The Poseidon Adventure

Year:

1972

Duration:

117 min

Genres:

Action | Adventure

IMDB rate:

7.1

Director:

Ronald Neame

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 13 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1972-12-13

Filming Locations: RMS Queen Mary - 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, California, USA

Earnings

Budget: $5,000,000

Opening Weekend: $264,850 (USA) (17 December 1972)

Gross: $264,850 (USA) (17 December 1972)

Cast

Actor

Character

Pamela Sue Martin

The Poseidon Adventure

Gene Hackman

Reverend Scott

Ernest Borgnine

Rogo

Red Buttons

Martin

Carol Lynley

Nonnie

Roddy McDowall

Acres

Stella Stevens

Linda Rogo

Shelley Winters

Belle Rosen

Jack Albertson

Manny Rosen

Arthur O'Connell

Chaplain

Eric Shea

Robin

Fred Sadoff

Linarcos

Sheila Allen

Nurse

Jan Arvan

Doctor

Byron Webster

Purser

John Crawford

Chief Engineer

Bob Hastings

M. C.

Erik L. Nelson

Mr. Tinkham

Leslie Nielsen

The Captain

Phil Adams

Cable Steward (uncredited)

Craig Barley

Extra (uncredited)

Todd Bartlett

Extra (uncredited)

Charles Bateman

First Officer Larsen

Bill Catching

Man (uncredited)

Craig Chudy

Helmsman (uncredited)

Ronn Cragg

Radarman (uncredited)

Jimmy Cross

Dinning Room Steward (uncredited)

Fred Dale

Man (uncredited)

Connie Ducharme

Woman (uncredited)

Jim Galante

Assistant Engineer (uncredited)

Bob Golden

Wiper (uncredited)

Orwin C. Harvey

Falling Man (uncredited)

Larry Holt

Falling Man (uncredited)

Chris Howell

Man (uncredited)

Kathryn Janssen

Woman Seated Next to Purser (uncredited)

Marco López

Passenger (uncredited)

Maurice Marsac

French Naval Officer (uncredited)

Ernie F. Orsatti

Terry - Susan's Date (uncredited)

Victor Paul

Kyrenos (uncredited)

Stuart Perry

Teddy Parry

Frieda Rentie

Indian Woman (uncredited)

Leoda Richards

Injured Party Guest (uncredited)

Lance Rimmer

Extra (uncredited)

Elizabeth Rogers

Woman Next to Mr. Tinkham (uncredited)

George Sawaya

Bos'n Mate (uncredited)

David Sharpe

Man (uncredited)

Paul Stader

Martin - Wireless Operator

Mark Tulin

Bass Guitarist as Ship Sinks (uncredited)

Waddy Wachtel

Crump - Guitarist #1 (uncredited)

Roseann Williams

Woman (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

The sequence where Nonnie (Carol Lynley) rehearses "The Morning After" with her band mates was the first scene to be filmed. Originally Waddy Wachtel (the guitarist) was to be cast as her brother Teddy, but as Wachtel had brown eyes and Lynley was blue-eyed, drummer Stuart Perry was cast as Nonnie's brother.

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Filming was delayed twice because of the cost. Twentieth Century Fox was suffering from losses from several flop musicals, Doctor Dolittle (1967), Star! (1968), and Hello, Dolly! (1969), as spectacles were being trounced by smaller character-driven films, and the studio was certain that a disaster movie would be a risk. Fox finally relented when Irwin Allen promised to raise half of the budget himself. Reportedly, Allen found outside backers by walking across the street from the Fox lot to a country club, where he found some friends playing cards. During the card game, they agreed to back the film. Because the studio never spent any of the backer's money, the backers made a profit from the success of the film without actually spending a dime.

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Red Buttons and Carol Lynley, whose characters fall in love in the movie, actually disliked each other intensely during filming. They refused to have anything to do with each other except when the cameras were rolling. Ironically, after being constantly reminded of this, they ended up becoming great friends in later years. Both Carol Lynley and Pamela Sue Martin were with Red Buttons at the time of his final public appearance -- the world premiere of Wolfgang Peterson's "Poseidon" at Mann's Chinese Theatre in May 2006.

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Goofs

When Belle tries to talk Reverend Scott out of swimming, you can see her medal is above her waist, but in close-ups the chain is shorter and above her chest.

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When Belle decides to go underwater and save everyone's life, the camera cuts to a closeup of her. She is fingering the swimming medal around her neck. But the surrounding shots have her hands clasped in front of her.

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As Mr. Rosen starts climbing the catwalk in the engine room, we can see a 'dead crewman' move on the floor behind him.

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Quotes

Mike Rogo: Linda! Ya hear me?

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Mike Rogo: You better watch your language, Preacher. You sound like you come from the slum or something.

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Mike Rogo: You! Preacher! Murderer! I started to believe in your promises, that we had a chance. What chance?

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Faq

Q

How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?

A

For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for The Poseidon Adventure can be found here.

Q

Who are the principal characters?

A

The small band of survivors who follow Reverend Scott to what they hope will be a means of escape include detective lieutenant Mike Rogo (Ernest Borgnine) and his ex-prostitute wife Linda (Stella Stevens), retired hardware store owner Manny Rosen (Jack Albertson) and his wife Belle (Shelley Winters), teenaged Susan Shelby (Pamela Sue Martin) and her precocious younger brother Robin (Eric Shea), floor show singer Nonnie Parry (Carol Lynley), haberdasher and health nut James Martin (Red Buttons), and dining room steward Acres (Roddy McDowall).

Q

What is 'The Poseidon Adventure' about?

A

Just after midnight on New Year's Eve, the luxury liner SS Poseidon, while making her final voyage from New York City to Athens, is hit by a tsunami caused by an underwater earthquake. Most of the passengers are trapped and drowned when the ship overturns, but a small band of survivors, led by Reverend Frank Scott (Gene Hackman), struggle to make their way to the propeller shafts in the hull before the ship sinks.

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