This film was one of the very last disaster movies not to be ridiculed by the critics. The main reason for this must have been the realistic and very good fire sequences. While later disaster movies had credibility problems, this one was actually pretty realistic. Well worth a look.
12 Reviews
The Forgettable Flames
Vomitron_G31 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
In 1976 Warner Bros. produced the made-for-TV movie FLOOD! It seems like some executives thought it would be a great idea to do it all over again, but this time featuring a lot of flames and heat instead of water. Ergo, in 1977 there was FIRE! So what can I say about it? Well, it is what it is: A 70's made-for-TV disaster-flick. Once again, nothing special here. But one thing that FIRE! has going for it, is that it doesn't really has a tedious first half (which FLOOD! painfully suffered from).
FIRE! doesn't waste too much time and starts with a bunch of convicts working in a wide-range forest. Two of them seem to have come up with an ingenious plan to escape (which basically means: Start a fire and then run for it!). Their plan fails and the fire is put out by fellow-convicts. When they leave, however, the the smouldering ashes start a new fire and a disaster is born.
Now after having read the synopsis, I was thinking the subplot with two convicts on the run could add a nice touch to it (being hunted down by the local authorities amidst the hellish inferno of a burning forest). But sadly that didn't happen. All we get is various rescue missions (people being trapped in an isolated lodge, a missing girl, a pilot that crashes his helicopter,...). Even though one of the convicts eventually does decide to make a run for it, it still felt too much like if you were watching an episode of TV's RESCUE 911 (William Shatner anyone?). OK, we do get to see a lot of fire and some explosions but neither of them are really exciting. And the ending is pretty pathetic and abrupt. Some guy runs into the infirmary and announces: "The fire is under control. It's almost out", while a few minutes before that we could still see the forest, and even parts of the town (in the only, nicely photographed, composite shot of the whole movie) were still heavily on fire. The scene prior to his announcement even had a friggin' gasoline-truck exploding which could possibly "whipe out the whole town". That was actually a pretty dumb scene: The truck was on fire, so they decide it has to be moved because of the destructive consequences if it were to explode. So what do they do? One guy jumps into it, drives only (approximately) 100 meters with it, then jumps out and "Boom!" goes the truck. No harm done. Boy, oh boy... And then after that one guy having announced that the fire was under control, Vera Miles gets sad and has these ridiculous, cheesy flashbacks of Ernest Borgnine. Then a kid comes up to her, she hugs it and the movie ends. Boy, oh boy...
Maybe I could give FIRE! one extra point because of the "It doesn't waste much time"-argument. But I won't. It's basically the same stuff FLOOD! is made of, even down to the dialogues where everybody is telling everybody "I love you" for no apparent reason. Once again, FIRE! isn't badly made or anything, and the acting is acceptable. But this flick really is for disaster-fans only. General movie-watchers shouldn't even bother watching it when it just happens to be on TV. At least that's my opinion.
FIRE! doesn't waste too much time and starts with a bunch of convicts working in a wide-range forest. Two of them seem to have come up with an ingenious plan to escape (which basically means: Start a fire and then run for it!). Their plan fails and the fire is put out by fellow-convicts. When they leave, however, the the smouldering ashes start a new fire and a disaster is born.
Now after having read the synopsis, I was thinking the subplot with two convicts on the run could add a nice touch to it (being hunted down by the local authorities amidst the hellish inferno of a burning forest). But sadly that didn't happen. All we get is various rescue missions (people being trapped in an isolated lodge, a missing girl, a pilot that crashes his helicopter,...). Even though one of the convicts eventually does decide to make a run for it, it still felt too much like if you were watching an episode of TV's RESCUE 911 (William Shatner anyone?). OK, we do get to see a lot of fire and some explosions but neither of them are really exciting. And the ending is pretty pathetic and abrupt. Some guy runs into the infirmary and announces: "The fire is under control. It's almost out", while a few minutes before that we could still see the forest, and even parts of the town (in the only, nicely photographed, composite shot of the whole movie) were still heavily on fire. The scene prior to his announcement even had a friggin' gasoline-truck exploding which could possibly "whipe out the whole town". That was actually a pretty dumb scene: The truck was on fire, so they decide it has to be moved because of the destructive consequences if it were to explode. So what do they do? One guy jumps into it, drives only (approximately) 100 meters with it, then jumps out and "Boom!" goes the truck. No harm done. Boy, oh boy... And then after that one guy having announced that the fire was under control, Vera Miles gets sad and has these ridiculous, cheesy flashbacks of Ernest Borgnine. Then a kid comes up to her, she hugs it and the movie ends. Boy, oh boy...
