Casting Coup Tuesday: The Towering Inferno (a DISASTERPIECE)

It's Disaster Film Month. If you want to watch alongside the Silver Screener, check out A Crack in the World on Netflix Instant tonight. Dana Andrews, Janette Scott and Alexander Knox. But for now...
 
We begin our special Disasterpiece Theatre edition of Casting Coup Tuesday with The Towering Inferno.

As the regulars know, I am not a huge fan of the film, which is disappointing since it's the most famous and awarded of a subgenre I adore. I see nothing wrong with a two-and-a-half-hour ensemble disaster flick (Independence Day clocks in at 2h33min and is masterful), nor do I have a problem with a disaster flick that takes itself seriously (it's how camp classics like The Swarm are born). No, the biggest crimes of The Towering Inferno are a lack of focus and a dull pace. Lead characters are poorly developed or quickly pushed aside, motivations are muddled, relationships are obscured, the editing is working against the thrills of the plot, etc.

The greatest shame is that The Towering Inferno should be amazing. The cast assembled is incredible, with most of the performances delivering. Steve McQueen, Richard Chamberlain and William Holden are best in show, along with surprising, brief turns from Sheila Allen and Susan Flannery. John Williams' score is better with repeated listenings, even if it doesn't measure up to Earthquake. I don't even hate that it's obviously two different books thrown together -- the buoy escape seems so dangerous that there has to be a backup plan, and even though keeping million-gallon water tanks on top of the roof seems...bizarre...I can totally accept that. Because it's outrageous. And that's the problem with The Towering Inferno: it gives you this outrageous situation and treats it with all the sobriety of Munich.

Which is why it needs a kick-ass remake. And isn't it fun to think about who can fill the shoes of the original actors? Click on the title below to continue....

DEATH TOLL: 5 (leads only)

ROMANCES: 4 (leads only)

MASTER OF DISASTER!!!

Earlier today, Tom asked what cinematic year we were going to look at next. Since it came down to it and 1964, I figured the next year should be 1957...but that's a long way off. October is Shocktoberfest, meaning my annual month-long horror movie marathon (not always covered here, but always on Twitter) will take over my life. December is my Holiday Extravaganza, and let's forget the Oscar coverage that goes on from December 14 (SAG Award Noms!) all the way through February 27 (the day after the Oscars!). When will we do 1957? I don't know. Why not now? some of you may ask.

Let me set it up for you.

Apparently, I am the only one of my friends who absolutely, positively cannot wait for Contagion, a disaster epic from director Steven Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns about the spread of a deadly virus. It has the two ingredients for an Irwin Allen-esque masterpiece: (1) a disaster, whether natural or man-made, that is far-reaching in its power to kill; and (2) a large ensemble of famous actors and movie stars (there's a difference). Look at that roster of talent: Academy Award Winners Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard and Kate Winslet; Academy Award Nominees Laurence Fishburne, John Hawkes, Jude Law and Elliott Gould; television stars Bryan Cranston and Sanaa Lathan; prestige actress Jennifer Ehle; German character actor Armin Rohde; and comedian (!!) Demetri Martin. And we're talking about a deadly virus on a global scale! How can two of my friends treat this with a lack of excitement, while another -- who's seen it -- claims disappointment?

Ok, so I should probably temper that excitement. After all, if one's this excited, the film can only fail to meet expectations. Still, the impending release got me to thinking about disaster films in general, and how much I love them. A testament to the imagination of filmmakers, ego of stars, recklessness of producers and easy satisfaction of audiences, Disasterpieces are Hollywood at its most MOST. Bloated runtimes, multiple subplots, self-important messages, and (generally) a special effects budget that could have fed America for the rest of time. Quality varies, of course, as some are made to capitalize on the success of others, but the genre is always good for a few surprising gems. Earthquake is a surprisingly strong drama; The Swarm and Day of the Animals are campy fun; On the Beach and Fail-Safe are more meditative, and therefore more chilling than the usual fare. But dammit, they're all entertaining.

