Actor - Gene Hackman
British Bafta Film Award Nomination 1973
Best Supporting Actress - Shelley Winters
Alternative Titles
Brazil: O Destino do Poseidon
France: L'aventure du Poséidon
Germany: Die Höllenfahrt der Poseidon
Italy: L'avventura del Poseidon
Japan: ポセイドン・アドベンチャー
Portugal: A Aventura do Poseidon
Spain: La Aventura del Poseidón
Broadcasts
Collectibles
THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE BLU-RAY RELEASE
In this 40th anniversary year for Irwin Allen's award winning The Poseidon Adventure, we see this outstanding movie being released on Blu-Ray in the US, France and Germany. In the US, the Blu-Ray version is being released as a Walmart Exclusive. It features the same extras that appeared in the special edition DVD set.
Walmart Exclusive - The Poseidon Adventure Blu-Ray
Hell Upside Down: The Making of The Poseidon Adventure Article at Blu-Ray.com by Robert Siegel
The Poseidon Adventure Blu-Ray is also available from some Amazon marketplace sellers:
THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE DVD
Events
POSEIDON ADVENTURE STARS AT JULY 2011 HOLLYWOOD SHOW
Carol Lynley, Ernie F. Orsatti, Stella Stevens, Ernest Borgnine, Pamela Sue Martin, and Eric Shea