Maybe I could give FIRE! one extra point because of the "It doesn't waste much time"-argument. But I won't. It's basically the same stuff FLOOD! is made of, even down to the dialogues where everybody is telling everybody "I love you" for no apparent reason. Once again, FIRE! isn't badly made or anything, and the acting is acceptable. But this flick really is for disaster-fans only. General movie-watchers shouldn't even bother watching it when it just happens to be on TV. At least that's my opinion.
Spreading Flames
AaronCapenBanner3 July 2014
Earl Bellamy directed this Irwin Allen produced TV movie that stars Ernest Borgnine("The Poseidon Adventure") as wealthy lumber mill owner Sam Brisbane, who tries to win back an old flame(played by Vera Miles) who owns a lodge in their mountain community. Their plans are ruined when a fire involving two prisoners(played by Neville Brand and Erik Estrada) gets out of control, threatening to destroy the area, and cost several lives... Donna Mills, Lloyd Nolan, Alex Cord, and Patty Duke costar. Made concurrently with "Flood"(1976), disaster film is an improvement, with more excitement and interesting story turns, and the expected(if quite familiar) scenes of triumph and tragedy.
Run of the mill '70's disaster flick
shuz28 April 1999
"Fire!" came out at the peak of the disaster craze, when studio heads were actually green lighting movies like "Food of the Gods" and "Empire of the Ants". You would think they could get a little more creative with the title. This one centered on a forest fire and a group of children stranded in the middle of it all. Donna Mills is ultra 70's and very polyester. Pretty predictable stuff. This was a TV movie that came out the same time as the equally predictable TV movie "Flood!".
Irwin Allen in another worst disaster hour on fire!!
elo-equipamentos18 May 2023
In my process of reassessing of all pictures watched in the past, Irwin Allen's Fire! Was one harder to find out, I've been looking it for a long time without success, out of blue I saw it on second hand dealer and right way I've purchase an original US's edition copy with any kind of subtitles available, I've took it anyway, I had watched it exactly in early 1980, on TV together to my older brother.
Even being an Irwin Allen's fan due the four classic series on the sixties, it's an excruciating and hard experience watch this film let us annoyed by such lousy picture, preposterous screenplay and others oddities at the behest of Irwin Allen who at this point already lost sense of ridiculous, when he still insist in make disaster movie whereof the story goes insanity due so contrived offer.
In small town that only business comprises timber extraction lead by the old owner Sam Brisbane (Ernest Borgnine) using almost all labor work from there, also aided by some prisoners coming from correction facility Larry Durant (Neville Brand) and Frank (Erik Strada) aiming for commute the sentence, Larry perceives the only way to get away from there is through a fire, then he settles a plan to do it without raises suspicion, then he let a burning cigarette underneath of the dry woods, it triggers a wildfire of enormous proportions, worst meanwhile a student group escorted by a teacher a child lost from the group and when the teacher realizes the fire approaching the only way is get out there and later tries saves the child.
A Helicopter bringing the water battle the blaze, however as expected ends up crash on the forest, helped by Frank that is fleeing, the fire reaches at lumber mill, Mrs. Martha Wagner (Vera Miles) the owner of the lodge which received the injured workers in the middle of forest also in jeopardy by fire nearby and they must rescue them at once, anyway a total mess, the master of disaster movies did again, in time I'd bought the DVD for nostalgia only knowing previously the stodgy content of 97 minutes of agony and suffering hoping the time goes faster, over such appalling outcome, have mercy!!
Thanks for reading.
Resume:
First Watch: 1980 /How many: 2 /Source: TV-DVD /Rating: 5.25.
Even being an Irwin Allen's fan due the four classic series on the sixties, it's an excruciating and hard experience watch this film let us annoyed by such lousy picture, preposterous screenplay and others oddities at the behest of Irwin Allen who at this point already lost sense of ridiculous, when he still insist in make disaster movie whereof the story goes insanity due so contrived offer.
In small town that only business comprises timber extraction lead by the old owner Sam Brisbane (Ernest Borgnine) using almost all labor work from there, also aided by some prisoners coming from correction facility Larry Durant (Neville Brand) and Frank (Erik Strada) aiming for commute the sentence, Larry perceives the only way to get away from there is through a fire, then he settles a plan to do it without raises suspicion, then he let a burning cigarette underneath of the dry woods, it triggers a wildfire of enormous proportions, worst meanwhile a student group escorted by a teacher a child lost from the group and when the teacher realizes the fire approaching the only way is get out there and later tries saves the child.