(Even The Towering Inferno, a bloated, dull affair which somehow managed eight Oscar nominations and three wins, has William Holden in that awesome dinner jacket and those sophisticated thick-frame spectacles. And the art direction is superb. And the slow-mo people-on-fire sequences. There's lots to love about The Towering Inferno, even if it's clearly not as good as it could have been.)

So, let us get back to the point. That is, why 1957 coverage can't be done in September. I'm sure you already know where this is going.....

...because September is DISASTERPIECE '11 MONTH!!!

As I write this, my roommate and I are going through titles on Netflix and in our DVD collections to see which Disasterpieces we'd most love to highlight. I'll mention all of them on Twitter, maybe write up a few here on the Blog, but I do hope you'll all join in the fun. And, of course, what would a theme month here at the Silver Screening Room be without...
CASTING COUP TUESDAYS!!!

We've got four Tuesdays in September, so that's four Disasterpieces to recast. And I think it's obvious what those four need to be:

September 6: The Towering Inferno

September 13: Earthquake

September 20: The Poseidon Adventure

September 27: The Swarm 

Yes, I know, we already had Poseidon in 2006, but I didn't see it, so I'm not beholden to it! Anyway, stick around, because DISASTERPIECE '11 is going to be SO FREEKIN' AWESOME!

The Ultimate Prize: Picture, 1974

This is the category that makes history. Sometimes it's because of what got snubbed, whether in nomination (The Dark Knight) or win (Citizen Kane), but often it's the winner itself that stands on its own, whether deserving (Gone with the Wind) or undeserving (The Greatest Show on Earth...not my opinion, just history's). The winner of Best Picture stands forever in Hollywood legend, whether it likes it or not.

Often, people are quick to declare what merits Best Picture, with many claiming that it should go to the movie that is (a) most relevant to the time and (b) most likely to be remembered in the years to come. Which is fucking stupid, because how on earth are people supposed to judge what will be most remembered in the years to come? Most of the time, I forget about The Hurt Locker's existence, though it fit criteria a nicely and is used as one of the examples of the Academy "getting it right". Also, how is one supposed to choose something that is both timely and timeless? I personally think The King's Speech is a timeless story -- anyone who's had a best friend in time of need should be able to look past the class system -- yet apparently it's old-fashioned and stodgy to many others.

The voters of 1974 lucked out, with period pieces Chinatown and The Godfather: Part II reflecting contemporary concerns regarding corruption, times changing for the worse, crooks in power; it's better to approach these things when through the safe barrier of 1930s outfits. Meanwhile, the intimate The Conversation faced a paranoid, post-Watergate public; the biopic Lenny asked questions about the nature of censorship (cinema is no stranger); and then there's The Towering Inferno, which felt that the in vogue skyscrapers of the day would become death traps. My post-9/11 self feels eerie while watching certain moments of Inferno, but I'd never give it my vote. The Conversation is probably the most dated of the other four, but isn't it still a prime example of great filmmaking? I'd rather vote with my gut, and hope that others don't despise me for having feelings different from their own.

So here's what my gut tells me concerning the five Best Picture nominees of 1974. I've illustrated each with my favorite scene.

Meeting Noah Cross

Chinatown

*****

There are two movies on this list that held my attention throughout the run-time. As in, I never left to go to the bathroom, tweeted during, or checked the time. This is one of them. Suspenseful, funny, romantic, and devastating. The performances are tops, from the lead to the brief appearances by Diane Ladd, John Hillerman and Fritzi Burr. Fantastic all-around, even if the music is forgettable.

The After-Party

The Conversation

****

I don't think I quite emphasized how much I admire this film. The sound is pretty much all diegetic, with the film compelling us to listen as attentively to each nuance as Gene Hackman's Harry Caul does. Of course, we find ourselves becoming just as paranoid, just as doubtful over what we think we might have heard, who can be trusted, who's in on "it", whatever "it" may be. It's not just the technical achievements, of course: Hackman's performance is one of his best, a private individual so afraid of exposure that the idea of someone leaving a birthday present in his apartment deeply unsettles him. Hackman's silence breaks my heart, especially in his scene with Teri Garr; even more heartbreaking is when he actually opens up, as in the after-party scene. The film builds the tension and never releases. Very cool. I do think it gets too slow in parts and takes a while to get the ending, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt and say this was the fault of the lateness of my viewing.

