A disaster film or disaster movie is a

film genre A film genre is a Genre, stylistic or thematic category for Film, motion pictures based on similarities either in the narrative , narrative elements, aesthetic approach, or the emotional response to the film. Drawing heavily from the theories ...

that has an impending or ongoing

disaster A disaster is an event that causes serious harm to people, buildings, economies, or the environment, and the affected community cannot handle it alone. '' Natural disasters'' like avalanches, floods, earthquakes, and wildfires are caused by na ...

as its subject and primary plot device. Such disasters may include

natural disaster A natural disaster is the very harmful impact on a society or community brought by natural phenomenon or Hazard#Natural hazard, hazard. Some examples of natural hazards include avalanches, droughts, earthquakes, floods, heat waves, landslides ...

accident An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not deliberately caused by humans. The term ''accident'' implies that the event may have been caused by Risk assessment, unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Many researchers, insurers ...

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

/ terrorist attacks or global catastrophes such as a

pandemic A pandemic ( ) is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has a sudden increase in cases and spreads across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. Widespread endemic (epi ...

. A subgenre of action films, these films usually feature some degree of build-up, the disaster itself, and sometimes the aftermath, usually from the point of view of specific individual characters or their families or portraying the survival tactics of different people. These films often feature large casts of actors and multiple plot lines, focusing on the characters' attempts to avert, escape or cope with the disaster and its aftermath. The genre came to particular prominence during the 1970s with the release of high-profile films such as ''

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

'' (1970), followed in quick succession by '' The Poseidon Adventure'' (1972), ''

Earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

'' (1974) and '' The Towering Inferno'' (1974). The casts are generally made up of familiar character actors. Once the disaster begins in the film, the characters are usually confronted with human weaknesses, perhaps falling in love or finding a villain to blame. The films usually feature a persevering hero or heroine (

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...

, Steve McQueen, etc.) called upon to lead the struggle against the threat; in many cases, the "evil" or "selfish" individuals are the first to succumb to the disaster. The genre experienced a renewal in the 1990s boosted by

computer-generated imagery Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is a specific-technology or application of computer graphics for creating or improving images in Digital art, art, Publishing, printed media, Training simulation, simulators, videos and video games. These images ...

and larger studio budgets which allowed for greater spectacle, culminating in the cinematic phenomenon that was

James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker, who resides in New Zealand. He is a major figure in the post-New Hollywood era and often uses novel technologies with a Classical Hollywood cinema, classical filmmaking styl ...

's '' Titanic'' in 1997.

Origins

Disaster films were made before the phrase was coined in the early 1970s. The genre is almost as old as the film medium itself. One of the earliest was '' Fire!'' (1901) made by James Williamson of England. The

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

portrayed a burning house and the firemen who arrive to quench the flames and rescue the inhabitants. Origins of the genre can also be found in '' In Nacht und Eis'' (1912), about the sinking of the '' Titanic''; ''Atlantis'' (1913), also about the ''Titanic''; the Danish '' The End of the World'' (1916), (about a

comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that warms and begins to release gases when passing close to the Sun, a process called outgassing. This produces an extended, gravitationally unbound atmosphere or Coma (cometary), coma surrounding ...

); '' Noah's Ark'' (1928), the Biblical story from Genesis about the great flood; ''

Deluge A deluge is a large downpour of rain, often a flood. The Deluge refers to the flood narrative in the biblical book of Genesis. Deluge or Le Déluge may also refer to: History *Deluge (history), the Swedish and Russian invasion of the Polish-L ...

'' (1933), about tidal waves devastating

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

; '' King Kong'' (1933), with a gigantic

gorilla Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five su ...

rampaging through New York City; and '' The Last Days of Pompeii'' (1935), dealing with the

Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ) is a Somma volcano, somma–stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes forming the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuv ...

volcanic eruption in 79 AD.

