THE TOWERING INFERNO (1974)

The disaster film reached new heights with this 1974 mega-hit. The saga of a 138-story San Francisco building that catches fire the night of its grand opening required two directors, four camera crews, two top box-office stars (Paul Newman and Steve McQueen) and two major studios. It also required the construction of 57 studio sets (a record at the time), and a massive rooftop promenade deck costing $300,000. The ½” scale model used in some shots stood as tall as a five-story building. Made on a then-impressive $14 million budget, the film from “master of disaster” producer Irwin Allen was a gamble that paid off, raking in huge returns at the box office, nabbing eight Oscar nominations including Best Picture, and winning for Best Cinematography, Editing and Song. Oscar-winners Craig Barron and Ben Burtt will present this thrilling blockbuster.

d. John Guillerman, 165m, DCP

DCP courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.