Fredo's Smart

The Godfather: Part II

****

Must I reiterate? "Meh" to the Vito stuff, "wow but..." to the Michael stuff, "absolutely!" (bow) to the Fredo stuff. A great film, I'm happy for its win, but there were better films this year. Still, it's a great achievement.

The Phone Call

Lenny

*****

Hey, did you know that I absolutely love this film? This is the only other film that I paid complete attention to while watching. Just incredible, haunted me the rest of the week, leaves me awed just thinking about it.

Any Scene with William Holden, His Awesome Glasses, and That Dinner Jacket

The Towering Inferno

**

A bone is thrown to the highest-grossing film of the year. The scope is epic, the leads are game, the action sequences are impressive, but overall a pretty dull film. Perhaps the problem lies in its conception: when Fox and Warner Bros. greenlit separate adaptations of The Tower and The Glass Inferno, they pooled resources to make one gargantuan disaster flick rather than release similar films against each other. Sometimes I think, "Take a lesson, Snow White producers." Then I remember that there is far too much going on in The Towering Inferno with little payoff. As a result, characters are introduced and forgotten (Faye Dunaway) or are given one-scene arcs (Robert Wagner). The best disaster films remember to be big and intimate -- certainly the greatest disaster film, Airport, remembered this, with a handful of connected characters, each one driving the plot. I love disaster flicks, but as good as it looks (and despite wonderful turns by Steve McQueen and William Holden), it doesn't deliver.

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I try to vary the stars up a bit, usually only allowing for a repeat of one rating. Alas (or maybe not), this year had a pretty solid lineup. As stated, I can roll with the Academy choosing The Godfather: Part II. But hey, I bet you can't guess where my vote goes...

LENNY

yeah, you saw this coming

Men on the Edge: Supporting Actor, 1974

Once again, three actors from The Godfather dominated the field. Meanwhile, a never-honored veteran got his career nomination for a thankless role in a so-so film; and a young actor receives a surprise nomination from the unlikeliest of films. Even more surprising: two of the most legendary screen characters are ignored here in favor of, ahem, less noteworthy performances.

Fred Astaire in The Towering Inferno

*

What's going on here? When Astaire appears, I see adorable old Astaire. When he romances Jennifer Jones, I see adorable Astaire romancing Jennifer Jones. When he confesses a secret past, I'm confused. Much of the film seems to forget about this character's existence, with a full forty minutes going by between his scenes. Then his surprise revelation is only surprising because it comes from nowhere, then is quickly forgotten. I have trouble believing his was one of the characters featured in either The Tower or The Glass Inferno, so forced is his presence. Astaire the actor sleepwalks throughout. Literally, actually. He's getting by on the movie star charm without playing any of his supposed beats. It's a real disappointment.

Jeff Bridges in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

****

A shocking nomination, coming from a heist film/buddy flick that didn't fare well. Bridges is co-lead as Lightfoot, an overconfident young buck who teams up with Clint Eastwood's Thunderbolt and two others to pull off a grand heist. Lightfoot is brash, irresponsible, horny; an all-around fun guy to be around. Bridges has a great swagger, flashing his winning smile whenever he can, allowing hints of youthful vulnerability so that his eleventh-hour doubts aren't shocking, but still a surprise. He and Eastwood build a great, believable repartee with each other that makes the ending pack such a wallop. Speaking of which, he plays the last scene so perfectly that I had tears in my eyes. A superb performance in an underseen gem.

Robert De Niro in The Godfather: Part II

***

De Niro learned Sicilian and studied Brando's performance in the previous film to play young Vito Corleone, winning an Academy Award for his dedication. You can see why when you watch the film: De Niro sounds like a young Brando, and you'd have t actually be Sicilian to know that this is a Brooklyn boy who didn't know the language before the film. De Niro plays Vito with his eyes, always watching, taking stock of the situation around him, calculating his next move. It's not hard to see where his character will become Brando's powerful, sometimes ruthless, leader. Unfortunately, he rarely plays -- or is given the opportunity to play -- anything else. We get few glimpses into Vito's home life, so that anytime we see him it's to chart his power plays within the community. It'd be nice to see moments where Vito doubts himself or meets his wife or something. De Niro's great, but it's a shame he doesn't have more to work with.

