The Towering Inferno The Towering Inferno The Towering Inferno is a 1974 American drama disaster film produced by Irwin Allen featuring an all-star cast led by Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. The picture was directed by John Guillermin. A co-production between 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros., it was the first film to be a joint venture by two major Hollywood studios. It was adapted by Stirling Silliphant from a pair of novels, "The Tower" by Richard Martin Stern and "The Glass Inferno" by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson. The film earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture
Disaster film 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", "Earthquake" and "Airport 1975" (the first "Airport" sequel). The competing films enjoyed staggering success at the box office, with "The Towering Inferno" earning $116 million - 548 million in 2017 adjusted dollars, "Earthquake" $79 million - 376 million in