THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE
Movie
Year: 1972
Director: Ronald Neame
US Premiere: 13 December 1972
Produced by Kent Productions, Inc.
Released by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Copyright 1972 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Plot Summary
An ocean liner is capsized by an enormous tidal wave. Survivors must make a trecherous journey up through the hull of the overturned ship, to make their escape.
Cast
The Cast of The Poseidon Adventure
Gene Hackman - Reverend Frank Scott
Ernest Borgnine - Det. Lt. Mike Rogo
Red Buttons - James Martin
Carol Lynley - Nonnie Parry
Roddy McDowall - Acres
Stella Stevens - Linda Rogo
Shelley Winters - Belle Rosen
Jack Albertson - Manny Rosen
Pamela Sue Martin - Susan Shelby
Arthur O'Connell - Chaplain John
Eric Shea - Robin Shelby
Fred Sadoff - Mr. Linarcos
Sheila Allen - Nurse Gina Rowe
Jan Arvan - Dr. Caravello
Byron Webster - Purser
John Crawford - Chief Engineer Joe
Bob Hastings - Master of Ceremonies
Erik L. Nelson - Mr. Tinkham, Bridge Officer
Leslie Nielsen - Captain Harrison
Uncredited (in alphabetic order):
Phil Adams - Cable Steward
Rene Armand - Vocal for "The Morning After"
Craig Barley - Extra
Todd Bartlett - Extra
Charles Bateman - First Officer Larsen
Doug Bell - Officer on Dance Floor
Jack Berle - Man on Dance Floor
Robert Buckingham - Male Diner
Eldon Burke - Male Passenger in Overturned Ship
Dusty Cadis - Man at Sermon and in Dining Room
Bill Catching - Engineer in White Coverall
Lisa Christy - Woman Diner
Craig Chudy - Helmsman
Ronn Cragg - Radarman
Jimmy Cross - Dinning Room Steward
Fred Dale - Engineer
Paula Dell - Sliding woman (in red)
Ray Didsbury - Male Passenger at Sermon and in Overturned Ship
Dick Durock - Tall Passenger in Overturned Ship
Connie Ducharme - Female Passenger next to Reverend Scott
Len Felber - Male Diner
Ruth Foster - Female Passenger at Sermon (in blond wig)
Ruth Foster - Female Passenger in Overturned Ship
Jim Galante - Assistant Engineer
Bob Golden - Wiper
Valerie Hall - Passenger at Sermon, in Dining Room and as different passenger in overturned ship
Orwin C. Harvey - Falling Man
Francine Henderson - Lady at Sermon and with broken neck after ship finished rolling over
Francine Henderson - Woman in Overturned Ship (as different passenger in different dress)
George Holmes -
Male Diner
Larry Holt - Falling Man
Chris Howell - Night Helmsman
Kathryn Janssen - Woman Seated Next to Purser in Yellow Dress
Lorraine Keeling - Overturning Ship Female
Jack Krupnick - Overturning Ship Male (holding on to Red Buttons as the ship rolls over)
Bob Liddle - Passenger at Sermon and in overturned Dining Room
Marco López - Passenger at Sermon and in Dining Room
Maurice Marsac - French Naval Officer, Rescuer
John McKnight - Man on Dance Floor
Monty O'Grady - Passenger at Sermon
Michael Omartin - Keyboard Player
Ernie F. Orsatti - Terry, Susan's Date
Victor Paul - Kyrenos, falls through skylight (not seen)
Stuart Perry - Teddy Parry, Drummer
Bobby Porter - Boy at Sermon
Tony Regan - Man following Doctor
Frieda Rentie - Indian Woman
Lance Rimmer - Extra
Elizabeth Rogers - Woman Next to Mr. Tinkham
George Sawaya - Bos'n Mate, Rescuer
Toni Schaber - Overturning Ship Female
Sheila Scotti - Passenger at Sermon and in Dining Room
David Sharpe - Man
George Simmons - Waiter
Tucker Smith - Man on Dance Floor
Paul Stader - Martin, "Sparks" Wireless Operator
Ron Stein - Male Passenger next to Manny Rosen
Norman Stevans - Man following Doctor
Hank Sylvie - Woman at Sermon and in Dining Room
Mark Tulin - Dog, Bass Guitarist
Robert “Waddy” Wachtel - Crump, Long Haired Guitarist
Lori Williams - Woman at Sermon
Roseann Williams - Woman next to Rogo
Judy Woodbury - Overturning Ship Female
Gary Wright - Day Helmsman
Stunts
Phil Adams |
Ernie F. Orsatti |
Production Crew
Producer - Irwin Allen
Director - Ronald Neame
Director of Action Sequences - Irwin Allen
Story - Paul Gallico
Screenplay - Stirling Silliphant, Wendell Mayes
Director of Photography - Harold E. Stine, A.S.C.
