Irwin Allen, the clever mind behind several successful TV programs like “Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea” (1964), “Lost In Space” (1965), “Time Tunnel” (1966) and many more, wanted to elevate his lust for adventure to the big screen. In 1972 his immensely laborious production of “The Poseidon Adventure”, an exciting story about the few remaining survivors of a capsized ocean liner, trying to find their way out of the iron coffin, became the smash-hit of the year. Although it features an all-star cast, among them Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Shelly Winters, Leslie Nielsen and more, it doesn’t make a big deal killing them off, one by one. After its success, Irwin Allen would continue with other disastrous pictures, such as “The Swarm” (1972) or “Towering Inferno” (1974), ultimately making him the “master of disaster“. As the horrifying plot is set on New Year’s Eve, it became somewhat of a tradition to be shown on TV during that time of the year (a fun for the entire family!). Though many composers were considered to score this disaster-spectacular (among them Jerry Goldsmith, Dominic Frontiere, Laurence Rosenthal and Jerry Fielding, Williams was the first choice from the beginning, having scored multiple episodes of the shows mentioned earlier and having written most of their memorable main titles. The composer, who elevated himself from TV shows to movies, earned recent success with productions like “The Reivers” (1969), “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” (1969) and “Fiddler On The Roof” (1971). For “Poseidon” he would compose an atmospheric and dark score, with powerful and menacing main / end titles, featuring an eerie string motif. In 2019 La-La Land Records presented a box set called “John Williams - The Disaster Movie Soundtrack Collection”, featuring his three contributions for the Irwin Allen movies “Poseidon”, “Towering Inferno” and “Earthquake” (1974), expanded and splendidly remastered, making this box disastrous enjoyable. Happy New Year to everybody!
I watched this film 8 times at the cinema, then several times on video, DVD and then on television. A classic Irwin Allen disaster movie, with a strong cast of Oscar winning actors.
Absolute, total genius!!! He is absolutely untouchable for many years to come! There’s no any similar orchestral sound, harmony, tonal scales, leitmotifs and orchestration in the pity world around us! Full respect!
This film fascinated me as a nine year old in 1972. It was only later when I saw it again that I was aware of how well the music supported the movie and the characters. Williams is a national treasure.
John Williams was already fantastic in the early 1970s, before he went full symphonic in Star Wars. One can hear still the influences of Henry Mancini and the great jazz ballad arrangers such as Nelson Riddle. John Williams always added a lot of scope and depth. The opening title cue alone is insanely gorgeous. The French horns (surrounded by intense string section texture) spell it out for you: 1) the human made vessel has no chance against mighty nature 2) there will be immense human drama ahead. And that bell striking four times: that's of course the ship's bell and the death bell for those who will perish.
Every New Year's Eve I try to watch this movie, but the three final deaths in it is so unbearable I have to skip past them. It wasn't until after Star Wars that I began to recognize John Williams' career up to that point, and he's still going! What a genius. Thanks for posting.
Maestro John Williams has been the greatest film composer for the last three decades. Period. This early work shows his superb craftmanship. The 'Love Is a Many Splendored Thing' arrangement for winds is a delight. Excellent sound quality upload, the best available on the net. Kudos to Fred!!
I saw the movie in the theater as a kid and the music really stuck with me. It's still one of my favorite Williams scores. The themes were just so perfect, one I call the climbing theme, like winding your way upwards. Such an amazing piece that says so much more than what we're seeing on the screen.
A friend of mine once told me that when she saw the movie with her friends back in the '70s, they hid under their theater seats after the movie was over so they could watch it again later, and they didn't get caught. Pretty sneaky yet cool.
John Williams , simply put is a master, a genius , a composer unlike any other the depth of his talent unimaginable but my favorite all time ( this is hard to do) is “Schindler’s List” Indiana Jones , Star Wars , Harry Potter , E T , god so , so many others the most celebrated composer of our time , John Williams a true wonder, genius, a truly American Treasure.
The original master take, especially from the sound stage is always the best / 2" reel to reel board mastering back then back in the day / really carried over well!
