The Hindenburg (1975)

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Nelson Gidding (writer)
Richard Levinson (story)
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Thriller

Tagline:

The truth at last? What really happened to The Hindenburg?

Plot:

A film that chronicles the events of the Hindenburg disaster in which a zeppelin burst into flames.

Plot Keywords:

Disaster | Sabotage | Zeppelin | Bomb | Gestapo

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

George C. Scott	...	Col. Franz Ritter
Anne Bancroft	...	Ursula, The Countess
William Atherton	...	Boerth
Roy Thinnes	...	Martin Vogel
Gig Young	...	Edward Douglas
Burgess Meredith	...	Emilio Pajetta
Charles Durning	...	Capt. Pruss
Richard Dysart	...	Capt. Lehman
Robert Clary	...	Joe Spahn
Rene Auberjonois	...	Maj. Napier
Peter Donat	...	Reed Channing
Alan Oppenheimer	...	Albert Breslau
Katherine Helmond	...	Mrs. Mildred Breslau
Joanna Moore	...	Mrs. Channing
Stephen Elliott	...	Capt. Fellows
Joyce Davis	...	Eleanore Ritter
Jean Rasey	...	Valerie Breslau
Ted Gehring	...	Knorr
Lisa Pera	...	Freda Halle
Joe Di Reda	...	Schulz (as Joe di Reda)
Peter Canon	...	Ludecke
Charles Macaulay	...	Hirsch
Rex Holman	...	Dimmler
Jan Merlin	...	Speck
Betsy Jones-Moreland	...	Stewardess Imhoff
Colby Chester	...	Eliot Howell III
Teno Pollick	...	Frankel
Curt Lowens	...	Felber (elevator man)
Kip Niven	...	Lt. Truscott
Michael Richardson	...	Rigger Neuhaus
Herbert Nelson	...	Dr. Eckener
Scott Walker	...	Gestapo major
Greg Mullavey	...	Morrison
Val Bisoglio	...	Lt. A. Lombardi
Simon Scott	...	Luftwaffe general
William Sylvester	...	Luftwaffe colonel
David Mauro	...	Goebbels
Joe Turkel	...	Det. Moore, N.Y.P.D. (as Joseph Turkel)
Sandy Ward	...	Det. Grunberger
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Norman Alden	...	Det. Baker, N.Y.P.D.
Ruth Kobart	...	Hattie
Johnny Lee	...	Paul Breslau
Stephen Manley	...	Peter Breslau
Shep Houghton	...	Radio operator, hand close-ups (uncredited)
Herbert Morrison	...	Voice of news reporter in closing credits (voice) (uncredited)
Robert von Dassanowsky	...	Hitler Youth member (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Wise

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nelson Gidding		writer
Richard Levinson		story (as Richard A. Levinson)
William Link		story
Michael M. Mooney		novel

Produced by
Robert Wise	....	producer

Original Music by
David Shire

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees

Film Editing by
Donn Cambern

Production Design by
Edward C. Carfagno

Set Decoration by
Frank R. McKelvy		(as Frank McKelvy)

Costume Design by
Dorothy Jeakins

Makeup Department
Del Acevedo	....	makeup artist
Frank McCoy	....	makeup artist
Lorraine Roberson	....	hair stylist
Rick Sharp	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ernest B. Wehmeyer	....	unit production manager (as Ernest Wehmeyer)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wayne A. Farlow	....	second assistant director (as Wayne Farlow)
Howard G. Kazanjian	....	first assistant director (as Howard Kazanjian)

Art Department
Thomas Wright	....	continuity illustrator
Greg C. Jensen	....	construction foreman (uncredited)
Mike Reedy	....	gondola constructor (uncredited)

Sound Department
Leonard Peterson	....	sound
Don Sharpless	....	sound
Peter Berkos	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)
John A. Bolger Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
John L. Mack	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Robert Beck	....	special mechanical effects
Frank Brendel	....	special mechanical effects
Andy Evans	....	special mechanical effects (as Andrew Evans)
Glen Robinson	....	special mechanical effects (as Glenn Robinson)

Visual Effects by
Clifford Stine	....	special photography
Bill Taylor	....	matte photography (as William Taylor)
Albert Whitlock	....	special visual effects

Stunts
John Daheim	....	stunt coordinator
Bobby Porter	....	stunt double
Denny Arnold	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Catching	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dottie Catching	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Howard Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Dial	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
James M. Halty	....	stunts (uncredited)
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Hickman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Vic Hunsberger	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mike Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kevin N. Johnston	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rosemary Johnston	....	stunts (uncredited)
James Kingsley	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gerald Martin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Denver Mattson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jimmy Nickerson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Regina Parton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Byron Quisenberry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	....	stunts (uncredited)
Felix Silla	....	stunts (uncredited)
Evelyn Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Verbois	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Warlock	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Waters	....	stunts (uncredited)
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Simpson	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
G. Tony Scarano	....	wardrobe: men (as Tony Scarano)

Editorial Department
Arnold Baker	....	assistant editor

Music Department
David Shire	....	composer: song "There's a Lot to Be Said for the Fuehrer"

Transportation Department
Frank Khoury	....	driver

Other crew
Tom Greene	....	production assistant
George Lewis	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• The Filmakers Group
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Special Effects

• Universal Title (optical effects)

Other Companies

• Intrada  score album released by (limited edition) (Special Collection)
• Universal Title  titles

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (Westrex Recording System) (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | USA:PG (certificate #24257) | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Company:

The Filmakers Group

Trivia:

The film includes clips from the actual newsreel footage of the airship's explosion and fire. The recording played just before the closing credits is the actual eye-witness account of news reporter Herbert Morrison, describing the Hindenburg disaster.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the Hindenburg drops its water when coming into Lakehurst, the sailors bathe in it. This is wrong because water falling from such a height would have such a force that it would crush human bodies. It was also unsanitary from being for washing and human waste.

Quotes:

Martin Vogel: Out Ritter, I've taken over!

Movie Connections:

Featured in SPFX: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) (TV)

Soundtrack:

There's A Lot to be Said for the Fuhrer

My favorite disaster flick!

"The Hindenburg" is a Robert Wise film in which he depicts the last voyage of the blimp from Germany to Lakehurst, New Jersey. He adapted the screenplay from Michael Mooney's book, in which the Hindenburg might have been a victim of sabotage from someone on board.

This film has all the elements for a great disaster! The usual cast of colorful characters played by terrific actors (George C. Scott, Anne Bancroft, Burgess Meredith, Katherine Helmond, Charles Durning, etc), a nice twist to a factual tale about sabotage bringing down the symbol of Nazi power, and an outstanding display of the effects during the explosion sequence. Wise used the actual newsreel footage, shot it freeze-frame style and spliced it in with the characters as they try to escape death. The best part of the movie by far!

"The Hindenburg" does drag in some spots but the viewer needs to pay close attention to what is going on, who everyone is, what issues they have, why they are on the zepplin and how this adds to the story. Pay close attention to The Countess played by Anne Bancroft, by far the best character in the movie.

This happens to be my favorite disaster movie for a number of reasons. First off, the sabotage plot unfolds nicely and I actually believe that the Hindenburg was downed as an act of sabotage. I have always believed this. Second, I love the detail Wise's team did with the ship's interior sets, you actually feel as if you are flying on the ship, and the third, the last sequence with the explosion occurs. Effects were pretty damn well done! If you want to see a true disaster come about, revolving around a suspenseful story with great characters, rent "The Hindenburg"