I love it, how Paul Newman snips the wires and doesn’t give it back to the fire fighter. He just throws it to the floor.

Firefighter here, the aiming for the ceiling is sometimes meant to keep the fire from auto extending to the next floor, or in situations where there is no vent you can start high on the fire to properly cool the heat layers, that way when you hit the base of the fire you don't upset the heat layers, create a bunch of steam, and get burned

This is one of those classic films that shouldn't be remade, because they got it right the first time.

That line at the end always makes me think about the Grenfell tower. Haunting indeed.

Disaster films were about displaced people, no longer in their societal roles, revealing true character during a crisis. If you just followed the firefighters, who sign on to rescue people as a career, it defeats the purpose of seeing Mrs. Mueller go from self-deprecating aging woman, afraid of heights, to a true heroine who sacrifices herself for a child, literally pushing the little girl into career-driven Dunaway’s arms, with only a split second decision - or seeing Astair’s aging playboy con man primping in his prized formal jacket (...an image familiar to old movie fans...), ripping it off himself and using it to put out a man on fire - or all the unexpected pairings like Newman helping a little girl find her bravery by admitting he’s scared, later having that child tell Dunaway, “I won’t cry if you won’t cry.” I agree, Poseidon Adventure is a more focused story - but Towering Inferno was intended to be grander in scope.

OJ Simpson rescuing a cat from a fiery death makes him the biggest hero of the story in my book

I was curious about Jennifer Jones so I read up a bit about her. Oddly enough, she tried to commit suicide in 1966 by jumping off a cliff. The Towering Inferno was her last film. Sadly, her daughter committed suicide two years after this movie. Jones founded a foundation for mental health and education and lived to the ripe old age of 90.

This movie premiered on my mothers birthday December 15, 1974. We went to see it as a family.

The abrupt death of Jennifer Jones and that her demise is so briefly acknowledged at the end is what stuck with me as a child. Too real. Shot more like a documentary.

The actor that gets killed with the statue falling on him was Gregory Sierra he was in the 1st episode of Miami Vice,as Crocketts boss

Fantastic conversation and overview of a great movie. I love how you point out all its flaws and then still give it the thumbs up. One thing you didn't mention (or only a little) was how the incredible John Williams music heightens everything. And yeah, that scene with McQueen owning Holden is great. Cheers.

I may have missed it, but there's nary a mention of John Williams' outstanding original score. The music during Iain's favourite scene is gripping.

Call the Backdraft when oxygen feed the fire. All of a sudden she broke the window. That’s why it blew her out.

That was a fun watch. As a Moonraker (Wiltshire person), I found this trio's accents familiar. Health & Safety laws WERE very different in the '70s. At my middle-school, there was a fire in the basement. As the fire station was 5 miles away, we pupils fought the fire in the interim! It was extremely hot and smoky, though it was confined to one room. That was in summer '72 or '73, so not long before this movie.

I remember this being on tv at least once a year when i was a kid in the 70's. Same with The Poseidon Adventure and Avalanche, but the you only had CBS, ABC, NBC and PBS on the tv back then!

Not that it singlehandedly caused his condition, but knowiing that Steve McQueen had asbestos-caused cancer when he died (of a heart attack) makes me cringe whenever I see him wearing the asbestos suit in this film.

Great review as always, saw this when I was 12 back in 74 in the cinema, it actually had an intermission at the stairwell gas explosion, and the soundtrack by John Williams was the 1st vinyl record my parents bought me, love this movie.

the lobby area of the tower is an actual building in san francisco

50th Anniversary in 2024. Timeless 🎥 movie.

Irwin Allen produced "The Poseidon Adventure;" Ronald Neame directed. Incredibly, Irwin Allen and screenwriter Sterling Silliphant tried to *recreate* the Newman/McQueen rivalry in Allen's followup dud, "The Swarm;" in early drafts of the script the role that ultimately went to Michael Caine (a role, by the way, that is nowhere to be found in the source novel) was clearly tailored for Newman. The character would have spent the first two-thirds of the film butting heads with Richard Widmark's General Slater (a character that only appears in a few pages towards the end of the novel) and then they would work together to triumph over their foes in the final act. The final script only allows for some begrudging respect between preposterous shouting matches before the bees wipe out almost all of the remaining cast--including certain individuals who refuse to save themselves simply because they are of no further use to the story such as it is. Oh my lord it's a terrible movie and I would love it if you guys tackled it.

