The first movie adaptation of the Hindenburg disaster was made during the heart of the disaster genre popularity. It has all the elements present in The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure, and Airport: an all-star cast, a large exposition to make you care about every character's backstory, massive special effects, and a long-running time.
George C. Scott is the security officer, and the old flame of Countess Anne Bancroft, traveling to America to visit her daughter. Charles Durning is the captain, Gig Young is an ad man who drinks too much, and Burgess Meredith and Rene Auberjonois are card sharks. Peter Donat and Joanna Cook Moore are a married couple expecting their first child, only taking that mode of travel because they think it'll be safer than a sea voyage. If you usually like the big disaster genre, you'll probably like this one, too; but it's not my favorite. I didn't find the initial "get attached to every character" very interesting, and no one particularly grabbed at my heartstrings.
The last part of the movie is, of course, the most suspenseful, and director Robert Wise chose to turn the final minutes into a mock-newsreel. It's in black-and-white, with overexposed light to make it look like old footage. The original footage taken during the time is occasionally spliced in, and because of the effects to the modern footage, it's nearly impossible to tell the difference. He also included Herb Morrison's famous eye-witness radio broadcast, which is the most emotional part of the film since it's the only part that isn't Hollywood-ized. If you're new to the '70s disaster genre, don't start with this one, but if you're rounding out your collection, go ahead!
George C. Scott is the security officer, and the old flame of Countess Anne Bancroft, traveling to America to visit her daughter. Charles Durning is the captain, Gig Young is an ad man who drinks too much, and Burgess Meredith and Rene Auberjonois are card sharks. Peter Donat and Joanna Cook Moore are a married couple expecting their first child, only taking that mode of travel because they think it'll be safer than a sea voyage. If you usually like the big disaster genre, you'll probably like this one, too; but it's not my favorite. I didn't find the initial "get attached to every character" very interesting, and no one particularly grabbed at my heartstrings.
The last part of the movie is, of course, the most suspenseful, and director Robert Wise chose to turn the final minutes into a mock-newsreel. It's in black-and-white, with overexposed light to make it look like old footage. The original footage taken during the time is occasionally spliced in, and because of the effects to the modern footage, it's nearly impossible to tell the difference. He also included Herb Morrison's famous eye-witness radio broadcast, which is the most emotional part of the film since it's the only part that isn't Hollywood-ized. If you're new to the '70s disaster genre, don't start with this one, but if you're rounding out your collection, go ahead!