Michael V. Gazzo in The Godfather: Part II

**

Gazzo plays Frank Pentangeli, who runs the New York operations while Michael stays in Nevada, following the death of Clemenza; when he is led to believe Michael has tried to have him killed, Pentangeli becomes the chief witness in a Congressional hearing investigating the Corleone crime empire. I'm of two minds regarding Gazzo as Pentangeli. On the one hand, when I think of this movie, I think of his scenes. This could be due to my love of cinematic congressional hearings, or the knowledge that the character was originally supposed to be Clemenza before Richard Castellano dropped out (Clemenza is one of my favorite characters in the first one). Hell, maybe it's some sort of intrigue at Gazzo's performance. And yet, on the other hand, I wince at Gazzo's performance. It's so broad. I'm glad he's having fun (at least someone in the movie is), but something keeps me from fully embracing it. Maybe I just don't fully believe the arc.

Lee Strasberg in The Godfather: Part II

***

Hyman Roth is a Jewish crime boss, living and behaving like a retired businessman while making a deal with the Cuban government and trying to off Michael Corleone. Strasberg is hypnotic as Roth, playing up the sick old man aspects while keeping an eye on his enemies. Here is a respectable septuagenarian enjoying a pleasant birthday with friends, never showing the man who hired men to fire machine guns into Michael and Kay's bedroom. When Roth loses his temper, shows his anger, shows the crime boss side of himself, Strasberg's eyes are fiery. I'd like to see more of Roth -- I got excited whenever he came on screen -- but he doesn't overstay his welcome and Strasberg doesn't overplay it. Solid work.

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De Niro won his first Oscar for a now legendary performance. I applaud respectfully and do not begrudge him this win, but I would give the Oscar to someone else entirely...

JEFF BRIDGES

for

THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT

surprisingly magnetic, funny, touching

Painting with Light: Cinematography, 1974

I try not to be too focused on the nighttime cinematography, where the play with light is most obvious. That actually helps Orient Express, which has a kind of bright, dreamlike sheen throughout the film, like there's nylons and Vaseline on the lens.

CHINATOWN

John A. Alonzo, director of photography

***

How did they even get that first shot?

EARTHQUAKE

Philip Lathrop, director of photography

*

Honestly, I am very shocked that this was nominated. I think it's one of those special effects nominees whose camera tricks and matching templates just wows us. Which is fair, but this is soooo dulllllll.

LENNY

Bruce Surtees, director of photography
*****

Ugh. So much beauty in every frame.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

Geoffrey Unsworth, director of photography

****

I love love love the kind of bright, dreamlike sheen used throughout the film, like there's nylons and Vaseline on the lens. And then at night, shit like the first shot. Outstanding.

THE TOWERING INFERNO

Fred Koenekamp & Joseph Biroc, directors of photography

***

I'm actually pretty impressed with the cinematography here. A lot of great power outage/night time shots. Some hokey light effects, like shining a big red light on their faces when they open doors. It's clearly not fire, because it's not flickering. But I do love the last section.

--------------------------------------

The Towering Inferno won the Oscar, which is pretty cool, to be honest. It's a little predictable, maybe, but once again, I love that movie with the comedian. The Oscar goes to shoulda gone to...

BRUCE SURTEES

for

LENNY

this movie is so fucking perfect 

Passing Notes: Original Score, 1974

Jerry Goldsmith for Chinatown

**

One problem I've never been able to get over is my dislike for saxophone in noir films. It seems to always show up in scores to neo-noirs, yet I can't for the life of me think of a precedent for it. Many of the original noir films had those big Elmer Bernstein orchestras, didn't they, like any other Hollywood film of the time? Someone point out to me the exceptions, because I can't think of any.

