The Poseidon Adventure (1972) centred on the ageing luxury liner the SS Poseidon, which capsizes on New Year's Eve after an earthquake beneath the ocean. The Reverend Frank "Buzz" Scott (Gene Hackman) then has to lead a group of survivors to safety. Among the survivors are Detective Lieutenant Mike Rogo (Ernest Borgnine), singer Nonnie Parry (Carol Lynley), store owner Manny Rosen (Jack Albertson) and his wife Belle (Shelley Winters), and yet others.
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) was based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Paul Gallico. The novel was inspired by an experience Mr. Gallico had in 1937. He was going back to England from the United States aboard the Queen Mary when an enormous wave struck the ship and knocked it hard to port. Fortunately the Queen Mary righted itself and none of the passengers died. Still, the experience stayed with Paul Gallico, who eventually used it as inspiration for the novel The Poseidon Adventure.
While the novel The Poseidon Adventure did not sell particularly well, Hollywood did take notice of producer Irwin Allen, then perhaps best known for such sci-fi television shows as Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Lost in Space. He had signed a three movie deal with AVCO Embassy and convinced them to buy the rights to the novel. AVCO Embassy would ultimately cancel the project, Irwin Allen found another production company in 20th Century Fox. 20th Century Fox was nervous about what could be a very expensive movie, so Mr. Allen offered to raise half of the movie's budget. Additional money was provided by Steve Broidy, former president of Monogram Pictures, and cinema owner Sherill C. Corwin. 20th Century Fox then approved of the production.
The cast that Irwin Allen initially had in mind was somewhat different from the cast that ultimately appeared in the movie. Mr. Allen wanted George C. Scott to play Reverend Scott, Petulia Clark as Nonny, and Esther Williams as Belle. Shelley Winters, who was a skilled swimmer, was ultimately cast as Belle. Burt Lancaster was offered the role of Reverend Scott, but turned it down. Gene Wilder was cast as shy bachelor James Martin, but dropped out of the project. Red Buttons played James Martin in the movie.
Largely out of necessity, The Poseidon Adventure (1972) used state-of-the-art special effects. A scale model, based on the Queen Mary, was constructed, and used in the scene where the Poseidon capsizes. 20th Century Fox built the sets for the ship inside a large gimble that would give the actors the sensation of an actual rolling ship. The famous scene of a passenger falling from the floor (now rightside up) through a skylight was a practical special effect using famed stuntman Ernie F. Orsatti (whose father was Ernie Orsatti, former outfielder and first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals). For the most part the cast did their own stunts, including a scene requiring Shelley Winter to swim through a flooded corridor.
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) received largely positive reviews from critics, who gave high marks to the film's special effects. The Poseidon Adventure was the no. 1 movie at the box office by Christmas Day and would remain at no. 1 through New Years. The Getaway (1972) displaced The Poseidon Adventure (1972) for a week, after it which retook the number one spot and kept it for eight full weeks.
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) made its television debut on ABC on October 27 1974. It did very well in the ratings, become the sixth highest rated movie to air on television at the time. ABC had paid $3.2 million for the rights, which given its ratings was well worth it.
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) was followed by a sequel, Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979), which not only bombed with the critics, but also with audiences. In the Naughts there would be two new adaptations of the novel The Poseidon Adventure was a made-for-TV movie that aired on NBC on November 20 2005. Poseidon (2006) was a feature film directed by Wolfgang Petersen. It received negative reviews and bombed at the box office.
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) has become a cult film and remains popular, particularly as a movie to watch on New Years Eve. It also remains influential. As stated earlier, with Airport (1970), it started the cycle towards all-star disaster movies that lasted for much of the Seventies. Arguably, it would have an influence on every disaster movie made ever since. While its characters may not be well developed and its dialogue banal, the realistic special effects and well-executed sequences make it well worth watching.
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