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The towering inferno / Twentieth Century-Fox and Warner Bros. present ; Irwin Allen's production of ; screenplay by Stirling Silliphant ; produced by Irwin Allen ; directed by John Guillermin.

Contributor(s): Material type: FilmFilmPublisher number: 4110429 | Twentieth Century Fox Home EntertainmentLanguage: English Original language: English Subtitle language: English, Spanish Publisher: Beverly Hills, California : Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Inc., [1998]Copyright date: ©1998Description: 1 videodisc (165 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 inContent type:
  • two-dimensional moving image
Media type:
  • video
Carrier type:
  • videodisc
Related works:
  • Motion picture adaptation of (work): Stern, Richard Martin, 1915-2001. Tower
  • Motion picture adaptation of (work): Scortia, Thomas N., 1926-1986. Glass inferno
Subject(s): Genre/Form: Production credits:
  • Director of photography, Fred Koenekamp ; director of photography (action sequences), Joseph Biroc ; production designed by William Creber ; edited by Harold F. Kress and Carl Kress ; music by John Williams ; costumes designed by Paul Zastupnevich.
Awards:
  • Academy Awards: 3, Best Cinematography, Best Song ("We May Never Love Like This Again"), Best Editing.
Cast: Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Susan Blakely, Richard Chamberlain, Jennifer Jones, O.J. Simpson, Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner, Susan Flannery, Sheila Mathews, Normann Burton, Jack Collins, Don Gordon, Felton Perry, Gregory Sierra, Ernie Orsatti, Dabney Coleman.Summary: The opening night gala at the world's tallest building, located in San Francisco, turns deadly for guests who become trapped on the 129th floor when a fire breaks out on the lower levels due to faulty wiring.
List(s) this item appears in: New DVDs Audiovisual profile: Click to open in new window
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Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Shelving location Call number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
DVD Phillipsburg Free Public Library DVDs New Movies DVD TOW Available 36748002646414
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A skyscraper and an all-star cast go up in flames in Irwin Allen's classic disaster movie. To celebrate the construction of the Glass Tower, the world's tallest building, architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) and builder James Duncan (William Holden) hold a gala bash on the highest floors. Trouble is, Duncan's son-in-law and electrical subcontractor Roger Simmons (Richard Chamberlain) installed faulty wiring throughout the 138-story behemoth to save money. While the guests -- including Doug's lady friend (Faye Dunaway), a rich widow (Jennifer Jones), a con man (Fred Astaire), and a politico (Robert Vaughn) -- enjoy the party, and a security guard (O.J. Simpson) wonders why his equipment is on the fritz, a burnt-out circuit breaker ignites some garbage on the 85th floor, swiftly turning the high-rise into, well, a towering inferno. With the guests trapped on the 135th floor, it's up to Roberts and Fire Chief O'Hallorhan (Steve McQueen) to find a way to stop the blaze. Though not the first all-star '70s disaster movie (1970's Airport and 1972's The Poseidon Adventure preceded it), The Towering Inferno was the most popular and the most spectacular. In a move that would become more common in late-'90s blockbuster Hollywood, The Towering Inferno's mammoth production was mounted by two studios; screenwriter Stirling Silliphant combined the two novels owned by the studios into one saga. 1970s "shake 'n bake" maestro Allen, with co-director John Guillermin (Allen did the action sequences), tapped into deep fears about the fragility of modern life in the face of extreme natural phenomena, as well as into the envies and insecurities of middle-aged professional men. The Towering Inferno packed theaters and earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture; it won for Cinematography, Editing, and Song. While its heroic, no-nonsense men provided some traditional comfort, The Towering Inferno still might provoke second thoughts about going into a skyscraper. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

Based upon the novel The tower by Richard Martin Stern and The glass inferno by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson.

Originally produced as a motion picture in 1974.

Digitally mastered THX.

Widescreen (2.35:1).

Extra features: theatrical trailer; the cast.

Director of photography, Fred Koenekamp ; director of photography (action sequences), Joseph Biroc ; production designed by William Creber ; edited by Harold F. Kress and Carl Kress ; music by John Williams ; costumes designed by Paul Zastupnevich.

Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Susan Blakely, Richard Chamberlain, Jennifer Jones, O.J. Simpson, Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner, Susan Flannery, Sheila Mathews, Normann Burton, Jack Collins, Don Gordon, Felton Perry, Gregory Sierra, Ernie Orsatti, Dabney Coleman.

The opening night gala at the world's tallest building, located in San Francisco, turns deadly for guests who become trapped on the 129th floor when a fire breaks out on the lower levels due to faulty wiring.

MPAA rating: PG.

DVD; NTSC, region 1; widescreen (2.35:1) presentation; Dolby surround, Dolby 5.1 surround.

English dialogue; optional English or Spanish subtitles; closed-captioned for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Academy Awards: 3, Best Cinematography, Best Song ("We May Never Love Like This Again"), Best Editing.

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