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Earthquake
When the big one finally hits L.A.
( Action / Drama / Thriller )


Earthquake Poster

MPAA Rating:
PG

US Runtime: 123 min

Country of Origin: United States of America

Premiere Date:
Nov 15, 1974   [USA]
 
Director: Mark Robson   [Director]
 
Writers: George Fox   [Writer]
Mario Puzo   [Writer]
 
Producers: Bernard Donnenfeld   [Producer]
Jennings Lang   [Executive Producer]
Mark Robson   [Producer]
 
Cinematography: Philip H. Lathrop   [Director of Photography]
 
Edited by: Dorothy Spencer   [Editor]
 
Music Composed by John Williams   [Original Music Composer]
 
Production Design: Alexander Golitzen   [Production Design]
 
Costume Design: Burton Miller   [Costume Design]
 
Casting by William Batliner   [Casting]
Robert J. LaSanka   [Casting]
 
Production Companys: The Filmakers Group
Universal Pictures   (US)
 


Plot Summary:

    Various interconnected people struggle to survive when an earthquake of unimaginable magnitude hits Los Angeles, California.

Cast: (First 20, for the rest click 'Show All Cast & Crew' below.)

Charlton Heston
Stewart Graff
Ava Gardner
Remy Royce-Graff
George Kennedy
Sgt. Lew Slade
Lorne Greene
Sam Royce
Geneviève Bujold
Denise Marshall
Richard Roundtree
Miles Quade
Marjoe Gortner
Jody
Barry Sullivan
Dr. Willis Stockle
Lloyd Nolan
Dr. James Vance
Victoria Principal
Rosa Amici
 
Walter Matthau
Drunk
Monica Lewis
Barbara
Gabriel Dell
Sal
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
Chavez
Lloyd Gough
Bill Cameron
John Randolph
Los Angeles Mayor
Kip Niven
Walter Russell
Scott Hylands
Asst. Caretaker
Tiger Williams
Corry
Donald Moffat
Dr. Harvey Johnson
 
 

Show All Cast & Crew

Filming Locations: (Now With Clickable Links To Location On Google Maps)

 

Tech Info:

Budget:
$7,000,000
Revenue:
$79,666,653
Color Info:
Color (Technicolor)
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo / 70 mm 6-Track / Mono / Sensurround
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Cinematographic Process:
Panavision
Film Negative Format:
35 mm
Printed Film Format:
35 mm
70 mm
Shooting Dates:
Feb 1974 - Aug 1974
Production Dates:
Nov 1973 - Oct 1974

Quotes:

  • Mayor Lewis: The governor and I aren't even in the same party. If this turns out to be a false alarm, he'll make me out to be the biggest fool west of the Mississippi.
    Dr. Stockle: Second biggest. I'll top the list.
     

Trivia:

  • Ava Gardner surprised director Mark Robson by insisting that she do her own stuntwork, including dodging blocks of concrete and heavy steel pipes.
     
  • Some of the scenes of panicking extras in the movie theater is footage from Torn Curtain.
     
  • The reservoir dam that breaks in the film was based on the real-life St. Francis dam disaster in 1928, near Mulholland Falls.
     
  • Walter Matthau asked to play the drunk in the bar after seeing the scene description "A drunk sits at the end of the bar" in the shooting script. Despite the director's objections, and the fact that the character originally had no lines, he insisted that he play the part. Matthau got his way, and his performance provided much needed comedy relief.
     
  • Before stereo TV sound was commonplace, NBC aired "Earthquake" with the soundtrack simulcast on local FM radio stations so that viewers could recreate "SenSurround" at home.
     

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