A Helicopter bringing the water battle the blaze, however as expected ends up crash on the forest, helped by Frank that is fleeing, the fire reaches at lumber mill, Mrs. Martha Wagner (Vera Miles) the owner of the lodge which received the injured workers in the middle of forest also in jeopardy by fire nearby and they must rescue them at once, anyway a total mess, the master of disaster movies did again, in time I'd bought the DVD for nostalgia only knowing previously the stodgy content of 97 minutes of agony and suffering hoping the time goes faster, over such appalling outcome, have mercy!!
Thanks for reading.
Resume:
First Watch: 1980 /How many: 2 /Source: TV-DVD /Rating: 5.25.
Total waste of time !
CarfelMA10 March 2002
This is one of the most boring disaster movies I have ever seen. The actors are playing really bad and walk around like zombies. Donna Mills was the only reason I watched this movie and I must say, she is the only one who seems to be talented in "Fire". Her part is very small and the storyline around her part is sometimes very illogical. She portrays a kindergarten teacher who is out in the woods with a bunch of kids. When the fire gets close to them they try to escape and one child is missing. When she manages it to be saved with the kids she seems to be the only one who was really concerned about the missing child. Nobody else was interested. I must admit they tried to make a good movie by telling several stories about the different characters and how they finally get together in this disaster. But they totally failed by showing everything so boring and characters you won't be interested in. A total waste of time and money, it so forgetable.
What a blast! (For Airwolf fans!)
robespierre97 March 2009
This is a great example of a 70's disaster movie! Starts off with all the story lines...Vera Miles and Ernest like each other, but never got married...Donna Mills is a school teacher out in the woods with her class...Erik Estrada is a disgruntled prisoner (falsely accused!)...Alex Cord and his wife are both doctors, but just can't see eye-to-eye about their marriage. Then the fire starts in the woods!! And all the actors come together in various threads (at the lodge, on the road, etc.) to battle the blaze and display their heroism. It's pretty entertaining, and also considering this is PRE CGI affects!! The best part for any Airwolf fans out there (the 80's helicopter action series) is to see Ernest B. (Airwolf's Dom Santini) and Alex Cord (Archangel in Airwolf) together in this!
At least the little bunny-rabbit survived!
Coventry15 May 2019
After "Flood!" comes "Fire!", or vice versa! In 1976 and 19744, producer Irwin Allen and director Earl Bellamy shot two disaster movies back-to-back in the beautifully green state of Oregon. Ever since their releases these two titles seem to be inseparable. Most people watch them as a double-feature and, in my country, they were even release together on one single VHS-tape. There must be some sort of supernatural force involved because, after seeing "Flood!" last week, I also immediately felt the urge to see "Fire!" as soon as possible! Moreover, it's another great opportunity to subject another title to my specifically developed rating scale for typically 70s disaster movies!
Condition #1: without producer Irwin Allen, there wasn't a budget for special effects and thus no movie. "Fire!" is a TV-production, so obviously it's less spectacular than its distant fiery cousin "The Towering Inferno", but the flames, set-pieces and cinematography look very realistic (and superior to "Flood!") quite good, so I'll give it a full point. Condition #2: all disaster movies star one major star (Charlton Heston and Paul Newman were prime choices) and a long list of "secondary" stars (like Ernest Borgnine, Leslie Nielsen...). I am going to be very generous here and award the full point again. For reasons linked to the TV-movie status, there isn't a major star, but Ernest Borgnine rises to the top as a genuine hero, and the list of secondary stars is nevertheless long and impressive: Vera Miles, Patty Duke, Donna Mills, Alex Cord, Erik Estrada, Neville Brand, ... Condition #3: The characters are usually split into two camps with completely opposite ideals and/or initiatives. This condition, on the other hand, isn't applicable here. The little town of Silverton is exposed to a humongous forest fire, ignited by a convict as part of a more elaborate escape plan, and there isn't a chance for anyone to deny the fire's existence or to minimalize the impact. "Fire!" is one of the rare 70s disaster movies where all the characters work together to battle the inferno. Condition #4: Regardless what type of disaster we're dealing with, variants of the exact same perilous situations are always applicable. Pass, for sure! We have little girls gone missing during the local school's field trip, wind and weather conditions that continue complicating the working conditions and doctors that can't provide medical care because their car nearly crashes into a bear! Condition #5: always remember that, when the situation appears to be at its worst, it can and will still get even worse! For this condition, "Fire!" scores a lot better than its companion "Flood!". The rescue helicopter crashes down, the mountaintop lodge that initially serves as safe harbor nevertheless still threatens to go down in flames, dumb kids lock themselves into their rooms and certain people become forced to heroically sacrifice themselves in order to safe the others. There's one hopeful little moment, however, when a cute and furry little bunny miraculously gets rescued by fire chief Gene Evans.