If you look careful, the stunt woman goes out in a protective suit, so it was protective pants but when she throws the chair out the window, you see it ricochet back on the inflatable airbag they didn’t catch that as a blooper

Inspired choice. My favourite scenes, cat rescue, of course, plus Steve McQueen saving the fireman on the scenic elevator, seems really realistic, the sheer strain on his face as he hangs on (that and the same fireman snatching the little girl from Jennifer Jones' arms as she falls are real heart in the mouth moments). The bit I really like though is the Mayor and his wife worrying not for themselves but their teenage daughter who is at home and will be worrying about them (he dies, she survives to go home to her). It's so oddly touching, both the politicians in this film are actually positively portrayed which must be a rarity. Fun fact, author Roderick Thorpe watched this film then had a nightmare where he was being chased across the top of a skyscraper by gunmen. Inspired he went away and wrote his novel 'Nothing Lasts Forever', later adapted for the screen as 'Die Hard'...

The building had faulty wiring so the fire was breaking out on multiple levels as the movie goes on. I think that’s how it goes to lower floors. Also, the balcony in the office doesn’t collapse and then reappear. Robert Wagner’s character falls through that one section. That section is still broken out later.

33:20 Can we just take a moment to appreciate the neat quality work someone put into that wiring

Saw it on the big screen when it came out. The helicopter ride at the beginning is fantastic.

Guys you're gonna have to re-record the intro - doesn't feel right Iain not starting off the synopsis with "well the story follows"!!

That flick was on TV in the UK so many times during the 80s but then we only had 4 channels.....also massive on VHS rental.

Second only to the Poseidon Adventure. Based on two books the Inferno and the Tower, had two leading men that had a bit of a war going on about who gets top billing and more lines.

I have always contended that it was a mistake for Paul Newman to send those women down in the scenic elevator. I think that was a move where he should have consulted with the fire dept and asked permission. Secondly, we should have gotten some kind of response from Newman when he heard the elevator was blown off it's track.

Steve McQueen got the longer stick. He didn't sign two picture deal with Irwin Allen like Newman and Holden did. Thus didn't have to appear in When time ran out.

One of my childhood favourites.

I've never seen this, thanks guys, and it's nice to see Linda back!

If this is ever remade and takes place here in SF, it should be the very real eyesore called Salesforce Tower that burns down.

I just noticed something to fire fighter standing next to Steve McQueen as he waits for Paul Newman to come back on the phone one on the left has number 13 unlucky number 13 the other one has a helmet with 11 they said when they finish production while making this movie it was September 11, 1974

all the actors in the party room did their own stunts when they did the water dump and they had i think it was 4 cameras going and it was a 'one and done' stunt

This movie looks fun to watch! Great review again you guys! And good job inviting Linda! :)

Can't believe you didn't mention that Dan Bigelow (Robert Wagner) - The business guy 26:50 is the same actor that played Number 2 to Dr Evil in Austin Powers 🤣

Also love the SCTV parody where they’re having a party at the top of Melonvilles biggest skyscraper. It’s so high up and the top floors are 20’ square and the tv studio just below is trying to film a cattle stampede with live cattle.

Fun Fact: O.J Simpson disappeared during the movie because he had to go back to football camp.

The Towering Inferno is the only film I can think of that I could bear to watch from beginning to end without getting distracted from aged 7 to now. I hope they don't remake it as it couldn't be any better.

Hello from Croatia,it's 8:32 A.M. and this is my first KZfaq video of the day.

Steve McQueen was asked to return in The Towering Inferno 2. not only did he turn it down, he passed away after talk began of a sequel. it killed the series.

Fred Astaire owned that role. Yeah it was a little role him playing an ineffective conman. But he played that role for all it was worth. He made that con-man a sweet bumbling flawed person with a redemption arc. That's hard to do. I think Fred Astaire owned that role. When he confessed to the rich lady he had targeted I cried. It was so sweet. The Fred Astaire arc was one of the best in the whole movie and you guys sat there trashing it saying it was odd. I could not disagree with you lot more. I guess I don't share UK sensibilities. I am just and old thing from across the pond. What the hell do I know? We do NOT agree! You spent so much time tearing down Fred Astaire and his role as the lovable con man that you overlooked that cheap tacky contact paper walled elevator as they rode down from the rooftop helipad. That mod squad contact paper was on sale at every FW Woolworth's in the US for $3.00 and on sale in Woolworth's UK for 1 Pound 50 Pence. A movie about a high rise tower costing millions and dime store vinyl contact paper elevator walls are the best they can do. Some of the building interior shots were cheesey! The Towering Inferno music score was first rate.

Finally I've never clicked so fast. Remember seeing this when I was 8.

This one and Poseidon Adventure are my favourite disaster films from the 70’s. Although it’s a little sexist at the beginning (the first scene between Paul Newman and Faye Dunaway) - do architects still have bedrooms next to their main office. Although Robert Wagner’s character isn’t married - the reason they kept it hidden was a class thing.

Wow if you guys liked this, then you should review The Cassandra Crossing, with Martin Sheen, Richard Harris and OJ Simpson.

