+Koop Dahvill "The Godfather:Part II" was the third highest grossing film of that year....At number two was Mel Brooks's "Blazing Saddles" was the second highest grossing film of 1974......The fourth highest grossing film of 1974 was "Earthquake!: followed by the "Chinatown" which was the fifth highest grossing picture of that year.
I saw this in the theaters on it's opening weekend in December,1974. To anybody's surprise it became 1974's top grossing picture. To experience this movie see it on a big screen in full stereophonic sound in 70MM.
lf for whatever reason you didn't disrespect the musical integrity of the wonderfulJohn Williams before, this surely will change your mind once and for all. Coming off the heels of The Poseidon Adventure and all of 44, he gave the world this beauty of brass and strings.
Just watched this film on big screen TV -- after many years. Still spectacular after all this time, and the music is classic Williams. Great opening montage, and that first glimpse of Paul Newman in dark glasses. Great cast, too -- including the minors who went on to become majors.
The first film to feature the earliest form of the Iconic sounds of John Williams. This seems to be when he first established his iconic theming & sounds.
I am 52, remember seeing this event film opening night in Ocala, Florida!!!!! We were astounded!!!! I showed this to some friends in their 30,s and they were scared s....less!!!! In other words, a true work of cinematic art!!!!
Both Towering Inferno and Earthquake came out that year. They were referred to as the Shake n Bake movies. Shake n bake was a popular commercial for a meat baking product.
John Williams, the best there is...we'll never see the likes of his classic music like this again. I have the complete set of John Williams music from both The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno. He knew how to do it right.
The time delay cracks me up. We see the helicopter coming in mid-morning, strafing the bay at about 7 p.m., then see the helicopter approaching the tower mid-morning! HAH!
This is til one of my very favorite opening title sequences of any movie I've ever seen -- right up there with the one for "Grand Prix,""The Blue Max" and "The Shining"...
Great Movie.....Great Spfx.....Great Acting but unfortunately it was up against the GODFATHER II that year for Best Picture.....Say what you want about Irwin Allen, he KNEW how to make a f**king movie !
This captures perfectly that mighty build-for-the-sky and shoot-the-moon spirit that gripped America in the early 1970s. I miss that swagger... though the latest round of towers sure are getting tall again so perhaps we're getting back there.
***** That's not what this movie and similar disaster movies are about. This is about a cynically motivated American business ethic (or lack of ethic) which is purely about profit at the expense of 'base' considerations such as public worth or safety. Another example is The Poseidon Adventure.
John Williams was responsible for the themes and scores for three of the four of Irwin Allen's sci-fi TV shows of the 60's. Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants. All well done.
I love that story (on another you-tube vid) about how somebody told Irwin Allen that in a real fire there would be so much smoke you couldn't see anything. Irwin took that person aside and explained to him--he knows that but if he did the movie that way then you couldn't see the faces of the actors.
While I was going over this myself, in order to offer you a fit explanation, I myself had always wondered why Williams wanted such a big interval between the first two notes and the last two notes. It was the word "big" that finally tipped me off. "BIG" as in the Building itself! John Williams was (apparently) doing a musical "drawing" of the Glass Tower! The first two notes are the "ground floor" and the last two notes are the 138th floor!
Again , this is MY supposition about the theme and I've never seen this explanation on the web. Of course, that doesn't mean it's NOT true, but I'd like to think that it was my "discovery". Thanks again for making me think!
This movie never had any opening logos for 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros, even on DVD/Blu-ray prints, only in-credit text-only mentions. However, the print logos for those two companies appear in gold at the end of the closing credits on a sky-blue background.
First of all , I have to thank you for asking this question, because it help me come to a conclusion about these particular piece of music and WHY John Williams wrote what he wrote. If not for you, I never would have figured out what I figured out and I believe no one else knows about this either.