Seguro que John Willians, debe estar en top ten de los mas grandes compositores, de musica para el cine.... y ufff que hay muchos, saludos amigo y maravilloso 2022
I love the Irwin Allen disaster movies so much. The Poseidon Adventure scared the #%$^ out of me as a kid, but I still loved the movie. About a year ago LaLaLand released a set of three out of print soundtracks for this movie, The Towering Inferno and Earthquake. I snapped that right up and am so happy to have it. But thanks for releasing this! Even though Williams doesn't like his early work, its still wonderful music for a great film. Have a happy new year!
I love how Williams used some "oldie" happy tunes as they makes us believe that "everything will be all right". Love is a many splendored thing is one. At the end..those who are save shows in their faces the trauma and pain. The music is just perfect in those moments. Tension..yes..but also hope. A wonderful score. Ps. "Give me the simple life" is another oldie used before the ship collapsed.
Molto bravo per questa nuova versione Fred.✌🏼 Scelta non casuale. Da una parte per l'ambientazione della notte di Capodanno e dall'altra per i 50 anni del film! Uno dei capisaldi del genere catastrofico. Un inferno sottosopra!🙃 Buon anno a tutti!🤞🏼😊🎉🍾🥂🎤🎆🌈🍀🫂
Soundtrack to a Hollywood snuff film. It is a nice soundtrack, though. I saw this one on TV as a kid but I saw "The Towering Inferno" in the theater. I believe I was a bit too young for them! Great suite, as always. Thanks Fred.
Saw this numerous times at the theater as a kid Gene Hackman was the coolest thanks for posting this epic score , I think my favorite for that era is still Ice Station Zebra 1968, I think maybe you already posted that one thanks again and Happy New Years everyone!
I have the CD . I found a interesting because it has some " not used " music. The one in particular was the Main Theme that wasn't used. It almost sounds like the Jaws theme that was made famous a few years later.
If you speed up the main theme a little, you end up with Kyro Ren theme, and some of E.T. in the end credits. Also, some early Jaws water music with the harp. And maybe a touch of the theme that was played when Han Solo fell off the bridge after dying.
In much of his music from the early and mid-70s one can hear many proto-types of what would become by the time of Star Wars and CE3k the full-on John Williams sound that would carry him into the early 2000s. It's easy to see why JW would rather be remembered for his later, more mature scores. After listening to this, I wanted to cry out, "Great job! Keep working on it." Not that it wasn't perfectly fine for the movie, but it is not yet great music. (And when JW finally had the opportunity to move on from Irwin Allen's corny flicks he did so, and burned the bridges as he left!)
I remember seeing this at the theater when I was a kid. Don't remember if it was '73 or '74. The scene I always remember is one of the party goers who falls through the skylight and at the film's end the survivors standing next to the rudder and propeller shaft.
Hello DLI, the song couldn't be featured due to copyright reasons. Although it is no composition by Williams, it is a major element of the movie, of course, which I wished to be featured here. Sorry for that but hopefully you can enjoy the video nevertheless. Fred
Hello Franklin, in fact I am located in Germany but recognized the movie to be shown here the day I uploaded the video (as it is a French/German TV station). Pure coincidence! Later I enjoyed it with my niece. Best to you! Fred
I also saw this amazing movie as a kid at the theater in '72 and later at the drive-in. Williams main score really conveys the sheer terror of the high seas & the USS Poseidon. The remakes don't interest me.
.....The music - especially the main theme - has stuck with me since I saw this at the old Midway Cinema in Elyria, OH. The movie is still a LOT of fun, dimmed only by the memories of my dad (who worked in a shipyard) and his running and slightly obscene commentary on everything wrong with the movie. ;)
I've never enjoyed a movie score more than The Poseidon Adventure. It's brilliant!
One of the greatest disaster films of all time! The music, the suspense the acting and the special effects are amazing for 1972, absolutely !!!!!
Irwin Allen, the clever mind behind several successful TV programs like “Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea” (1964), “Lost In Space” (1965), “Time Tunnel” (1966) and many more, wanted to elevate his lust for adventure to the big screen. In 1972 his immensely laborious production of “The Poseidon Adventure”, an exciting story about the few remaining survivors of a capsized ocean liner, trying to find their way out of the iron coffin, became the smash-hit of the year. Although it features an all-star cast, among them Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Shelly Winters, Leslie Nielsen and more, it doesn’t make a big deal killing them off, one by one. After its success, Irwin Allen would continue with other disastrous pictures, such as “The Swarm” (1972) or “Towering Inferno” (1974), ultimately making him the “master of disaster“. As the horrifying plot is set on New Year’s Eve, it became somewhat of a tradition to be shown on TV during that time of the year (a fun for the entire family!).
