When an earthquake sends a tidal wave over a luxury liner on New Year's Eve the top-heavy vessel capsizes. Ten survivors journey through the ship to escape. Terrible sequel: "Beyond the Poseidon Adventure." Academy Award Nominations: 8, including Best Actress--Shelley Winters. Academy Awards: Best Song ("The Morning After").
It's New Year's Eve and the luxury ocean liner Poseidon is on a magnificent voyage from New York to Athens. Unfortunately, disaster befalls passengers and crew when the cruise ship is capsized by a huge tidal wave brought on by a submarine-induced earthquake. Though the casualties are many, 10 passengers survive to make a harrowing journey up to the overturned ship's bottom where they try and escape to safety.
Born in London to photographer-father Elwin Neame and actress-mother Ivy Close, director-cinematographer Ronald Neame began his work in cinema as an assistant cameraman in the late 1920s. Neame's first picture was Alfred Hitchcock's BLACKMAIL, made in 1929. Neame worked closely with disaster-movie guru Irwin Allen, who helped direct many of the action sequences.
In 1934, Neame made the leap to director of photography when he shot DRAKE OF ENGLAND. Four years later, Neame worked on PYGMALION, another noteworthy film of this decade. Neame went on to become a producer in the 1940s, making important contributions to British and American films.
When Allen was first trying to get financing for the picture, he was met with much resistance; the project was referred to in Hollywood as Irwin's Folly. The five million dollars it cost to make the film was financed half by the studio and half by wealthy acquaintances of Allen's. The final film came in on schedule and under budget.
The interior design of the ship was based on the Queen Mary.
Nearly all the stunts by the stars were performed by the actors themselves. To prove one of the stunts could be done, Neame performed a major climb himself.
Shelley Winters gained 35 pounds for her role and took swimming lessons to perfect her part.
The sequel, BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, made in 1979, offered an alternative ending to THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE.
THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE won an Oscar for visual effects and for the song "A Morning After" and was nominated for several others.
L.B. Abbott and A.D. Flowers won a Special Achievement Oscar for their visual effects; that year the rules had changed so that this award, which formerly had been a regular Oscar handed out each year, would be given only when merited.
DVD Features:
2-Disc Set
Audio:
Stereo - English
Mono 2.0 - French, Spanish
Subtitles - Spanish - Optional
Disc 1: THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE - Widescreen Version
Widescreen
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentaries - Ronald Neame - Director, Pamela Sue Martin, Stella Stevens, Carol Lynley - Stars
Interactive Features:
Featurette - "Follow The Escape"
Disc 2: THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE - Supplemental Materials
Additional Release Material:
Featurettes - 1. "The Cast Looks Back"
2. "Falling Up with Ernie"
3. "The Heart of Disaster: Stirling Silliphant"
4. "The Heroes of The Poseidon"
5. "The Morning After Story"
6. "The R.M.S. Queen Mary"
7. "AMC Backstory: The Poseidon Adventure"
8. "Sinking Corridor"
9. "Generations of Fans"
10. "Turning Over the Ship"
11. Vintage Promotional Materials: Original 1972 Featurette
Trailers - 1. Original Teaser
2. Original Trailer
3. THE TOWERING INFERNO
Interactive Features:
Additional Interactive Features - American Cinematographer Interactive Article
Storyboard Comparisons - 1. "Ship Capsized"
2. "Up The Vertical Shaft"
3. "Saving Reverend Scott"
Text/Photo Galleries:
Stills/Photos - 1. Marketing
2. Publicity
3. Behind-the-Scenes
Cinematographer
Harold E. Stine: Director of Photography\"M*A*S*H"
Costume Designer
Paul Zastupnevich: Costume Designer
Production Designer
William Creber: Production Designer
Special Photography
L. B. Abbott: Special Visual Effects
Story
Paul Gallico: American Novelist
Stunts
Frank Orsatti:
Mechanical Effects Supervisor
A. D. Flowers: Special Visual Effects
Review 1:
"Winters won an Oscar nomination for pulling off the best moment in the best disaster flick ever."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.34 06/04/2004
Review 2:
"THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE has aged surprisingly well....The film's classical narrative contours come into sharper focus..."
Source: New York Times
p.E3 05/09/2006
Review 3:
4 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t digs in the hooks and won't let go..."
Source: Total Film
p.127 07/01/2006
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