Production Designer - William Creber
Film Editor - Harold F. Kress, A.C.E.
Associate Producer - Sidney Marshall
Music - John Williams
Words and Music for the song "The Morning After" - Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
Orchestration - Alexander Courage
Unit Production Manager - Hal Herman
Casting - Jack Baur
Assistant to the Producer - Al Gail
Stunt Coordinator - Paul Stader
Assistant Director - Norman Cook
Production Coordinator - Art Volpert
Second Assistant Directors - Les Warner, Don White
Unit Publicist - John Campbell
Makeup Artists - Ed Butterworth, Del Acevedo, Allan Snyder, Daniel C. Striepeke
Hair Stylists - Carol Pershing, Sheral Ross, Ann Wadlington
Costume Designer - Paul Zastupnevich
Women's Costumer - Kathleen McCandless
Set Decorator - Raphael Bretton
Assistant Art Director - Ward Preston
Production Illustrators - Tom Cranham, Dan Goozee
Special Photographic Effects - L.B. Abbott, A.S.C.
Mechanical Effects - A.D. Flowers
Sound Supervision - John Bonner
Boom Operator - Orrick Barrett, Raol A. Bruce
Production Mixer - Herman Lewis
Re-recording Mixer - Theodore Soderberg
Scoring Mixer - Vinton Vernon
Camera Operator - Tommy Morris
First Assistant Cameraman - Fred Smith
Gaffer - Clyde Taylor
Key Grip - Lou Pazelli
Assistant Film Editor - William DeNicholas
Digital Color Correction - Brent Eldridge
Script Supervisor - Teresa Brachetto
Property Master - Robert McLaughlin
Assistant Property Master - Jerry Kobold
Lead Man - Richard A. Villalobos
Construction Coordinator - Charles Stevens
Transportation Coordinator - Jim Martell
Drivers - Chris Haynes, Frank Khoury
Trivia
- Irwin Allen's Kent Productions struck a deal with Avco-Embassy in 1969 to produce a movie version of Paul Gallico's book "The Poseidon Adventure" and when the deal fell through, Irwin went back to Twentieth Century Fox. Fox were eventually persuaded to fund around half of the estimated production costs and Irwin brought in his friends Sherrill Corwin and Steve Broidy to fund the rest. Corwin later worked with Irwin Allen for Viva Knievel and had an executive producer credit.
- The Poseidon Adventure principal filming took place between 27 March and 11 July 1972 (a total of 70 days).
- Several scenes were filmed aboard the ocean liner the Queen Mary which now resides at Long Beach in California. These include the scene of Eric Shea climbing up to the bridge in the storm, Red Buttons jogging along the deck, the communal area and corridor outside Rogo's stateroom, the sermon on the deck, and John Crawford in the engine room.
- Much of the filming took place on the Twentieth Century Fox stages B, 6, 14 and the moat for the water sequences.
- Gene Hackman's brother Richard worked on The Poseidon Adventure as a stunt coordinator.
