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Hackman is perfect as the driving force behind the story, bringing passion, strength, and vulnerability. He radically believes prayers aren’t enough - that action must be taken, for God is within each of us. “The Poseidon Adventure” soon followed, and he stars as “Reverend Frank Scott”, a questioning and rebellious priest who finds faith from within.

Poseidon adventure movie#

Hackman had just appeared as the lead in the classic 1971 film, “The French Connection”, winning the Best Actor Academy Award for it, making him an official movie star and leading man. The one exception was the film’s star, Gene Hackman. Irwin Allen died in 1991 at the age of 75.įor the all-star cast, Allen decided to hire mostly seasoned pros rather than current movie stars. The huge success of “The Poseidon Adventure” and his next, “The Towering Inferno”, made Irwin Allen’s name synonymous with disaster films, earning him the nickname, “The Master of Disaster”. True to his tenacious nature, Allen made a deal that he would finance half of the $5 million budget himself if Fox would finance the rest and keep the film in production. Two weeks before shooting, Allen faced his own personal disaster as 20th Century Fox pulled the plug on the film for financial reasons. He hired screenwriter Stirling Silliphant (who won a Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for the film “In the Heat of the Night' (film #12 on his blog) to flesh out the characters - which he did superbly. “The Poseidon Adventure” was based on a book, and Allen was determined to make the film version.

He won an Academy Award for Best Documentary for his 1953 film, “The Sea Around Us”, and was nominated as producer for a Best Picture Oscar for 1974’s disaster film, “The Towering Inferno”. He also directed several of the titles mentioned, as well as the 1979 sequel to this film, 'Beyond the Poseidon Adventure”.

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His producing credits include the classic 1960s TV shows 'Lost in Space', 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea', 'The Time Tunnel', and 'Land of the Giants”, and the films 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea', 'The Story of Mankind', and 'The Lost World”. The man behind “The Poseidon Adventure” was film/TV producer and director, Irwin Allen, and his knack for producing fantasy and extravaganza certainly mark this film.

However, it was with the success of “The Poseidon Adventure” that the genre exploded, spawning subsequent films such as 'Earthquake', 'The Towering Inferno', 'The Hindenburg', 'The Swarm', a slew of 'Airport' sequels, and many, many more films. Two years prior, the first notable disaster film, “Airport”, was released - also a box-office sensation with an all-star cast.

A disaster film centers around some type of disaster (natural or man-made) which puts its characters (usually an all-star cast) in a fight for survival. Audiences hadn’t seen anything like it and the film became the second highest grossing of the year (behind “The Godfather”) and the catalyst for the disaster film becoming a viable genre.

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Not only is it chock full of high-voltage action (the moment when the wave hits the ship is heart-stoppingly authentic), one can’t help but believe these are real individuals whose worlds are being turned upside down. One might not think a disaster film could be emotional and moving, but “The Poseidon Adventure” is the spectacle that proves it’s possible.

The superb cast portray very distinct, fully-formed characters, each adding a different color and element to the journey and narrative. While I can appreciate those comparisons, I view “The Poseidon Adventure” as a parable about how action, an open mind, and faith in oneself can lead to survival in the face of adversity. “The Poseidon Adventure” has been described as an allegory to “Dante’s Inferno”, “The Hero’s Journey”, and in part, the story of Christ. The contrast of the two priests sets up a lingering question - is God outside or within. Also onboard is a more conventional priest who lives by prescription, and when disaster strikes he decides to stay in place and wait for help. Basically, a sub-sea earthquake produces a tidal wave, creating havoc for the SS Poseidon, turning the film into a fight for survival as an unconventional priest leads a small group towards what he perceives as the only escape from the sinking ship. POSEIDON, enroute (sic) from New York to Athens, met with disaster and was lost. The film opens with this prologue: “At midnight on New Year's Eve, the S.