First things first. The four notes are A, B, A flat and B. Here's what you do. Play A then B, just below middle C. Here's the trick: You go a full major 6th from B to A flat and then B, right after that A flat. What's happening is that you going one note more than a full octave when you've played the last B note of the theme. This is the only way that John Williams could have done this, to make it sound the way it does. It also partially explains why you were having such a tough time with this
John Williams started out as Irwin Allen's composer for his TV shows, like "Lost In Space." He scored both of Irwin Allen's big disaster films, as well as "Earthquake," and various Spielberg films including "Jaws" (this put Williams on the map), "E.T.," "Close Encounters", "Jurassic Park," "Schindler's List," "Minority Report" and others.
@Toracube Amen to that! I mean I wasn't even born then (2010 I'm 33) but I love to watch all this classics, I wish some day they could like dedicate week ends to play all these wonderful movies again in theaters. For newer generations that appreciate all these movies will be terrific to watch them like that the way they were once upon a time when they were the summer big hit
When I saw this film as a kid I can remember thinking how awful that would be if it were to happen. Remembering the events of 9/11 it is horrific, This music at the time sounded triumphant. With the gift of hindsight............
@MiloDC Beautifully said. I agree 100% I long for the days when a score would put the hair up on my neck in anticipation. Movies SUCK today. There are no more "Show men" anymore. Just this little tease intro got you going, anticipating.. wanting!! Then we could ease in to the story... God i miss those days i really do!!!
John Williams Composed and conducted the themes and scores to 3 of Irwin Allen's 60's sci-fi TV shows. Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants. Irwin Allen had him ready to score The Swarm, but he chose Jerry Goldsmith instead when JW backed out to score one of Steven Spielberg's films.
@DrGlitterhouse Michael Giaccino makes incredible scores (Medal of Honor, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up). Apperantly Pixar wanted the same guy who scored James Bond to score The Incredibles, but gave Giaccino the job when the former declined to score an animated film. Giaccino's score wound up winning an Oscar.
If this does not put the hair up on your neck that something....INCREDIBLE.. is in store you don't know what the movies are and don't know what a good score is. I LONG for these days at the cinema again. Truly the last of the Golden Age at the movies. The 70's!!
They just don't make them like that any more . My love of the cinema and cinema theme music started with this ...... airport 77.... close encounters . Your heart is in your mouth from the onset !
one of the great adapters of the classics for film music. "Can You Read My Mind" (Superman) Strauss's Death and Transf,Star Wars theme many from Korngold symps,My favorite lift is Harry Potter main title, my all time fav composer Samuel BarberLOLPeace brett
Wow......that's actually pretty cool, and we as a society in general possibly got one hell of a firefigher because of it. Congrats! Have you ever had to fight a fire in a tall building like that? Just Curious.
Went to work in CIS building in Manchester about 26 floors. Thought it was the biggest thrill (1976) Was terrified after this film. Little did we know.....
Always like this opening sequence for this movie (and the John William music) ... sweeping vista of northern California, Golden Gate and then San Francisco (and the Glass Tower). Poseidon Adventure and this movie in 1970s were Irwin Allen's best productions. What other movie can you get Steve McQueen and Paul Newman as co-billing leads?
@Spindriftful when john williams raises that stick everyone is to pay attention. the maestro is serious. my all time favorite soundtrack is SUPERMAN - THE MOVIE. ****
It sounds like the RSPO version is playing in over top of the original orchestration. After reading this note, I didn't think I had heard the RSPO's interpretation like this. Now I know why, because there's discord in the two pieces.
@MiloDC I couldn't explain it, but I can give you an exemple. The reviewd version of Williams Violin Concerto (1998). Williams deleted some parts of the concerto wich was superficial (in my opinion), he improved the orchestration... This is just my opinion, but John Williams made some of his best works recently (Schindler's List, The Five Sacred Trees, Sabrina, Star Wars, Cello Concerto). But I also love his old works like Close Encounters of the Third Kink, The Essay for Strings.
I prefer the Poseidon Adventure theme, because it is darker. I love the very start of this (ominous), but I never felt that the tone was that appropriate. I would have preferred a more slow-burning, grave tone. No criticism of Williams intended. I think producer Allen determined Williams approach. Excellent music, but too upbeat (only my opinion).
@MGR1900: Maybe because it's just one of those songs that's just too complex to pick up by ear? This is a very lush, highly complex composition with several things going on at once. I can't imagine someone being able to pick it up by ear without listening to it extensively.