If we sum it up, "Fire!" scores 4 out of 5 on rating scale for 70s disaster movies! Make no mistake, though, as this is only an indicator to state that the film qualifies as fantastic entertainment with all the joyous clichés and stereotypes represented! Skeptical film fanatics are likely to disdain the film for all the exact same reasons!
Condition #1: without producer Irwin Allen, there wasn't a budget for special effects and thus no movie. "Fire!" is a TV-production, so obviously it's less spectacular than its distant fiery cousin "The Towering Inferno", but the flames, set-pieces and cinematography look very realistic (and superior to "Flood!") quite good, so I'll give it a full point. Condition #2: all disaster movies star one major star (Charlton Heston and Paul Newman were prime choices) and a long list of "secondary" stars (like Ernest Borgnine, Leslie Nielsen...). I am going to be very generous here and award the full point again. For reasons linked to the TV-movie status, there isn't a major star, but Ernest Borgnine rises to the top as a genuine hero, and the list of secondary stars is nevertheless long and impressive: Vera Miles, Patty Duke, Donna Mills, Alex Cord, Erik Estrada, Neville Brand, ... Condition #3: The characters are usually split into two camps with completely opposite ideals and/or initiatives. This condition, on the other hand, isn't applicable here. The little town of Silverton is exposed to a humongous forest fire, ignited by a convict as part of a more elaborate escape plan, and there isn't a chance for anyone to deny the fire's existence or to minimalize the impact. "Fire!" is one of the rare 70s disaster movies where all the characters work together to battle the inferno. Condition #4: Regardless what type of disaster we're dealing with, variants of the exact same perilous situations are always applicable. Pass, for sure! We have little girls gone missing during the local school's field trip, wind and weather conditions that continue complicating the working conditions and doctors that can't provide medical care because their car nearly crashes into a bear! Condition #5: always remember that, when the situation appears to be at its worst, it can and will still get even worse! For this condition, "Fire!" scores a lot better than its companion "Flood!". The rescue helicopter crashes down, the mountaintop lodge that initially serves as safe harbor nevertheless still threatens to go down in flames, dumb kids lock themselves into their rooms and certain people become forced to heroically sacrifice themselves in order to safe the others. There's one hopeful little moment, however, when a cute and furry little bunny miraculously gets rescued by fire chief Gene Evans.
If we sum it up, "Fire!" scores 4 out of 5 on rating scale for 70s disaster movies! Make no mistake, though, as this is only an indicator to state that the film qualifies as fantastic entertainment with all the joyous clichés and stereotypes represented! Skeptical film fanatics are likely to disdain the film for all the exact same reasons!
Horizontal Holocaust
virek2138 March 2021
If Irwin Allen's 1974 big-screen production THE TOWERING NINFERNO was the pinnacle of the much-despised (by critics, anyway) disaster film genre, then his 1977 made-for-TV film FIRE takes a more horizontal approach to disaster. In this case, it is a massive forest fire that threatens to incinerate a mountain community...and, naturally, the all-star cast involved as well.
Airing on NBC on May 8, 1977, a little less than six months after Allen's previous made-for-TV opus FLOOD, and, like that film, directed by Earl Bellamy, FIRE is set in the small town of Silverton, Oregon, where a disgruntled prison camp worker (Neville Brand) sets a fire to cover his escape from the camp, with the help of a fellow convict (Erik Estrada). But the tinder-dry conditions of the surrounding forest and brush pretty soon turn what was a small fire into a monstrous and uncontrollable firestorm. And when push comes to shove, Estrada, together with the camp's chief officer (Gene Evans), agrees to help with trying to put out the horrific horizontal holocaust he partially helped to start. Among those threatened are such all-stars as Ernest Borgnine (MARTY; THE WILD BUNCH); Vera Miles (PSYCHO); Donna Mills (PLAY MISTY FOR ME); Patty Duke Astin (THE MIRACLE WORKER); and Alex Cord.
