Summary
Paul Newman’sfollow-up toThe Towering Infernowas such a profound bomb it all but killed the disaster movie genre for nearly two decades. Movies likeJawsandStar Warschanged cinema forever, and shaped the modern-day obsession with effects-driven blockbusters. The 1970s also saw disasterthrillersbecome a staple, especially the kind of big budget epics produced by Irwin Allen. Movies likeThe Poseidon Adventure,Earthquakeorthe forgottenAirportmovie franchisecombined cutting-edge effects with A-listers like Charlton Heston, Gene Hackman and Burt Lancaster.
The reviews for these movies were typically mixed to dreadful, but they also pulled in healthy box office. What’s interesting about this period isthe disaster moviebubble burst almost as fast as it began. Allen’sThe Poseidon Adventureis seen as the film that kicked the disaster trendoff in earnest, but the dreadful 1979 sequelBeyond the Poseidon Adventure(starring Michael Caine and Sally Field) feels like the one that brought it all crashing down.
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When Time Ran Out Was Paul Newman’s Spiritual Sequel To The Towering Inferno
The Towering Inferno is a classic of the disaster genre
Allen followed upThe Poseidon Adventure’ssuccess with 1974’sThe Towering Inferno. This was fronted by two of Hollywood’s biggest names Paul Newman and Steve McQueen, but the supporting cast also featured Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, William Holden and more; basically every time a new character is introduced, they are played by a famous face.The Towering Inferno’sincredible spectacle and starry cast would propel it to nearly $140 million worldwide (viaThe Numbers).
Paul Newman & Steve McQueen feuded over billing inTowering Inferno, leading to one of the first instances of “staggered” billing. This saw McQueen’s name billed lower left on the credits while Newman’s was featured top right, so both could be considered top billed depending on the direction their names are read.
Newman would reteam with Allen on 1980’sWhen Time Ran Out, a spiritual follow-up toThe Towering Inferno. That said,Newman was contractually bound to another Allen movie, and while he wasn’t excited byWhen Time Ran Out, he did it to fulfill his obligationsto the producer. The movie’s plot involves a resort on a remote Pacific Island being threatened by the sudden eruption of a volcano, with a group of survivors trying to escape in the aftermath.
When Time Ran Outcollected all the familiar tropes of the Allen disaster picture; big name stars overcoming a natural disaster, gruesome deaths and lots of effects. The film also had Allen’s biggest budget at $20 million, but his formula had wrung itself dry by 1980. Critics were never kind to Allen’s work, butWhen Time Ran Out’s0% score onRotten Tomatoesunderlines its dire reception.
When Time Ran Out’s Box Office Failure Signaled The Death Of The Disaster Movie
The disaster genre went very quiet following this 1980 flop
In the same way Heaven’s Gate’s failure killed the Western for much of the 1980s, When Time Ran Out’s performance did the same for the disaster movie.
ConsideringWhen Time Ran Out’sprice tag, the film should have featured incredible effects. Sadly the opposite was true, as it had abysmal visual effects even by the standards of the era.When Time Ran Outgrossed less than $4 million (viaThe Numbers) at the box office, and was quickly forgotten in the aftermath. If the disappointing tallies ofBeyond the Poseidon Adventureand 1978’sThe Swarmhadn’t already indicated audiences had grown tired of the genre,When Time Ran Out’stotal failure made it impossible to ignore.
In the same wayHeaven’s Gate’sfailure killed the Western for much of the 1980s,When Time Ran Out’sperformancedid the same for the disaster movie. It was slim pickings for genre fans for the next decade, and even the occasional outing like cult classicMiracle Mileunderperformed. The decade saw studios put an increasing emphasis on effects-driven fare, including theStar Warssequels,AliensorGhostbusters, butthe formulaic offerings of theAirportseries or Irwin Allen blockbusters were pushed to the side during the 1980s.
Paul Newman Regretted Starring In When Time Ran Out
Wait, did When Time Ran Out help fund Newman’s Own?!
During a 1998 interview with Larry King (viaCNN), Newman touched on a number of topics, including the secret to his long marriage to Joanne Woodward. He also briefly touched on career regrets and cited his wooden performance in the 1954 “epic"The Silver Chaliceas one of his worst.While Newman didn’t citeWhen Time Ran Outby name, he told King it was the only film he made purely for the moneyand he wasn’t a fan.
There were a couple. I did one movie for money. In 40 years, I guess. Fortunately I can’t remember the name of it. But it was an adventure film about volcanoes and everything. I don’t care to talk about it.
There’s an unconfirmed rumor that Newman took his salary forWhen Time Ran Outand used it to fund Newman’s Ownin the years that followed. This was the star’s food company, which donated the bulk of its earnings to charity. If true, this means he at least found the positive in starring in a film he evidently wasn’t a fan of.
WhenThe Silver Chalicewas about to air on television during the 1960s, Newman placed an advert in a trade paper apologizing for his performance and urging viewers not to watch it. His move backfired, asThe Silver Chalicehad surprisingly strong ratings when it aired.
Independence Day And Twister Revived The Disaster Genre During The 1990s
Disaster movies came back in a major way during the 1990s
After being dormant for much of the previous decade, the 1990s saw disaster epics being dusted off. This revival began with 1996’sTwister,which may have lacked major A-list stars but still featured incredible effects and setpieces. The film was a huge success, and was followed byIndependence Day.Roland Emmerich’sIndependence Daycopied the Irwin Allen formula, bringing together a starry ensemble (including Will Smith and Bill Pullman) and surrounding them with cutting edge effects.
The gap betweenWhen Time Ran OutandIndependence Dayhad seen the quality of VFX improve vastly, and soon there was no stopping the disaster movie wave. 1997 saw not one buttwovolcano movies inDante’s Peakand, ummm,Volcano, while competing asteroid films collided in 1998 withDeep Impactand Michael Bay’sArmageddon. Emmerich also became the Irwin Allen of a new era, transforming into the unofficial disaster movie auteur.
Since the 1990s,Roland Emmerich’s movieshave included disaster blockbusters likeThe Day After Tomorrow,2012and the belated sequelIndependence Day: Resurgence. The failure of Emmerich’sMoonfallin 2022suggests his reign has come to a close, though the legacy sequelTwisterscould still give the genre a shot in the arm. Whatever happens, barring aWhen Time Ran Out-style failure, the disaster genre likely won’t be taking another decade-plus break from the big screen again.