Great review guys. Mega film, full of even bigger actors. Love it even now , me and my brother actually wore the film off the vhs tape back in the 80s ,my brother could recite the words when ever you stopped it, he was a massive Paul Newman fan back then, must of seen it 200 time, every day after school he played it lol.

During the 80s, this was on TV so many times in the UK (Christmas but also Easter), parents rented heavily on VHS home video...with hindsight, 3h is far too long though.

The unsung feline star of The Towering Inferno, Elke the cat!

Firefighter here also……we get issued C4…😂😂😂😂. Yes!

It towers! It, um, inferns! It's the Towering Inferno! Best bit about watching classic disaster movies is playing Disaster Movie bingo and gleefully ticking the tropes off. Favourites are: "We, we didn't listen!" "Wait a minute, what gives you the right to order us around (sneer) MISTER SCIENTIST/FIREMAN/GEOLOGIST." "Don't listen to him! Let's make a panicky break for it!" "They assured me it was unflammable!" "You can't tell them to evacuate, we can't afford a mass panic, plus the BeeGees are on stage at nine." "Only one man can save us now, or possibly two equally paid Hollywood stars." "I retire from the Outey-Putty-Fire job tomorrow!" And so on.

Such a great review. Really enjoy both your opinions on films. So glad I found this channel. Well done guys (and wife)

Good work boys. Keep'em coming and we'll keep enjoying them.

TOWERING INFERNO: Never would have thought this almost forgotten classic out of the catastrphy movie time ( Katastrophen-Film Ära ) on your list. .It was a good one with a fine cast and some actors comming as a surprise to be still around back then. Yes like Fred Astaire but in those days he played in a lot of movies and series.

Of the two paperbacks from which The Towering Inferno was sprung, I remember having The Tower by Richard Martin Stern. Someone else's purchase, passed around. Glossy color cover, etc. One of those products with which the binding goes over time and its in pieces. Anyway, what I remember of that was some guy eating peanuts in the park and looking up at the tower and philosophically pondering the meaning of the edifice - before the fire and all that.

If I was the fireman going head first down the lift shaft and on fire you would of heard me screaming in Timbuktu.

About the idea of the Susan Flannery character hiding in the bathroom with the shower on... I read somewhere people tried that in a fire but the heat from the flames turned the water scalding hot.

Great synopsis and review and you 3 are the funniest for a film like this one. This was one of my favorites as a young kid/teenager and you all nail it perfectly!

Fun fact: the building in the painting over Jennifer Jones’ shoulder at 9:52 is Columbus Tower, home of American Zoetrope (Francis Ford Coppola’s production company).

Irwin Allen was also the Director of the swarm 1978

There was a Korean remake called the tower. In 2008

Only thing I remember from this when I was 5 was the one person who I think was on fire that went flying out the window...at which point I started screaming and crying because it dawned on me they died. I was so tramatized I still can not watch the movie my "wonderful " also took me to see posiden adventure which led me to never set foot on a ship lol or i saw that first not sure lol was to young either way

One of my favourite films, love the fact Steve McQueen and Paul Newman got along and the fact Warner Brothers and 20th Century came together to make this Movie, I will Admit this movie was ahead of it's time, this is one Movie Classic that i think deserves a remake, now that CGI is a thing

The grisly deaths of Dan and Lorrie were so well done it's still shocking stuff today. I used to skip that section to the rescue of the kids. Hold on how does fire go from 81 to 65? Down?

Steve McQueen is cool. But Paul Newman is on another level. He has 11 Oscar nominations.

Amazing guys, the greatest actors of all time together. McQueen and Newman!

I just suspend belief , love the film, love the song. Wouldn't change a thing!

I watched the entirety of The Towering Inferno just overnight a few hours ago free-to-air on the internet. I don't know if i should venture to mention the site, but they've got stacks of the pre-post modern classics up.

The glass with Robert Wagner hasn’t repaired guys (trust me I always checked that part haha)

The chaos in this movie is probably what the people went throught the NYC twin towers in September 11, 2001

Robert Vaughn one of my favorite actors but he only has a small part.

My family and I saw the movie on my mom's birthday when it came out in 74

I love the little side plot with Fred Astaire so much! What do you mean Newman was the biggest star? McQueen is the bigger star in my book!

I first saw this is a child at the drive-in whenever it comes up on TV I'll call my sister and tell her the Towering Inferno is on and find out that she's already watching it too. Of course also have DVD. This was a great exposition I stayed through the full hour it wasn't too long as neither is the movie at 3 hours

THE ROCK was in the remake of THE TOWERING INFERNO titled SKYSCRAPER

Fred Astair was also in a horror movie. o_O

I'm not into the game reviews and I can't do podcast unless there is video, but I'm glad I found the movie reviews a couple years ago. Looked up reviews on Pet Semetary and these guys popped up. They are the best movie reviews on Internet or anywhere. They really get into their review. They are a great team!