0:18 Paul Newman's name was first from the top, and Steve McQueen's name was first from the left Steve McQueen didn't like himself being the second name after Paul Newman so he was satisfied with this sollution. In my eyes, it's Steve McQueen's name first.
@DrGlitterhouse , the only movie you mentioned that I have seen is Casino Royale because I am a Bond fan. But then again, David Arnold's score is 3/4 noise and 1/4 actual coherent themes. How about the theory that movie scores nowadays SUCK big time?
@PungiFungi His works are more refined now. Although he used old theme in ROTS, he created a lot of new leitmotivs. Battle of the Heroes is as powerful (if not more) as the Imperial March. And now, his works are bolder (the last Indiana Jones), and less inspired by others composers. And I think I prefer him composing concertante works (Schindler's list, Memoirs, Seven years in TIbet) rather than symphonic works.
@GGbreizh , how do you define "mature"? His score for Memoirs of a Geisha and even Revenge of the Sith (most of which he built from his past iconic themes from past Star Wars movies) are not on the same level as his past themes such as Jaws, and the first two original Star Wars movies, and even the Poseidon Adventure. Movie themes hit their highs in the 1970s. It has been downhill ever since and is certainly at their nadir now.
eek... some intonation issues... but I LOVE this piece... Love it love it. I love this whole score. Its a shame that gems such as these were so poorly taken care of
私が小学校1年の時、日本で公開されました。当時の私は、サウンドトラックを、テープが擦りきれるほど毎日聞いていました。あれから49年が過ぎた現在、当時は鳥肌が立っていたこのオープニングの曲は、わたしに涙をもたらします。
Definitely the Best Disaster Movie Ever! Thank You so much, Irwin Allen!
Undeniably one of the greatest movie main title themes ever !!
Who gives it a thumbs down ?
Not my cup of tea.
Marc Allen It's right up there with Psycho , The Magnificent Seven and Gone with the wind !
Marc Allen .... could it be that you need some Justin Beaver perhaps? Your cup of tea now?
+Koop Dahvill "The Godfather:Part II" was the third highest grossing film of that year....At number two was Mel Brooks's "Blazing Saddles" was the second highest grossing film of 1974......The fourth highest grossing film of 1974 was "Earthquake!: followed by the "Chinatown" which was the fifth highest grossing picture of that year.
+rayssonation THE TOWERING INFERNO was 1974's top grossing picture that came out at the height of the Christmas season of 1974.
I saw this in the theaters on it's opening weekend in December,1974. To anybody's surprise it became 1974's top grossing picture. To experience this movie see it on a big screen in full stereophonic sound in 70MM.
rayssonation Amen!
Yup!!!
Frikkin' Williams man. Always having wonder and light heartedness and epicosity in his music. Can't get enough of it!
One of the greatest main titles ever composed.
The absolute grand daddy of all opening sequences, beautifully scored and aerial sequences were worth the work and timing! Fantastic!
The one. The ONLY. John Williams :)
lf for whatever reason you didn't disrespect the musical integrity of the wonderfulJohn Williams before, this surely will change your mind once and for all. Coming off the heels of The Poseidon Adventure and all of 44, he gave the world this beauty of brass and strings.
respect, not dis
Just watched this film on big screen TV -- after many years. Still spectacular after all this time, and the music is classic Williams. Great opening montage, and that first glimpse of Paul Newman in dark glasses. Great cast, too -- including the minors who went on to become majors.
The first film to feature the earliest form of the Iconic sounds of John Williams. This seems to be when he first established his iconic theming & sounds.
Yes. You can hear glimpse of brillance in Lost in Space TV series also!
One of the most beautiful soundtracks, I´ve ever heard! This movie is also wonderful.
小学校低学年のときに、渋谷パンテオンでのロードショーではじめて見ました。
アメリカってすごいなぁ…っていう価値観を強烈に植え付けられた映画です。
I am 52, remember seeing this event film opening night in Ocala, Florida!!!!! We were astounded!!!! I showed this to some friends in their 30,s and they were scared s....less!!!! In other words, a true work of cinematic art!!!!
An outstanding Score from John Williams!
