The Towering Inferno is probably the greatest of all disaster movies for me, at least. I firmly believe in the power of stars and this film is an example. Not to demean the technician and the director, who did spectacular job in bringing a burning tower alive to us audience.

It was William Friedkin, in his regret of not using stars for one of his flops, who said, "A close-up of (Steve) McQueens face is worth more than many shots of landscapes" Of course, that depends on the film itself. In this case, Irwin Allen, the producer, felt that if the audience is not interested in the fire and the screaming extras, they might as well come for its star.

The billing for its two big star, McQueen and Paul Newman, was in dispute, but soon settled when both names were to appear at the same time of course, Newmans name was slightly higher, probably a nod to his seniority. Likewise, both of their roles were the most prominent; Newman plays the architect of the tower in the title, while McQueen plays the fire chief.

The success of Poseiden Adventure and Airport, with its all-star cast probably spurred Allens belief in stars. He cast other names, which include William Holden, Robert Wagner, Robert Vaughn, Faye Dunaway, Fred Aistair, and Richard Chamberlain. The biggest star in this film is of course the model of the glass tower. It looks magnificent and real. I might be spoiling it for many who never would have thought that it is actually a model; it is and it fooled me during the initial viewing.

I need not reveal the story of this film. Almost everyone knows about it. It is based on two novels, The Tower, by Richard Martin Stern and The Glass Inferno by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson. The tallest building in the world (fictional, not our Twin Towers) goes on fire and the inhabitants rescue, get rescued or simply die. In this film's case, there is plenty of death. By the end, the message seems to be "Dont panic. It will not only kill you but also others." In fact, it is panic that ruins many rescue attempts throughout the show.

Newman gets to play action hero this time around (probably only time, I guess) and it feels good to see him rescue a couple of kids and you pray that nothing happens to him. His character is responsible (as the architect) for the building, and when the fire happens, he feels responsible for the inhabitants themselves. Newman is an old pro by now, and he fits in this genre like a glove.

McQueen plays a fireman, the way you expect him to play. All boiling inside, and cool on the outside. Like the rest of the cast, you expect him to come out with something fast. He delivers and suffers a lot. At the end, when he looks broodingly over his death comrades, you feel his anger and sadness, even though his facial muscle never flinch an inch. That's Steve McQueen.

I have watched this film over and over and I still sit over the edge of the seat. I still wish that some of those I know will die would never die. This is strange because in most lousy disaster films, I wish that most of them would die and finish the movie early. Here, I still bite my nails during the climax when the problem solving explosion occurs.

Great films are hard to come by, and a commercial feature like this attain immortality due to the sheer genius in the producers part in getting the right talents. I rarely mention producers, but some of them are worth creditting. In this film's case, Irwin Allen gets full credit for combining two novels and a great cast and crew to make an explosive entertainment. He should, as he also has the credit for directing the action sequences.