I'm not saying that FIRE, or its immediate predecessor FLOOD, are masterpieces by any means; indeed, CGI in today's Hollywood makes even what were nightmarish scenes back in the day painfully old-fashioned. And yes, there is plenty of melodrama to spare, particularly when it comes to Cord and Astin, who are local doctors whose marriage is on the rocks when the firestorm erupts screen.
There's just one thing, though: Strip away the typically melodramatic elements, and what you have is an extremely credible depiction of the kind of disaster that is becoming more and more common in the interior of the western United States. Although the firestorm of this film is arson-caused one, a similar-sized one, caused by fallen electrical lines and hot, dry winds in November 2018, incinerated the town of Paradise, in Butte County in Northern California, and killed eighty-five people. Allen, the Master Of Disaster, might be accused of a lot of things, such as putting spectacle over substance; but not being able to foresee something as extreme as a firestorm isn't one of them.
Airing on NBC on May 8, 1977, a little less than six months after Allen's previous made-for-TV opus FLOOD, and, like that film, directed by Earl Bellamy, FIRE is set in the small town of Silverton, Oregon, where a disgruntled prison camp worker (Neville Brand) sets a fire to cover his escape from the camp, with the help of a fellow convict (Erik Estrada). But the tinder-dry conditions of the surrounding forest and brush pretty soon turn what was a small fire into a monstrous and uncontrollable firestorm. And when push comes to shove, Estrada, together with the camp's chief officer (Gene Evans), agrees to help with trying to put out the horrific horizontal holocaust he partially helped to start. Among those threatened are such all-stars as Ernest Borgnine (MARTY; THE WILD BUNCH); Vera Miles (PSYCHO); Donna Mills (PLAY MISTY FOR ME); Patty Duke Astin (THE MIRACLE WORKER); and Alex Cord.
I'm not saying that FIRE, or its immediate predecessor FLOOD, are masterpieces by any means; indeed, CGI in today's Hollywood makes even what were nightmarish scenes back in the day painfully old-fashioned. And yes, there is plenty of melodrama to spare, particularly when it comes to Cord and Astin, who are local doctors whose marriage is on the rocks when the firestorm erupts screen.
There's just one thing, though: Strip away the typically melodramatic elements, and what you have is an extremely credible depiction of the kind of disaster that is becoming more and more common in the interior of the western United States. Although the firestorm of this film is arson-caused one, a similar-sized one, caused by fallen electrical lines and hot, dry winds in November 2018, incinerated the town of Paradise, in Butte County in Northern California, and killed eighty-five people. Allen, the Master Of Disaster, might be accused of a lot of things, such as putting spectacle over substance; but not being able to foresee something as extreme as a firestorm isn't one of them.
Bland Disaster Film
Michael_Elliott19 January 2017
Fire (1977)
** (out of 4)
Sam (Ernest Borgnine) really loves Martha (Vera Miles) but she says it's too late as they should have acted on this years earlier. A married couple (Patty Duke, Alex Cord) find themselves falling out of love. A teacher (Donna Mills) must make a devastating decision. Oh yeah, there's a convict who starts a fire to try and make an escape and soon this fire is threatening the entire town. The all-star cast then must jump into action.
Producer Irwin Allen struck gold with THE TOWERING INFERNO so why not take that fire a put it in a different location? FIRE was a made-for-television film that comes as a major disappointment and especially if you're a fan of the genre. As you'd expect, there's a great number of familiar stars on hand here and all of them turn in decent enough performances. Obviously most of the cast were just picking up checks for movies like this but it's still fun seeing all of them here. Not only do we get the stars I mentioned but there's also Erik Estrada, Gene Evans, Neville Brand and Lloyd Nolan.
The biggest problem with FIRE is that there's not a single second that you feel any tension. What I really disliked about this movie is that the "good guys" are constantly put in harm's way but there's no a single moment where you feel as if they are in danger. We get some really ridiculous scenes where it seems like the characters are going to die only to have some cliffhanger-style non-sense happen to where everyone is safe. Whenever you're watching a film like this and you can't feel any tension the entire thing is just pointless.
What's worse is that the 100-minute running time seems to drag on and on. There's really not a very good story here as it's all rather routine and especially the various personal dramas that are thrown in. Even the special effects aren't all that great. Sure, one shouldn't expect the same quality as THE TOWERING INFERNO but what's here just isn't all that memorable.
** (out of 4)
Sam (Ernest Borgnine) really loves Martha (Vera Miles) but she says it's too late as they should have acted on this years earlier. A married couple (Patty Duke, Alex Cord) find themselves falling out of love. A teacher (Donna Mills) must make a devastating decision. Oh yeah, there's a convict who starts a fire to try and make an escape and soon this fire is threatening the entire town. The all-star cast then must jump into action.