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

's '' The Hurricane'' (1937) concluded with the striking sequence of a

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

ripping through a fictional South Pacific island. The drama ''

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

'' (1936) depicted the historic

1906 San Francisco earthquake At 05:12 AM Pacific Time Zone, Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, the coast of Northern California was struck by a major earthquake with an estimated Moment magnitude scale, moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli inte ...

, while '' In Old Chicago'' (1937) recreated The Great Chicago Fire which burned through the city in 1871. Carol Reed's 1939 film, '' The Stars Look Down'', examines a catastrophe at a

coal mine Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

in North-East England. Inspired by the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and the beginning of the Atomic Age,

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

films of the 1950s, including '' When Worlds Collide'' (1951), '' The War of the Worlds'' (1953) and '' Godzilla, King of the Monsters!'' (1956), routinely used world disasters as plot elements. This trend would continue with '' The Deadly Mantis'' (1957), ''

The Day the Earth Caught Fire ''The Day the Earth Caught Fire'' is a 1961 British science-fiction disaster film directed by Val Guest and starring Edward Judd, Leo McKern, and Janet Munro. It is one of the classic apocalyptic films of its era. The film opened at the Odeon Ma ...

'' (1961) and '' Crack in the World'' (1965). Volcanic disasters would also feature in films such as '' The Devil at 4 O'Clock'' (1961) starring Spencer Tracy and

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

, and the 1969 epic '' Krakatoa, East of Java'' starring

Maximilian Schell Maximilian Schell (8 December 1930 – 1 February 2014) was a Swiss actor. Born in First Austrian Republic, Austria, his parents were involved in the arts and he grew up surrounded by performance and literature. While he was still a child, his fa ...

. As in the silent film era, the sinking of the '' Titanic'' would continue to be a popular disaster with filmmakers and audiences alike.

Werner Klingler Karl Adolf Kurt Werner Klingler (23 October 1903 – 23 June 1972) was a German film director and actor. He directed 29 films between 1936 and 1968. He was born in Stuttgart and died in West Berlin, West Germany. Early life Klingler acquire ...

and Herbert Selpin released the

epic film Epic films have large scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle. The term is slightly ambiguous, sometimes designating a film genre and at other times simply big-budget films. Like epics in the classical literary sense, it is often focused on a her ...

'' Titanic'' in 1943. The film was soon banned in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and its director, Selpin, was allegedly executed. The film was a staple for all Titanic films, and scenes became stock footage for the British version. Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck starred in the 1953

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

production '' Titanic'', followed by the highly regarded

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

film '' A Night to Remember'' in 1958. The British action-adventure film '' The Last Voyage'' (1960), while not about the Titanic disaster but a predecessor to '' The Poseidon Adventure'', starred

Robert Stack Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American actor and television host. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in the America ...

as a man desperately attempting to save his wife ( Dorothy Malone) and child trapped in a sinking

ocean liner An ocean liner is a type of passenger ship primarily used for transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). The ...

. The film, concluding with the dramatic sinking of the ship, was nominated for an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

for Best Visual Effects. Additional precursors to the popular disaster films of the 1970s include '' The High and the Mighty'' (1954), starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

and Robert Stack as pilots of a crippled airplane attempting to cross the ocean; '' Zero Hour!'' (1957), written by Arthur Hailey (who also penned the 1968 novel ''

'') about an airplane crew that succumbs to food poisoning; '' Jet Storm'' and '' Jet Over the Atlantic'', two 1959 films both featuring attempts to blow up an airplane in mid-flight; '' The Crowded Sky'' (1960) which depicts a mid-air collision; and '' The Doomsday Flight'' (1966), written by

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his Anthology series, anthology television series ''The Twilight Zone (1 ...

and starring Edmond O'Brien as a disgruntled aerospace engineer who plants a barometric pressure bomb on an airliner built by his former employer set to explode when the airliner descends for landing.