Both Towering Inferno and Earthquake came out that year. They were referred to as the Shake n Bake movies. Shake n bake was a popular commercial for a meat baking product.
めちゃくちゃカッコいい
John Williams, the best there is...we'll never see the likes of his classic music like this again. I have the complete set of John Williams music from both The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno. He knew how to do it right.
He still composes terrific music to this day.
Great theme, superb opening footage, and of course this film has an impressive ensemble cast!
The time delay cracks me up. We see the helicopter coming in mid-morning, strafing the bay at about 7 p.m., then see the helicopter approaching the tower mid-morning! HAH!
This is til one of my very favorite opening title sequences of any movie I've ever seen -- right up there with the one for "Grand Prix,""The Blue Max" and "The Shining"...
I couldn't watch this movie after September 11th. It took me years before I could watch this wonderful movie again.
That's how you score a movie!!!!!
Bring back those 70,s disaster epic soundtracks. Swooping violins. Ah. Bliss!!!!
Great Movie.....Great Spfx.....Great Acting but unfortunately it was up against the GODFATHER II that year for Best Picture.....Say what you want about Irwin Allen, he KNEW how to make a f**king movie !
This captures perfectly that mighty build-for-the-sky and shoot-the-moon spirit that gripped America in the early 1970s. I miss that swagger... though the latest round of towers sure are getting tall again so perhaps we're getting back there.
***** That's not what this movie and similar disaster movies are about. This is about a cynically motivated American business ethic (or lack of ethic) which is purely about profit at the expense of 'base' considerations such as public worth or safety. Another example is The Poseidon Adventure.
pix046 Well that's where the movie's going, sure, but at the beginning it's all a celebration of mighty modern technology, isn't it?
pix046 Jaws too.
John Williams was responsible for the themes and scores for three of the four of Irwin Allen's sci-fi TV shows of the 60's. Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants. All well done.
I like how the closing shot from The Poseidon Adventure is the opening shot in The Towering Inferno.
I love that story (on another you-tube vid) about how somebody told Irwin Allen that in a real fire there would be so much smoke you couldn't see anything. Irwin took that person aside and explained to him--he knows that but if he did the movie that way then you couldn't see the faces of the actors.
Amazing song. Impressive! Love this theme.
i saw this movie a few years ago amazing cinematography effects and music
+Raymond Leggs If you are a fan of LB Abbott (SFX) dig his work on
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid!
The Number One Movie of 1974...IRWIN ALLEN'S THE TOWERING INFERNO
While I was going over this myself, in order to offer you a fit explanation, I myself had always wondered why Williams wanted such a big interval between the first two notes and the last two notes. It was the word "big" that finally tipped me off. "BIG" as in the Building itself! John Williams was (apparently) doing a musical "drawing" of the Glass Tower!
The first two notes are the "ground floor" and the last two notes are the 138th floor!
One of the greatest opening themes ever , who would give it a thumbs down ?
1tiercel They obviously identified with the Richard Chamberlain character !
+1tiercel What do building engineers know about music?
+mark griffiths Sorry but that would be the William Holden character-Richard was just a lackey....
Again , this is MY supposition about the theme and I've never seen this explanation on the web. Of course, that doesn't mean it's NOT true, but I'd like to think that it was my "discovery".
Thanks again for making me think!
This movie never had any opening logos for 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros, even on DVD/Blu-ray prints, only in-credit text-only mentions. However, the print logos for those two companies appear in gold at the end of the closing credits on a sky-blue background.
+Shane Spencer And thank God it didn't, because it would have slowed everything down.
+arnebarnard That's because it was the first-time collaboration between two major movie companies.
That´s John Williams... wow. I miss this kind of music on screen.
Thanks! I am looking for this.
Probably the best disaster movie ever made.
The music by John Williams is great. There are not too many movie title themes like this anymore.
John Williams is the best of the best. When he goes, it'll be big news. I'm sure TCM will do a marathon of films with his scores.
First of all , I have to thank you for asking this question, because it help me come to a conclusion about these particular piece of music and WHY John Williams wrote what he wrote. If not for you, I never would have figured out what I figured out and I believe no one else knows about this either.