I thoroughly enjoyed this, thanks very much! I read one of the books this was based on; can't remember which, but the fire was started deliberately. I saw this at the cinema when it first came out in the UK; it was full-sized screen, and I came out shaking, even though they left Paul Newman hanging on the broken stair for twenty minutes while they had an intermission. I read somewhere that they invented split-screen credits for this film, so that Newman and McQueen's names would both appear at the same time, thus giving them equal status. can't remember how they worked out which name would go on which side. "Weakest goes first" - I've read that special forces have this rule, too; the weakest climber goes up last and comes down first, which is logical [and which is why I was surprised in one of the Jurassic Parks that the female was hanging from cable over the cliff above the men; presumably so that they could cushion her fall when she slipped]. With Bigelow, you'd think that the worst idea when trapped by a fire is to let it get thoroughly established before you try to run through it. PS: I took my young-teen brother to watch this: can't remember what rating it had but it was enough for him to see with an adult. When the film got more intense he asked if we could leave, which of course we did. Irrelevant, except that he later applied to become a fireman - he had to try three times to get in, but eventually made it. I'll always wonder how much effect this film had on him.

I just started this video so I'm not sure if you guys mention this but Steve McQueen & paul Newman both wanted top billing. So the agreement was for both of them to put there names on screen together at the same time but both wanted there name on the left. Paul Newman finally agreed to have his name on the right hand side if his name was higher & steve mcqueen was okay with that believing people would see his name first.

I love disaster movies so much 😍 great review guys and I loved seeing Linda again, it's very interesting to rewatch movies from our childhood and see how our perceptions about it change, I used to be absolutely terrified of Terminator 2, I even had very vivid nightmares of the T1000 coming through my door through the keyhole and murdering me... Now it's one of my favorite movies of all time ❤️ Another thing that's interesting is that all the movies that I watched when I was a child were in another language, I still remember the shock of hearing the actor's real voices years later and feeling like my life was a lie 😂

Jennifer Jones in this film reminds me of killer Santi Kimes, in terms of looks.

My parents always talked about this film but never got round to watching it. It's on my list. Cheers guys great review as always! 😁👊

Loved hearing Ian quote a Smith's song. :-)

love your funny analysis on this film but there is no logic in all of this in this film, it is just entertainment, watch and enjoy, just like the old horror movies why do people go where the danger is etc.. With all the fire it is amazing no one got injured and the cast got allong well with eachother, they were on set even when they didnt have to be , no star behaviour except from Fay Dunaway , she was always late on set and made de rest of the cast wait ,William Holden made sure that stopped by pinn her down and made clear that behaviour wouldnt be tollorated anymore and from that day on she wasnt late anymore lol.

THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING THIS MOVIE

You did my suggestion (finally) lol! Wooohoo. Thanks guys!! I also suggested Salem’s Lot the mini series 😉

The singer won the academy for this movie, just the one for the Poseidon adventure

Brill review, love the film. There was a lot great trivia and I'd like to add my little bit which I don't think was mentioned (sorry if it was): I believe this was the first film to use diagonal billing due to the ego of Steve McQueen who wanted his name to appear first on the title credits. To sate both actors the credits had Steve McQeen's and Paul Newman's names appear together but SM's is on the left and lower, and PN's is on the right but higher. That's equality :)

This was the first big hit movie i ever saw that had many of my favorite actors in this movie well written good action drama and good actors playing good characters 🙂👍❤

The movie skyscraper with Dwayne Johnson was kind of a remake in 2017

Another great review guys, you should consider reviewing Cool Hand Luke, it's my favorite Paul Newman flick.

You should review Paul newmans Hud, it's incredible.

37:34 not everybody ends up falling. Richard Chamberlain *literally kicked one of the dudes* a quarter of a mile to his death! You can see it in the clip you used. That is the worst human being on the planet. Especially about 20 second later when he was very much *on* the planet.

One my favorite disaster movies from my childhood the special and practical effects are well done Paul Newman and Steve mcqueen are great i dont want a remake of this movie it would suck green screen computer generated fire dont touch the classics continue your good work

This Charming man has a good taste in music

quite a lot of these actors are dead now, but not Orenthal James! he Lives and will continue to do so for many more years !

If only I had been the screenwriter, and could have made Steve McQueen grandstand about there not being enough lifeboats for everyone in the skyscraper.

You guys would love to see Hollywood 9/11 references and predictions. Especially the Back To The Future comparisons. Very interesting...

Love it, Linda was a great addition too!

How unlucky do you have to be - building a skyscraper in *San Francisco* which is destroyed by fire?