Earthquake (movie)
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Earthquake is the title of a blockbuster 1974 film that was among several successful so-called disaster movies of the 1970s that places an all-star cast in life and death situations. The basic plot concerns the reactions and stuggles for survival after a catastophic earthquake registering 9.9 on the Richter Scale hits the city of Los Angeles, California.
Full of large-scale destruction and violence, "Earthquake" was one of the most successful films of 1974, grossing over $80,000,000.
Directed by Mark Robson and with a screenplay by George Fox and Mario Puzo, it stars Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, Lorne Greene, George Kennedy, Genevieve Bujold, Richard Roundtree, Marjoe Gortner, Barry Sullivan, Lloyd Nolan, Victoria Principal and Walter Matthau (credited as "Walter Matuschanskayasky".)
Awards
Earthquake won an Academy Award for Best Sound, as well as a Special Achievement Award for visual effects. The film introduced a widely publicised gimmick called "Sensurround." The marketing of the film made full use of this gimmick, and provided a novelty factor to help entice people into the cinemas. It was used again for the films Midway (1976), Rollercoaster (1977) and Battlestar Galactica but had limited use and was dispensed with after this.
External Links
- "Earthquake" Movie Fan Site (http://members.aol.com/earthquakemovie/)