Though many composers were considered to score this disaster-spectacular (among them Jerry Goldsmith, Dominic Frontiere, Laurence Rosenthal and Jerry Fielding, Williams was the first choice from the beginning, having scored multiple episodes of the shows mentioned earlier and having written most of their memorable main titles. The composer, who elevated himself from TV shows to movies, earned recent success with productions like “The Reivers” (1969), “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” (1969) and “Fiddler On The Roof” (1971). For “Poseidon” he would compose an atmospheric and dark score, with powerful and menacing main / end titles, featuring an eerie string motif. In 2019 La-La Land Records presented a box set called “John Williams - The Disaster Movie Soundtrack Collection”, featuring his three contributions for the Irwin Allen movies “Poseidon”, “Towering Inferno” and “Earthquake” (1974), expanded and splendidly remastered, making this box disastrous enjoyable. Happy New Year to everybody!
Love how he seems to incorporate the forward motion of the ship in the opening titles.
Bet you got that box set!
I watched this film 8 times at the cinema, then several times on video, DVD and then on television. A classic Irwin Allen disaster movie, with a strong cast of Oscar winning actors.
Great and Amazing soundtrack
Absolute, total genius!!! He is absolutely untouchable for many years to come! There’s no any similar orchestral sound, harmony, tonal scales, leitmotifs and orchestration in the pity world around us! Full respect!
This film fascinated me as a nine year old in 1972. It was only later when I saw it again that I was aware of how well the music supported the movie and the characters. Williams is a national treasure.
Global. Universal (not the studio).
John Williams was already fantastic in the early 1970s, before he went full symphonic in Star Wars. One can hear still the influences of Henry Mancini and the great jazz ballad arrangers such as Nelson Riddle. John Williams always added a lot of scope and depth. The opening title cue alone is insanely gorgeous. The French horns (surrounded by intense string section texture) spell it out for you: 1) the human made vessel has no chance against mighty nature 2) there will be immense human drama ahead. And that bell striking four times: that's of course the ship's bell and the death bell for those who will perish.
Another unforgettable theme from the genius Williams
Every New Year's Eve I try to watch this movie, but the three final deaths in it is so unbearable I have to skip past them. It wasn't until after Star Wars that I began to recognize John Williams' career up to that point, and he's still going! What a genius. Thanks for posting.
The Rescue and End Title...just wonderful ❤
Maestro John Williams has been the greatest film composer for the last three decades. Period. This early work shows his superb craftmanship. The 'Love Is a Many Splendored Thing' arrangement for winds is a delight. Excellent sound quality upload, the best available on the net. Kudos to Fred!!
I saw the movie in the theater as a kid and the music really stuck with me. It's still one of my favorite Williams scores. The themes were just so perfect, one I call the climbing theme, like winding your way upwards. Such an amazing piece that says so much more than what we're seeing on the screen.
A friend of mine once told me that when she saw the movie with her friends back in the '70s, they hid under their theater seats after the movie was over so they could watch it again later, and they didn't get caught. Pretty sneaky yet cool.
John Williams , simply put is a master, a genius , a composer unlike any other the depth of his talent unimaginable but my favorite all time ( this is hard to do) is “Schindler’s List” Indiana Jones , Star Wars , Harry Potter , E T , god so , so many others the most celebrated composer of our time , John Williams a true wonder, genius, a truly American Treasure.
The original master take, especially from the sound stage is always the best / 2" reel to reel board mastering back then back in the day / really carried over well!
Another beautiful score, After the ten conmandments ! Many thanks ,Fred and Happy new year to you and to your family.
Thank you very much Claudio, same blessed wishes go for you, of course. See you next year!
Fred, thank you so much from France , for this great soundtrack !. Best whishes and happy new year to everybody.
Seguro que John Willians, debe estar en top ten de los mas grandes compositores, de musica para el cine.... y ufff que hay muchos, saludos amigo y maravilloso 2022
This is a great film, Happy New year Fred, all the best.
It's thanks to this film that I get jittery every New Year's Eve. Happy New Year.
