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From : oldclassicmovies2
Added: Oct 28, 2009
Earthquake is a 1974 American disaster film that achieved huge box-office success, continuing the disaster film genre of the 1970s where recognizable all-star casts attempt to survive life or death situations. The plot concerns the struggle for survival after a catastrophic earthquake destroys most of the city of Los Angeles, California. Directed by: Mark Robson Produced by: Mark Robson Written by: George Fox Mario Puzo Starring: Charlton Heston Ava Gardner George Kennedy Lorne Greene Geneviève Bujold Richard Roundtree Marjoe Gortner Barry Sullivan Lloyd Nolan Victoria Principal Music by: John Williams Cinematography: Philip H. Lathrop Editing by: Dorothy Spencer Distributed by: Universal Pictures Budget: $7,000,000 Gross revenue: $79,000,000 In the wake of the tremendous success of the disaster-suspense film Airport (1970), Universal Studios began working with executive producer Jennings Lang to come up with a new idea that would work within the same "disaster-suspense" genre. The genesis of the idea literally "came to them" as a direct result of the San Fernando Earthquake which shook the Los Angeles area during the early morning hours of February 9, 1971. Director Mark Robson and Lang were intrigued by the idea of creating a disaster on film that would not be confined to an airliner, but rather take place over a large area. When the movie played at Graumann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood in 1974 it was shown in "Sensurround" with heavy bass speakers set on the floor around the theater. Very soon after the preview performances, a giant net had to be rigged above the patrons because of fear that the ornate ceiling decorations might break loose and fall on the audience below due to the low bass rumble of earthquake sequences. During the film's initial preview performances at the theatre, the Sensurround vibrations actually caused an occasional, very small and harmless piece of plaster or paint to crack and fall down onto the audience. Worried that continuous periods of strong sound waves throughout the film's exclusive run might loosen elements of the ceiling's ornamentation and light fixtures, the theatre management ordered the safety net to be slung below the entire auditorium ceiling, just below the ornamentation. This action was publicized in the local papers. Whether or not the ceiling's very visible "safety net" was an actual, workable safety measure or whether it was merely a publicity gimmick, it did serve to heighten audience anticipation of the film's effects The "Hollywood Dam" featured in the film is actually known as the "Mulholland Dam", named after famed engineer William Mulholland. The nearly-identical St. Francis Dam, near present-day Valencia, California, actually collapsed due to a geological fault on 12 March 1928. This disaster killed over 450 people and ranks second highest in terms of loss of life (behind the 1906 San Francisco earthquake) in the history of California. The crash that motorcycle daredevil Miles Quade has coming out of the loop on the stunt track was not scripted, but an actual spill taken by the stuntman Bud Ekins. Ekins was uninjured and the crash was worked into the final cut. In the scene where Stewart is running lines with Denise, the script he is holding is actually for "Earthquake", and is on the page for the scene being shown. In a bizarre coincidence, the location on the first day of shooting was rocked by an earthquake. In an even more bizarre coincidence, an earthquake also struck the location where the last day of shooting occurred.
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