1970s peak

The golden age of the disaster film began in 1970 with the release of ''

''. A huge financial success, earning more than $100 million ($713 million in 2022-adjusted dollars) at the box office, the film was directed by

George Seaton George Seaton (April 17, 1911 – July 28, 1979) was an American screenwriter, playwright, film director and producer, and theater director. Seaton led several industry organizations, serving as a three-time president of the Motion Picture Aca ...

and starred

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor. Initially known for playing tough characters with tender hearts, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-year caree ...

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...

, George Kennedy,

Jacqueline Bisset Winifred Jacqueline Fraser Bisset ( ; born 13 September 1944) is a British actress. She began her film career in 1965 and first came to prominence in 1968 with roles in ''The Detective (1968 film), The Detective'', ''Bullitt'', and ''The Sweet ...

and

Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur (; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress. Often referred to as the "First Lady of American Theatre", she was the second person and first woman to win EGOT, the EGOT (an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and ...

. While strictly not even a disaster—an airplane crippled by the explosion of a bomb—the film established the classic blueprint of the genre: a headline emergency story and multiple plotlines acted out by an all-star cast. ''Airport'' was nominated for 10

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

, including Best Picture, winning Best Supporting Actress for Hayes. The 1972 release of '' The Poseidon Adventure'' was another huge financial success, notching an impressive $84 million in US/Canada gross rental theatrical rentals ($592 Million in 2022-adjusted dollars); the disaster film officially became a movie-going craze. Directed by

Ronald Neame Ronald Neame CBE, BSC (23 April 1911 – 16 June 2010) was an English film producer, director, cinematographer, and screenwriter. Beginning his career as a cinematographer, for his work on the British war film '' One of Our Aircraft Is Missin ...

and starring Gene Hackman,

Ernest Borgnine Ernest Borgnine ( ; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perf ...

, Shelley Winters and

Red Buttons Red Buttons (born Aaron Chwatt; February 5, 1919 – July 13, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He won an Oscar and Golden Globe for '' Sayonara''. He was nominated for awards for his work such as ''Harlow'' (1965), '' They Shoot Ho ...

, the film detailed survivors' attempts at escaping a sinking ocean liner overturned by a giant wave triggered by an earthquake. ''The Poseidon Adventure'' was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Shelley Winters, and winning for Original Song and receiving a Special Achievement Award for visual effects. The trend reached its zenith in 1974 with the release of '' The Towering Inferno'', ''

,'' and '' Airport 1975'' (the first ''Airport'' sequel). The competing films enjoyed staggering success at the box office, with ''The Towering Inferno'' earning $116 million ($697 million in 2022-adjusted dollars), ''Earthquake'' earning $79 million ($475 million in 2022-adjusted dollars), and ''Airport 1975'' earning $47 million ($282 million in 2022-adjusted dollars) in theatrical rentals. Arguably the greatest of the 1970s disaster films, ''The Towering Inferno'' was a joint venture of

and Warner Bros. and was produced by

Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen; June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genr ...

(eventually known as "The Master of Disaster", as he had previously helmed ''The Poseidon Adventure'' and later produced '' The Swarm'', '' Beyond the Poseidon Adventure'' and '' When Time Ran Out...''). Directed by

John Guillermin Yvon Jean Guillermin (11 November 192527 September 2015), known as John Guillermin, was an English film director, writer and producer. Working both in the United Kingdom and the United States, he was most active in big-budget, action-adventure f ...

and starring

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

, Steve McQueen, William Holden and

Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Faye Dunaway, many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, ...

, the film depicts a huge fire engulfing the tallest building in the world and firefighters' attempts at rescuing occupants trapped on the top floor. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, winning for Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing and Best Original Song. ''Earthquake'' was also honored with four Academy Award nominations for its impressive special effects of a massive earthquake leveling the city of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, winning for Best Sound and receiving a Special Achievement Award for visual effects. The film was directed by Mark Robson and starred

Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' att ...