ポール・ニューマン、スティーブ・マックィーン、ウィリアム・ホールデン 超豪華キャストですね!!(^^)v
Irwin Allen's Masterpiece and one of my favorate movies.
First things first. The four notes are A, B, A flat and B. Here's what you do.
Play A then B, just below middle C. Here's the trick: You go a full major 6th from B to A flat and then B, right after that A flat.
What's happening is that you going one note more than a full octave when you've played the last B note of the theme. This is the only way that John Williams could have done this, to make it sound the way it does. It also partially explains why you were having such a tough time with this
Irwin Allen's Epic Masterpiece!!! Spectacular Score By John Williams!!!
John Williams started out as Irwin Allen's composer for his TV shows, like "Lost In Space." He scored both of Irwin Allen's big disaster films, as well as "Earthquake," and various Spielberg films including "Jaws" (this put Williams on the map), "E.T.," "Close Encounters", "Jurassic Park," "Schindler's List," "Minority Report" and others.
@Toracube Amen to that! I mean I wasn't even born then (2010 I'm 33) but I love to watch all this classics, I wish some day they could like dedicate week ends to play all these wonderful movies again in theaters. For newer generations that appreciate all these movies will be terrific to watch them like that the way they were once upon a time when they were the summer big hit
Interesting that the Towering Inferno began where the Poseidon Adventure left off.
my top favourite disaster movie.
One of the best "beginning" music in a movie.
“For what it’s worth, Architect, this is ONE building that I figured wouldn’t burn.”
“Neither did I.”
When I saw this film as a kid I can remember thinking how awful that would be if it were to happen. Remembering the events of 9/11 it is horrific, This music at the time sounded triumphant. With the gift of hindsight............
The best of the disaster movies!
@MiloDC Beautifully said. I agree 100% I long for the days when a score would put the hair up on my neck in anticipation. Movies SUCK today. There are no more "Show men" anymore. Just this little tease intro got you going, anticipating.. wanting!! Then we could ease in to the story...
God i miss those days i really do!!!
Love the music, love the movie. CuffColl.
John Williams Composed and conducted the themes and scores to 3 of Irwin Allen's 60's sci-fi TV shows. Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants. Irwin Allen had him ready to score The Swarm, but he chose Jerry Goldsmith instead when JW backed out to score one of Steven Spielberg's films.
@DrGlitterhouse Michael Giaccino makes incredible scores (Medal of Honor, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up). Apperantly Pixar wanted the same guy who scored James Bond to score The Incredibles, but gave Giaccino the job when the former declined to score an animated film. Giaccino's score wound up winning an Oscar.
If this does not put the hair up on your neck that something....INCREDIBLE.. is in store you don't know what the movies are and don't know what a good score is. I LONG for these days at the cinema again. Truly the last of the Golden Age at the movies. The 70's!!
Brilliant!! Score.
Nice catch. It's the same composer.
They just don't make them like that any more . My love of the cinema and cinema theme music started with this ...... airport 77.... close encounters . Your heart is in your mouth from the onset !
one of the great adapters of the classics for film music. "Can You Read My Mind" (Superman) Strauss's Death and Transf,Star Wars theme many from Korngold symps,My favorite lift is Harry Potter main title, my all time fav composer Samuel BarberLOLPeace
brett
本当にジョン・ギラーマンって空撮が好きですよねー。
GREAT MOvie
Wow......that's actually pretty cool, and we as a society in general possibly got one hell of a firefigher because of it. Congrats!
Have you ever had to fight a fire in a tall building like that? Just Curious.
Went to work in CIS building in Manchester about 26 floors. Thought it was the biggest thrill (1976) Was terrified after this film. Little did we know.....
@DrGlitterhouse I heard somewhere that Giaccino's score won good awards. Sorry if it wasn't the Oscar... but it was well deserving of one!
Always like this opening sequence for this movie (and the John William music) ... sweeping vista of northern California, Golden Gate and then San Francisco (and the Glass Tower).
Poseidon Adventure and this movie in 1970s were Irwin Allen's best productions.
What other movie can you get Steve McQueen and Paul Newman as co-billing leads?
大泉さんの話から来ました
a classic!