Anyway, I didn't care for Goldsmith's score, and I think it isn't needed except for the opening credits. Hell, there's barely a score in the movie anyway, right? That's one of the things I love about Chinatown, it's naturalistic take on the noir genre. Then, here and there, the score comes up again, and while I don't hate it, it's not my cup of tea.

Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola for The Godfather: Part II

*****

I feel like I would pick a fight with anyone who doesn't like the score to these films. Rota brings the old themes back with beautiful new work, and Carmine Coppola (father of director Francis Ford) adds some great work to complement him. Coppola's work can mostly be heard when young Vito is in New York, the most notable track coming during a neighborhood Catholic festival during which Vito makes a significant move to power. Rota, of course, is still giving us that immortal trumpet theme, but gives Vito his own theme, as well.

Really, it would still be amazing if it was the same old music from the last film. But it isn't, and the result is just as high-five worthy.

Richard Rodney Bennett for Murder on the Orient Express

****

Sidney Lumet was very clear that everything have a capital letter in his vision of Agatha Christie's whodunit. The performers Acted while wearing Costumes and walking amongst Production Design. So, naturally, Bennett wrote an Original Score, beginning with a loud, cymbal-crashing opening theme that sets the mood just perfectly. Eerie strings punctuate the unfolding of a child kidnapping/murder case. The jaunty Orient Express theme has the energy and glamor of a train ride with Lauren Bacall. The greatest crime is that the idea for an opening song was scrapped. If only!

Alex North for Shanks

***

Shanks is an odd little film, a semi-silent flick starring Marcel Marceau and his fellow mimes, in William Castle's final effort as director. It's beautiful and funny, and more than a little uncomfortable -- I'm pretty sure the 50-year-old titular puppeteer and the 15-year-old girl with him are supposed to be in love or something. It's more than a little weird, especially when he starts puppeteering corpses.

Since it does play out like a silent film, title cards and all, this is perhaps the most-scored out of any of the movies on this list -- hell, in this year, probably. The results are mixed, but I have to say it was, for the most part, a great success. The finale works as well as it does because of the music. If it wasn't for North's work, the corpse-puppets would just be creepy. It's really his score that makes this such an effective dark comedy. It's an odd little gem that's worth seeking out, movie and music both.

John Williams for The Towering Inferno

***

Suitably epic in parts, with that groovy 70s-ness for the more intimate moments. There are moments that drag, and I don't think it's as exciting as Williams' own Earthquake score, or as important as Alfred Newman's for Airport. But dammit, you've got John Williams scoring a big, epic disaster flick, so it must be great, right? Oh, sure, maybe a little unmemorable in parts, and maybe you don't even remember there being music in the helicopter scene even though the IMDb trivia specifically mentions it as a point of disagreement that Williams won -- sure, maybe you don't remember stuff like that. But then there's the main title theme and the finale and the theme for Fred Astaire's romance. I only wish it was two solid hours of pure music magic.

-------------------------

UPDATE: How did I forget to weigh in on my vote? Of course, you can see the stars, but just to reassure you, I agree with Oscar.

NINO ROTA & CARMINE COPPOLA

for

THE GODFATHER: PART II

though maybe it should've been in Adapted Score ;)

Can't Get You Out of My Head: Original Song, 1974

I honestly look forward to this category every year, and I think the nominees say as much about the year in film as Screenplay or Best Picture. Back in the day, the winner might also be a chart-topper, and oh how I miss those days! Truly, there's nothing more I want to do then turn on the radio to hear "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" (wait...it won, right?).

Besides, this is the category where all the freaks go. 2010 gave us two cartoons and a Gwyneth Paltrow movie few saw and fewer liked. 1974? Well, see for yourself.

"Benji's Theme (I Feel Love)" from Benji

***

Like the film, the titular song is beyond cheesy, yet somehow manages to work. A pretty lovable tune, actually, and it works within the film's squeaky clean, family-friendly environment. It really does sound like something the dutiful, adorable Benji would sing if he could.

"Blazing Saddles" from Blazing Saddles

***

A simple homage to the country themes of old. Frankie Laine performs, an ingenious move considering he was the singer of the themes for High Noon and Gunfight at the OK Corral. Solid, singable, and a real earworm tune. I like it, it fits the film, it's great.

