RELEASED IN 1974 and directed by John Guillermin, "The Towering Inferno" details events in San Francisco when the world's tallest building, The Glass Tower (138 stories), catches aflame due to an electrical short and threatens hundreds of lives during the grand dedication ceremony. Paul Newman plays the architect, Steve McQueen the fire chief, William Holden the wealthy contractor and Richard Chamberlain his arrogant cost-cutting son-in-law.This overblown disaster flick has a great all-star cast and was a huge success at the box office, but it pales in comparison to "The Poseidon Adventure," released two years earlier. It lacks the compelling story, the great human interest and iconic score (even though John Williams composed both), plus it's 48 minutes longer than "Poseidon," which gives it a tedious vibe; that is, until the engrossing last half hour.On the female front there's the striking Faye Dunaway, the architect's babe; Susan Blakely, who looks great in tight slacks; and Susan Flannery, who's smokin' in a shirt & panties. Unfortunately, whereas "Poseidon" knocked it out of the ballpark with its women, "Towering" fails to capitalize on its resources.The film's has its attractions and is still worth seeing if you favor the cast and 70's disaster flicks. It's just a letdown considering its streamlined predecessor and potential.THE MOVIE RUNS 2 hours, 45 minutes and was shot in San Francisco and Los Angeles. WRITERS: Stirling Silliphant wrote the script based on the books "The Tower" by Richard Martin Stern and "The Glass Inferno" by Thomas N. Scortia & Frank M. Robinson. ADDITIONAL CAST NOTABLES: Fred Astaire, Jennifer Jones, O.J. Simpson, Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner and Mike Lookinland (aka Bobby Brady).GRADE: B-/C+

At this point in time Hollywood would come up with an idea and then beat it to death. The Towering Inferno is the story of a fire in a skyscraper and all the implications of it. We have the obligatory ensemble cast. We have good guys and bad guys. If we use "Airport" as a benchmark, there is the person who, despite warnings to the contrary, does things that endanger everyone. There is the old couple who must stay together because they have always loved each other. There is the heroic fellow who was a coward before. There is the guy everyone respected who now is a coward. There is the suspense element with the rescue forces doing their best but realizing they had never anticipated this. The biggest positive is that it keeps one on the edge of his/her seat. It is non-stop action and really long.

I saw this movie in the theater when it first came out, 42 years ago. I was only 11 years old at the time, of course. But even then I sensed that this was more than just another disaster epic with flames everywhere and sirens going off and cool explosions and endless thrilling shots of dizzying heights and big and little people plunging to their deaths. Those things were exactly what I wanted as an 11 year old boy. But if you look closely, THE TOWERING INFERNO offers more than that. Much more. Though it's framed as a disaster picture with tons of special effects, the story has the scope and emotional impact of a mini series or a very high class soap opera. There are dozens of relationships being played out with life and death at stake. You see happy marriages, unhappy marriages, committed relationships, adulterous relationships, and more. You see people who are redeemed by love and who sacrifice their lives for love. And you see people who are unworthy of love and incapable of it being destroyed by their own rat-like desire for survival at any price. The raging inferno reveals so much about the human heart!Take the justly celebrated senior romance between Fred Astaire as the dapper conman and Jennifer Jones as the wealthy widow who sees through him. Everyone remembers how charming Astaire was in the role, alternately devious and sincere, humble and courageous. Now here's a spoiler. What really stuck with me as a kid was not the brutal sadness of the love cut short but the final image of Astaire as a man reborn. He's lost his jacket, his career as a crook, and his true love is dead. And yet when he walks out of the blaze carrying his fallen angel's pet cat, you don't feel sorry for him. You feel in awe of him. This is tragedy and he's just experienced catharsis, big time. Love has changed him, and he is not the man he was. The love affair is not cut short, it's actually consummated, in a way you will not forget. Now a lot of people overlook the way other plots threads comment on the supreme beauty of the Astaire/Jones romance. Susan Blakely and Richard Chamberlain are the bickering young couple who don't love each other, yet many viewers miss the point here. She's the rich man's daughter, and her no good husband has caused the fire by cutting costs in an effort to suck up to the old man. But most reviewers say she's a "spoiled princess" who "scolds" her husband. That is completely not true! If you watch Patty closely, she's incredibly warm, patient, trusting and supportive. Watch the scene where the slimy young husband tries to slink away by himself, and sneak downstairs, only to come back charred and filthy dirty and sulk by himself at the bar. Patty doesn't "scold" him at this point. She walks right up to him, and even though he's filthy and she's dressed in diamonds and lace, she takes his face in her hands and asks very gently if he needs her. Prompting his immortal reply, "this is what I need" as he takes another drink! The point is, Patty isn't spoiled, she's practically a saint. Over and over she tells her husband that she's on his side, that she wants to help him live up to his potential and be the man she thinks he could be. Though she's young and a little naive, she's every inch the woman that Jennifer Jones' character is, and she relates to her man in exactly the same way. The only problem is, Richard Chamberlain is no Fred Astaire. When he rejects love, he rejects the possibility of change, and he dies. Kicking and screaming, in a spectacular wipe- out! But when I was 11, I thought, wow, that Patty is so beautiful and so kind and good and so amazingly strong! A spoiled princess she is not, and that's all I have to say about that. Now I give this movie 8 stars out of 10, only because the big, big, big stars -- Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, and Fay Dunaway -- aren't nearly as interesting as the minor characters. Even at 11 I could see that Newman and Dunaway were phoning it in, and clearly not that interested in the story (or each other.) Now that I'm a grown up, and have seen their earlier films, I can see why. They thought they were slumming here, and it shows. In fact every time Fay Dunaway looks at Paul Newman, I keep expecting her to say, "Forget it, Luke -- it's Chinatown."

In San Francisco, architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) is planning to leave his city job after the dedication of the new skyscraper. He's inundated with problems after returning from vacation but at least Susan Franklin (Faye Dunaway) is there to comfort him. He investigates an electrical fire but the owner Jim Duncan (William Holden)'s son-in-law engineer Roger Simmons (Richard Chamberlain) refuses to admit wrong doing. Senator Parker (Robert Vaughn), the mayor, public relations Dan Bigelow (Robert Wagner) and Harlee Claiborne (Fred Astaire) among others join the party. All the while, the electrical fire spreads. Building security Jernigan (O.J. Simpson) calls in the fire department. Fire Chief Michael O'Halloran (Steve McQueen) tries to take control.This is one of the best disaster movie of the era. It's full of memorable moments and is relatively realistic. It's got good fire photography, nice burning stunts, vertigo-inducing scenes and thrilling action all around. It's also got some of the greatest names. Newman and McQueen has to battle it out for top billing. The start is a little slow but once it gets going, it doesn't stop.