@Spindriftful when john williams raises that stick everyone is to pay attention. the maestro is serious. my all time favorite soundtrack is SUPERMAN - THE MOVIE. ****
Was a great movie and music was awesome. Does anyone know the actual building landed on in opening?
Paul Newman: the Dream Has ended! is a great new bio and it's for sale at amazon!
It sounds like the RSPO version is playing in over top of the original orchestration. After reading this note, I didn't think I had heard the RSPO's interpretation like this. Now I know why, because there's discord in the two pieces.
A stirring introduction to probably the best disaster film of the 1970s.
@MiloDC I couldn't explain it, but I can give you an exemple.
The reviewd version of Williams Violin Concerto (1998). Williams deleted some parts of the concerto wich was superficial (in my opinion), he improved the orchestration...
This is just my opinion, but John Williams made some of his best works recently (Schindler's List, The Five Sacred Trees, Sabrina, Star Wars, Cello Concerto).
But I also love his old works like Close Encounters of the Third Kink, The Essay for Strings.
I would love seeing the full movie for free, like when it was on regular TV. Although I love this movie, not paying $14.00 to see it.
Ennio Morricone is the best ever.
But John Williams is right up there.
i see this movie in the year 1979..
I prefer the Poseidon Adventure theme, because it is darker. I love the very start of this (ominous), but I never felt that the tone was that appropriate. I would have preferred a more slow-burning, grave tone. No criticism of Williams intended. I think producer Allen determined Williams approach. Excellent music, but too upbeat (only my opinion).
They finished the shooting on 11. September 1974... true? Take the cross sum of 1974 and put as Symbol 00 between 21... 09/11/2001 weird stuff!
If you view that from a perspective view..Its Steve Mcqueen comes first, Pual newman was just in a background w/ due respect...
@MGR1900: Maybe because it's just one of those songs that's just too complex to pick up by ear? This is a very lush, highly complex composition with several things going on at once. I can't imagine someone being able to pick it up by ear without listening to it extensively.
@Toracube , agreed. There hasn't been a memorable movie score since Titanic.
Big difference between a lumbering liner and a fast-moving helicopter.
0:18 Paul Newman's name was first from the top, and Steve McQueen's name was first from the left
Steve McQueen didn't like himself being the second name after Paul Newman so he was satisfied with this sollution.
In my eyes, it's Steve McQueen's name first.
@easyscore lovely comment.
@DrGlitterhouse , the only movie you mentioned that I have seen is Casino Royale because I am a Bond fan. But then again, David Arnold's score is 3/4 noise and 1/4 actual coherent themes. How about the theory that movie scores nowadays SUCK big time?
@PungiFungi His works are more refined now. Although he used old theme in ROTS, he created a lot of new leitmotivs. Battle of the Heroes is as powerful (if not more) as the Imperial March.
And now, his works are bolder (the last Indiana Jones), and less inspired by others composers.
And I think I prefer him composing concertante works (Schindler's list, Memoirs, Seven years in TIbet) rather than symphonic works.
映画館で観たいな。
Despite its' occasional corniness, The Towering Inferno is even more timely today. They don't make movies that good anymore. :(
Hello.
In 10. - you can write "The Cowboys" soundtrack, by John Williams.
It``s a great movie with John Wayne.
Regards.
@GGbreizh , how do you define "mature"? His score for Memoirs of a Geisha and even Revenge of the Sith (most of which he built from his past iconic themes from past Star Wars movies) are not on the same level as his past themes such as Jaws, and the first two original Star Wars movies, and even the Poseidon Adventure. Movie themes hit their highs in the 1970s. It has been downhill ever since and is certainly at their nadir now.
They didn't even show the building at the end of the helicopter sequence.
I'd like to see a remake. The building won't look like a plastic model.
eek... some intonation issues... but I LOVE this piece... Love it love it. I love this whole score. Its a shame that gems such as these were so poorly taken care of
災害映画音楽専門みたいな時期のジョン・ウイリアムズの代表作ですね。
The Juice~!
the movie had been released the year Wtc had been finished
Sounds like the magnificent seven score @ 2:25
Are you referring to the 4 note "rescue motif" that starts the movie off?