What could be more fun than spending New Year's Eve on a luxury cruise ship sailing from New York to Athens? That's what the passengers of the S.S. Poseidon thought until their ship was ravaged by a 90' tidal wave, capsized, and the passengers left to fend for their lives. The Poseidon Adventure (1972) stars Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Leslie Neilsen, Carol Lynley, Red Buttons, Shelly Winters, Roddy McDowall and Stella Stevens. The movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards and a special award.

As the ship gets off to sea, there are routine duties attended to by the ship's crew, all balanced around an introduction to the film's characters. Det. Lt. Mike Rogo (Ernest Borgnine) is making noise about his seasick ex-prostitute wife Linda (Stella Stevens).

Belle Rosen (Shelley Winters) and her husband Manny (Jack Albertson) are on their way to Israel to meet their 2-year-old grandson. James Martin (Red Buttons), a lonely haberdasher, gets the third degree by Belle as to why he's not married.

Red Buttons © Fox Home Entertainment

In a truly great and insightful performance Gene Hackman opens the film as Rev. Frank Scott in a heated conservation with Chaplain John (Arthur O'Connell), and introducing his rogue character with the opening monologue, "Get down on your knees and pray to God and maybe everything will work out. Garbage! Not where I come from. Your can wear off your knees praying to God in a cold-water flat in February, and icicles can grow from your upraised palms. If you're freezing to death you burn the furniture or set fire to the building."

When the ship's captain (Leslie Nielsen) and the shipbuilder get into a disagreement about the ship's movement, red flags start to rise.

Leslie Neilsen © Fox Home Entertainment

This is followed by entertainer Nonnie Parry (Carol Lynley) singing the song the movie made famous, "The Morning After." Young Robin Shelby (Eric Shea) and his sister Susan (Pamela Sue Martin), on their way to meet up with their parents, are having typical sibling quarrels in their stateroom.

Carol Lynley © Fox Home Entertainment

When the ship gets hit by a tsunami, there's little time to warn anyone before a wave capsizes the ship. The scene where the ship turns over is very intense and realistic and lasts about two minutes with many passengers hanging from the top on things and eventually dropping. Next there's a long dead silence before passengers start coming to and realizing what happened. Passengers are told to stay put but a group figure out there's only one way to survive, climb to the top.

Rev. Scott, Det. Mike and Linda, Belle and Manny, Susan and Robin, James, Nonnie and Acres (Roddy McDowell), a ship's waiter, take off on the climb. The reverend has to convince Belle ("Mrs. Peter Pan I'm not") to go along in search of life. The journey then becomes a harrowing experience of drama, danger, near-death and for some, actual death. The characters each show their temperaments through weakness, rudeness, fear, optimism and heroism. The scene where Shelley Winters ("In the water, I'm a very skinny lady.") swims underwater and saves Rev. Scott, is one of the most remembered moments of the film.

Cast of The Poseidon Adventure

The Poseidon Adventure earned Oscars for Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Shelley Winters, Best Art Direction/Set Decoration - William J. Creber & Raphael Bretton, Best Cinematography - Harold E. Stine, Best Costume Design - Paul Zastupnevich, Best Film Editing - Harold F. Kress, Best Music, Original Dramatic Score - John Williams, Best Sound - Theodore Soderberg and Herman Lewis and a Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects by L.B. Abbott and A.D. Flowers.

The movie is a true classic with great characters and quite entertaining.

Director: Ronald Neame

Writers: Stirling Silliphant & Wendell Mayes, Paul Gallico (novel)

Rating: PG

Classic Movie Guide Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Run Time: 117 minutes

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Widescreen - Color

Photo credits: 20th Century Fox