Producer Irwin Allen struck gold with THE TOWERING INFERNO so why not take that fire a put it in a different location? FIRE was a made-for-television film that comes as a major disappointment and especially if you're a fan of the genre. As you'd expect, there's a great number of familiar stars on hand here and all of them turn in decent enough performances. Obviously most of the cast were just picking up checks for movies like this but it's still fun seeing all of them here. Not only do we get the stars I mentioned but there's also Erik Estrada, Gene Evans, Neville Brand and Lloyd Nolan.
The biggest problem with FIRE is that there's not a single second that you feel any tension. What I really disliked about this movie is that the "good guys" are constantly put in harm's way but there's no a single moment where you feel as if they are in danger. We get some really ridiculous scenes where it seems like the characters are going to die only to have some cliffhanger-style non-sense happen to where everyone is safe. Whenever you're watching a film like this and you can't feel any tension the entire thing is just pointless.
What's worse is that the 100-minute running time seems to drag on and on. There's really not a very good story here as it's all rather routine and especially the various personal dramas that are thrown in. Even the special effects aren't all that great. Sure, one shouldn't expect the same quality as THE TOWERING INFERNO but what's here just isn't all that memorable.
On the money 70's made-for-TV disaster opus
Woodyanders18 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Grizzled convict Larry Durant (Neville Brand in peak crusty form) decides to start a forest fire as a diversion to cover his escape. However, said fire soon gets out of hand and becomes a raging inferno.
Director Earl Bellamy relates the gripping story at a swift pace, makes nice use of the breathtaking sylvan scenery, builds a good deal of tension, and stages the hairy fire set pieces with considerable skill and aplomb. The taut script by Arthur Weiss and Norman Katkov displays a refreshing dearth of pretense and keeps the cornball sappy subplots to an admirable minimum by getting right down to exciting brass tacks after only fifteen minutes of basic setup. Ernest Borgnine delivers a delightfully hearty performance as hearty lumber mill boss Sam Brisbane. Moreover, there are also sturdy acting contributions from Vera Miles as feisty widow Martha Wagner, Alex Cord as the rugged Dr. Alex Wilson, Patty Duke as Alex's fed-up physician spouse Peggy, Erik Estrada as noble Native American felon Frank, Donna Mills as sensitive school teacher Harriett Malone, Lloyd Nolan as the amiable Doc Bennett, Ty Hardin as tough warden Wyatt Fleming, Gene Evans as gruff forest ranger Dan Harter, and Michelle Stacy as adorable little girl in jeopardy Judy. Both Dennis Dalzell's crisp cinematography and Richard LaSalle's spirited score are up to par. Best of all, the fire sequences are convincing and harrowing in equal measure. A neat little teleflick.
Director Earl Bellamy relates the gripping story at a swift pace, makes nice use of the breathtaking sylvan scenery, builds a good deal of tension, and stages the hairy fire set pieces with considerable skill and aplomb. The taut script by Arthur Weiss and Norman Katkov displays a refreshing dearth of pretense and keeps the cornball sappy subplots to an admirable minimum by getting right down to exciting brass tacks after only fifteen minutes of basic setup. Ernest Borgnine delivers a delightfully hearty performance as hearty lumber mill boss Sam Brisbane. Moreover, there are also sturdy acting contributions from Vera Miles as feisty widow Martha Wagner, Alex Cord as the rugged Dr. Alex Wilson, Patty Duke as Alex's fed-up physician spouse Peggy, Erik Estrada as noble Native American felon Frank, Donna Mills as sensitive school teacher Harriett Malone, Lloyd Nolan as the amiable Doc Bennett, Ty Hardin as tough warden Wyatt Fleming, Gene Evans as gruff forest ranger Dan Harter, and Michelle Stacy as adorable little girl in jeopardy Judy. Both Dennis Dalzell's crisp cinematography and Richard LaSalle's spirited score are up to par. Best of all, the fire sequences are convincing and harrowing in equal measure. A neat little teleflick.
You wanna see something funny?
TSMChicago29 December 2003
"Fire!" is an okay disaster flick that was above average in quality for '70s TV flicks. The movie is dead serious but the preview is not.
See how Warner Home Video sold this title by clicking on the trailers icon. It's funny!
See how Warner Home Video sold this title by clicking on the trailers icon. It's funny!
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