I love the Irwin Allen disaster movies so much. The Poseidon Adventure scared the #%$^ out of me as a kid, but I still loved the movie. About a year ago LaLaLand released a set of three out of print soundtracks for this movie, The Towering Inferno and Earthquake. I snapped that right up and am so happy to have it. But thanks for releasing this! Even though Williams doesn't like his early work, its still wonderful music for a great film.
Have a happy new year!
Genius, Williams
I love how Williams used some "oldie" happy tunes as they makes us believe that "everything will be all right". Love is a many splendored thing is one. At the end..those who are save shows in their faces the trauma and pain. The music is just perfect in those moments. Tension..yes..but also hope. A wonderful score. Ps. "Give me the simple life" is another oldie used before the ship collapsed.
Molto bravo per questa nuova versione Fred.✌🏼
Scelta non casuale. Da una parte per l'ambientazione della notte di Capodanno e dall'altra per i 50 anni del film!
Uno dei capisaldi del genere catastrofico. Un inferno sottosopra!🙃
Buon anno a tutti!🤞🏼😊🎉🍾🥂🎤🎆🌈🍀🫂
Thank you,very nice!
Soundtrack to a Hollywood snuff film. It is a nice soundtrack, though. I saw this one on TV as a kid but I saw "The Towering Inferno" in the theater. I believe I was a bit too young for them! Great suite, as always. Thanks Fred.
Hollywood snuff? How many migrants drown daily?
Saw this numerous times at the theater as a kid Gene Hackman was the coolest thanks for posting this epic score , I think my favorite for that era is still Ice Station Zebra 1968, I think maybe you already posted that one thanks again and Happy New Years everyone!
Hackman did this, French Connection, The Conversation & Young Frankenstein all around tge same time.
Greatest film ever made
Greatest film ever made upside down.
saw this in summer of 73, at drive-inn, 6 years old
I have the CD . I found a interesting because it has some " not used " music. The one in particular was the Main Theme that wasn't used. It almost sounds like the Jaws theme that was made famous a few years later.
Espectacular la melodia...Saludos y feliz navidad desde puerto rico...
50 years ago wow one of the great and cheesy disaster films of the 70's my fave
If you speed up the main theme a little, you end up with Kyro Ren theme, and some of E.T. in the end credits. Also, some early Jaws water music with the harp. And maybe a touch of the theme that was played when Han Solo fell off the bridge after dying.
In much of his music from the early and mid-70s one can hear many proto-types of what would become by the time of Star Wars and CE3k the full-on John Williams sound that would carry him into the early 2000s. It's easy to see why JW would rather be remembered for his later, more mature scores. After listening to this, I wanted to cry out, "Great job! Keep working on it." Not that it wasn't perfectly fine for the movie, but it is not yet great music. (And when JW finally had the opportunity to move on from Irwin Allen's corny flicks he did so, and burned the bridges as he left!)
I WAS 11 WHEN I FIRST HEARD THIS SOUNDTRACK WHEN I LISTEN TO THIS MUSIC IM 11
I remember seeing this at the theater when I was a kid. Don't remember if it was '73 or '74. The scene I always remember is one of the party goers who falls through the skylight and at the film's end the survivors standing next to the rudder and propeller shaft.
They dont make em like this anymore master of disaster movies to scare the hell out of you
Where is "The Morning After" by Maureen McGovern?
Hello DLI, the song couldn't be featured due to copyright reasons. Although it is no composition by Williams, it is a major element of the movie, of course, which I wished to be featured here. Sorry for that but hopefully you can enjoy the video nevertheless.
Fred
WHEN THE SON OF MAN RETURNS
Hey Fred where are you from actually because its a coincidence that on arte here the picture was just on TV and that you posted its score.
Hello Franklin,
in fact I am located in Germany but recognized the movie to be shown here the day I uploaded the video (as it is a French/German TV station). Pure coincidence! Later I enjoyed it with my niece.
Best to you!
Fred
Interview with the vampire please
I also saw this amazing movie as a kid at the theater in '72 and later at the drive-in. Williams main score really conveys the sheer terror of the high seas & the USS Poseidon. The remakes don't interest me.
.....The music - especially the main theme - has stuck with me since I saw this at the old Midway Cinema in Elyria, OH. The movie is still a LOT of fun, dimmed only by the memories of my dad (who worked in a shipyard) and his running and slightly obscene commentary on everything wrong with the movie. ;)