With the success of Irwin Allen's "The Poseidon Adventure" and "The Towering Inferno" for Fox and Warner Brothers, every other major studio was clamoring to jump on the "disaster bandwagon." "Earthquake" was Universal's contribution to the genre and while it sports some impressive special effects, it also has one of the best examples of poor casting on film.
Genevieve Bujold looks too young and demure for "old man" Chuck Heston. He, on the other hand, is perfect as the husband of a very, haggard-looking Ava Gardner, who should have been cast as the sister of Lorne Greene, as opposed to being his daughter. Marjoe Gortner is forced to wear, aside from Samuel L. Jackson in "Pulp Fiction," one of the worst hairpieces in film history.
And, thankfully, for Victoria Principal, a little show named "Dallas" came along a few years later, to help viewers forget how badly she acted in "Earthquake."
Richard Rountree was on hand, solely to provide some "color"; thus, his role could have been called "heroic Negro on motorcycle". A poor letdown for such an actor that had flaunted his African-American masculinity so well in the series of "Shaft" films.
Obviously, Walter Matthau was smart enough to have his contribution to this turkey uncredited.
Even John Williams' score seems to be recycled from his composition for both of Allen's films.
Genevieve Bujold looks too young and demure for "old man" Chuck Heston. He, on the other hand, is perfect as the husband of a very, haggard-looking Ava Gardner, who should have been cast as the sister of Lorne Greene, as opposed to being his daughter. Marjoe Gortner is forced to wear, aside from Samuel L. Jackson in "Pulp Fiction," one of the worst hairpieces in film history.
And, thankfully, for Victoria Principal, a little show named "Dallas" came along a few years later, to help viewers forget how badly she acted in "Earthquake."
Richard Rountree was on hand, solely to provide some "color"; thus, his role could have been called "heroic Negro on motorcycle". A poor letdown for such an actor that had flaunted his African-American masculinity so well in the series of "Shaft" films.
Obviously, Walter Matthau was smart enough to have his contribution to this turkey uncredited.
Even John Williams' score seems to be recycled from his composition for both of Allen's films.