"Wherever Love Takes Me" from Gold

*

I once read Gold described as a disaster film, which is completely misleading. Sure, there is a (man-made) disaster at film's climax, but it's more of a corporate thriller/soapy romance. Perhaps the presence of Maureen McGovern singing this all right love tune threw people off; after all, she also contributed to the soundtracks for The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno (talk about a niche market).

Sing this she does, though, and the context...fits, I guess? It plays when Roger Moore gets into the plane of his boss's wife and they fly across South Africa to a weekend getaway of sexy sex sex. So I guess, wherever takes them, that's where they'll want to go...in a plane. It fits the subplot, but not the main plot, and it's not very memorable, so I wonder how it got the nomination over the groovy title tune.

"The Little Prince" from The Little Prince

*****

I almost cried when I heard Richard Kiley sing this at the end of the film. There is no moment more emotional than the final scene between the Pilot and the Prince, when the formerly disillusioned man begs for the magical youngster to stay behind. By this time, we've seen the relationship take that classic journey from irritation/confusion to a brotherhood, one where each learns something from the other. The tune is exquisite, and Kiley's interpretation...well, I said it already. It moves one to tears. By far the most powerful moment of the film.

"We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno

****

One of those lovably corny songs that somehow won the Oscar and was probably the first dance at many a mid-70s wedding. It's hard to turn off once that first line gets going, and soon you're just basking in its earnestness. And hey, they actually put Maureen McGovern in the film so that she could sing it at the grand opening of Fiery Death Tower. I kind of wish she appeared more in the film, I want to know if she survived the inferno. Of course, what this song has to do with anything in the movie is anyone's guess. The sad attempt at a love story is a waste of Faye Dunaway's time, and the song isn't even used in that context either. It's just there.

Well, I guess the fact that the couples are slow-dancing gives it some relevance. And the song is just so damn nice.

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Oscar awarded the earworm song from The Towering Inferno. But for relevance and sheer, powerful beauty, I award the Oscar to...

LERNER & LOEWE for "THE LITTLE PRINCE"

from

THE LITTLE PRINCE

If You Build It, They Will Film: Art Direction, 1974

CHINATOWN

Richard Sylbert, production designer

W. Stewart Campbell, art director

Roby R. Levitt, set decorator

****

I don't think a single detail has been forgotten. The water department's walls are almost completely covered with the certificates and photographs of Noah Cross's ego, Jake Gittes' office has the art deco glass bricks of the period, and of course there's Mulwray's pond. At times cluttered, but so is my room, and that doesn't make it unrealistic.

EARTHQUAKE

Alexander Golitzen, production designer

E. Preston Ames, art director

Frank McKelvy, set decorator

**

It's really all about the destruction, as Los Angeles becomes a maze of rubble. Many of the sets are genuinely devastating; other times, it's very clear that we're on a backlot. Goddamn do I love this movie, though.

THE GODFATHER: PART II

Dean Tavoularis, production designer

Angelo Graham, art director

George R. Nelson, set decorator

***

Early twentieth century Sicily and New York are invoked as effectively and subtly as 1950s Havana and Nevada. You always know what time period you're in, yet the execution is never flashily announcing itself.

THE ISLAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD

Peter Ellenshaw, production designer

John B. Mansbridge/Walter H. Tyler/Al Roelofs, art directors

Hal Gausman, set decorator

*****

Nominated primarily for that airship, I bet. Nahh, you also gotta give credit to the team for making a series of menacing mountains, ice caves, lava pits, Viking temples, and that graveyard of whales. It's a superb mix of matte paintings, practical sets, and special effects.

THE TOWERING INFERNO

William J. Creber, production designer

Ward Preston, art director

Raphael Bretton, set decorator

****

I kind of just want to live in this building. Yeah, I know, it's a deathtrap, but LOOK AT THAT ORANGE OFFICE.

Oscar chose The Godfather: Part II, a fine choice, really. I see things a little differently and award...

THE ISLAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD

for pure fantasy awesome