- Jack Albertson appeared twice in Land of the Giants.
- The filming minature of the Poseidon can be viewed at the San Pedro Maritime Museum in Los Angeles county.
- Stuntman Dick Durock who appears as a passenger in the overturned ship was a stunt double for Guy Williams in Lost in Space.
- Many of the passengers on the Poseidon also enjoyed a well cooked (okay, burnt) dinner at the top of The Towering Inferno. See how many people you can spot in both movies.
- Stuntman Robert Prohaska was the son of Janos Prohaska who appeared as monsters and gorillas in Irwin Allen's TV series. They were both tragically killed in a plane crash on 13th March 1974 in California whilst working on a TV project for ABC Television.
- The President of the United States (Norman Stevans from The Return of Captain Nemo) appears as one of the passengers following the doctor in the overturned ship.
- Tony Regan also played the scientist in the Land of the Giants episode The Weird World.
- Song writing partnership Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn won their first Academy Award for the song "The Morning After".
- Several clips from The Poseidon Adventure feature as a phobia in the Sky Arts Playhouse Presents episode "The Cruise" with Jane Horrocks and Jason Watkins. Includes clips of Paul Stader as the ship overturns, Ernie Orsatti's stunt fall, and the ship overturning.
Behind the Scenes
Selection of storyboards from The Poseidon Adventure
Shooting Schedule for The Poseidon Adventure
We thought researchers of The Poseidon Adventure would find the above selection of storyboards and shooting schedule pages useful. Thank you to Cynthia Liljeblad for sharing them with us.
Awards and Nominations
Academy Award Oscars Won 1973
Best Music, Original Song "The Morning After" - Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
Academy Award Special Achievement Award 1973
Visual Effects - L.B. Abbott and A.D. Flowers
Academy Award Nominations 1973
Best Costume Design - Paul Zastupnevich
Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Shelley Winters
Best Art Direction/Set Direction - William Creber and Raphael Bretton
Best Cinematography - Harold E. Stine
Best Film Editing - Harold F. Kress
Best Music, Original Dramatic Score - John Williams
Best Sound - Theodore Soderberg and Herman Lewis
Golden Globes Win 1973
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture - Shelley Winters
Golden Globes Nominations 1973
Best Motion Picture Drama - Irwin Allen Producer
Best Original Score - John Williams
Best Original Song "The Morning After" - Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
British Bafta Film Award Win 1973
Best Actor - Gene Hackman
British Bafta Film Award Nomination 1973
Best Supporting Actress - Shelley Winters
Alternative Titles
Brazil: O Destino do Poseidon
France: L'aventure du Poséidon
Germany: Die Höllenfahrt der Poseidon
Italy: L'avventura del Poseidon
Japan: ポセイドン・アドベンチャー
Portugal: A Aventura do Poseidon
Spain: La Aventura del Poseidón
Collectibles
HERITAGE AUCTIONS
Up for auction at Heritage Auctions on 29th July 2023 is the original Mort Künstler Final Poster Artwork for The Poseidon Adventure. Shown below is the orginal artwork next to one of the many posters featuring this art. Other auction lots feature both original storyboard art and storyboard copies.
THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE BLU-RAY RELEASE
In this 40th anniversary year for Irwin Allen's award winning The Poseidon Adventure, we see this outstanding movie being released on Blu-Ray in the US, France and Germany. In the US, the Blu-Ray version is being released as a Walmart Exclusive. It features the same extras that appeared in the special edition DVD set.
Walmart Exclusive - The Poseidon Adventure Blu-Ray
Hell Upside Down: The Making of The Poseidon Adventure Article at Blu-Ray.com by Robert Siegel
The Poseidon Adventure Blu-Ray is also available on Amazon (#ad).
THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (STEREO): LIMITED EDITION
THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (STEREO): LIMITED EDITION LLLCD 1133
Music by John Williams
Limited Edition of 3000 Units
SHIPPING APRIL 27th 2010
RETAIL PRICE: $19.98
First time entire score is presented in STEREO! Presenting the premiere stereo release of John Williams’ (JAWS, STAR WARS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, SCHINDLER’S LIST) classic score to the legendary 1972 Twentieth Century Fox adventure film THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, starring Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelly Winters and Red Buttons, produced by Irwin Allen and directed by Ronald Neame. Williams’ epic orchestral score expertly intertwines the film’s examination of heroism and tragedy. Produced by Nick Redman and Mike Matessino, mastered by Daniel Hersch, and remixed and sequenced by Mike Matessino, this superb-sounding special limited edition release features never-before-released Bonus Tracks, including the film versions of “The Morning After”, source cues and alternate versions of the main title. In-depth liner notes by Jeff Bond take you behind the scenes of the film and its music. This is a limited edition of 3000 Units.
For this release, the 2″ 24-track tape containing the original 35mm 6-track mag was transferred into Pro Tools, and restored and mixed with the advantages of another decade’s advance in sound processing technology.
TRACK LISTING:
1. Main Title (2:12)
2. Rogo And Linda (1:34)
3. The Big Wave/The Aftermath (4:02)
4. Raising The Christmas Tree (1:28)
5. Nonnie And Red/Up The Tree (1:59)
6. Death’s Door/The Upturned Galley (2:01)
7. Through The Galley (1:13)
8. The Other Survivors (1:37)
9. Search For The Engine Room (2:51)
10. Barber Shoppe Scene (1:46)
11. Saving Robin (1:24)
12. The Death Of Belle (3:25)
13. Hold Your Breath (3:08)
14. The Red Wheel (1:25)
15. Rogo Takes Command (1:38)
16. End Title (The Rescue) (3:36)
Total Time: 35:18
Alternates and Source Music:
17. Main Title (alternate #1) (1:58)
18. New Year’s Party (version 1) (0:58)
19. To Love (3:12)
20. New Year’s Party (version 2) (2:11)
21. Main Title (alternate #2) (1:59)
22. “The Morning After” (version 1)* (2:10)
23. “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing”* (2:19)
24. “Give Me The Simple Life”/”A Certain Smile”* (1:49)
25. “The Morning After” (instrumental)* (2:09)
26. “Auld Lang Syne”* (1:34)
27. “The Morning After” (version 2)* (2:10)
28. End Title (alternate) (2:38)
Total Time: 25:13
Total Running Time: 60:39
* Not published by Warner-Tamerlane (BMI)
Poseidon Adventure at La-La Land Records
Events
POSEIDON ADVENTURE STARS AT JULY 2011 HOLLYWOOD SHOW
Carol Lynley, Ernie F. Orsatti, Stella Stevens, Ernest Borgnine, Pamela Sue Martin, and Eric Shea
NEWS
STELLA STEVENS
Very sad news from the Irwin Allen universe. Star of The Poseidon Adventure, Stella Stevens, passed away on Friday 17th February 2023 at the age of 84. She will long be remembered for her feisty role as Linda Rogo in The Poseidon Adventure. Her son, Andrew Stevens, also starred in an Irwin Allen production, namely the 1981 TV series Code Red.
CAROL LYNLEY
The very sad news from the worlds of Irwin Allen on 3rd September 2019 was the passing of Poseidon Adventure star Carol Lynley at the age of 77. Carol also starred in Flood. Here are a number of tributes:
ERNIE ORSATTI
We learned from a friend of his family that prominent Irwin Allen stuntman Ernie Orsatti passed away at the age of 80 on 12th September 2020. He is probably best known in Irwin Allen circles for his roles and stunts in The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure.
This website is a tribute to Irwin Allen, the performers, the production crews, and the studios who made the television shows and movies a reality. It is also a tribute to all the people who help to keep these productions alive for future generations.