, Geneviève Bujold, George Kennedy and Lorne Greene. It was noted as the first film to utilize Sensurround, where massive subwoofer speakers were installed in theaters to recreate the vibrating sensation of an earthquake. Several made-for-TV movies also capitalized on the craze, including '' Heatwave!'' (1974), ''The Day the Earth Moved'' (1974), ''

Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...

'' (1974), '' Flood!'' (1976) and '' Fire!'' (1977). The trend continued on a larger scale with '' The Hindenburg'' (1975), starring George C. Scott; '' The Cassandra Crossing'' (1976), starring

; ''

Two-Minute Warning The two-minute warning is a suspension of play in an American football game that occurs when two minutes remain on the game clock in each half of a game, i.e., near the end of the second and fourth quarters, and overtime. Its effect on play is s ...

'' (1976), starring Charlton Heston; '' Black Sunday'' (1977), starring Robert Shaw; '' Rollercoaster'' in Sensurround (1977), starring George Segal; '' Damnation Alley'' (1977), starring Jan-Michael Vincent; ''

Avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...

'' (1978), starring Rock Hudson; '' Gray Lady Down'' (1978), also starring Charlton Heston; ''

'' (a 1979 remake of John Ford's 1937 film; a different movie than the made-for-TV production of same title listed above), starring Jason Robards; and '' City on Fire'' (1979), starring Barry Newman. The ''Airport'' series continued with ''

Airport '77 ''Airport '77'' is a 1977 American air disaster film, the third installment of the ''Airport'' film series. The film stars an ensemble cast of veteran actors including Jack Lemmon, James Stewart, Joseph Cotten, Olivia de Havilland, and Br ...

'' (1977) and '' The Concorde ... Airport '79'' (1979), with George Kennedy portraying the character Joe Patroni in each sequel, and ''The Poseidon Adventure'' was followed by '' Beyond the Poseidon Adventure'' in 1979. The genre began to burn out by the late-1970s when the big-budget films '' The Swarm'' (1978), ''

Meteor A meteor, known colloquially as a shooting star, is a glowing streak of a small body (usually meteoroid) going through Earth's atmosphere, after being heated to incandescence by collisions with air molecules in the upper atmosphere, creating a ...

'' (1979), ''Hurricane'' (1979), ''The Concorde ... Airport '79'' (1979), ''Beyond the Poseidon Adventure'' (1979) and '' When Time Ran Out...'' (1980) performed poorly at the box office, signaling declining interest in the disaster film product. Although '' The Big Bus'' (1976), an earlier disaster film spoof, had failed to be a hit, the end of the trend was marked by the 1980 comedy ''

Airplane! ''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American disaster film, disaster comedy film written and directed by Jim Abrahams and brothers David Zucker, David and Jerry Zucker in their List of directorial debuts, directoria ...

'', which fondly spoofed the clichés of the genre to surprising box-office success, producing a sequel of its own, '' Airplane II: The Sequel'', in 1982.

1990s revival

The resurgence of big-budget productions of the genre—aided by advancements in CGI technology during the 1990s—include such films as ''

Twister Twister most commonly refers to a tornado. Twister or Twisters may also refer to: Aviation * Pipistrel Twister, a Slovenian ultralight trike * Silence Twister, a German homebuilt aircraft design * Wings of Change Twister, an Austrian paragli ...

'', ''

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

'', ''

Daylight Daylight is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime. This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and (often) both of these reflected by Earth and terrestrial objects, like landforms and buildings. Sunlig ...

'', '' Dante's Peak'', ''

Volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...

'', '' Hard Rain'', '' Deep Impact'' and '' Armageddon''. In 1997,

co-produced, wrote and directed a version of the epic story of the '' Titanic''. The film combined romance with intricate special effects and was a massive success, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time for twelve years with over $2.2 billion worldwide, and won 11

including Best Picture and Best Director.

References

External links

Disaster Movie Bibliography (via UC Berkeley)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Disaster Film Film genres Thriller genres Thrillers

Origins

1970s peak

1990s revival

See also

References

Further reading

External links