WHEN TIME RAN OUT
US, 1980, 108 minutes, Colour.
Paul Newman, Jacqueline Bissett, William Holden, Edward Albert, Red Buttons, Barbara Carrera, Valentina Cortesa, Veronica Hamel, Alex Karras, Burgess Meredith, James Franciscus.
Directed by James Goldstone.
When Time Ran Out is from lavish disaster producer Irwin Allen, who wisely does not direct (after his banal Swarm and Beyond the Poseidon Adventure) but leaves this to James Goldstone, his stellar line-up headed by Paul Newman and William Holden, the usual assortment of guests including James Franciscus as an effective egocentric baddie, Ernest Borgnine with the sentimental role, Burgess Meredith as a 70-year-old high wire veteran saving children, and the special effects - volcano, collapsing bridges etc. It starts like Towering Volcano and for those who have seen this and Allen's Poseidon Adventure (all co-written by Stirling Silliphant), the small group leaving the large and moving to higher ground for survival will have no surprises but offers enjoyable tension.
1. The significance of the title, its tone, atmosphere? The disaster trend and expectations? Fulfilment? The alternate title and the novel: The Day The World Ended?
2. Irwin Allen and his tradition of disaster films during the '70s? The merits of this in comparison with the others? Similarity of treatment, plot, style? Stars? The importance of the leads., the stars who act as guests? Panavision and colour photography, Hawaiian locations? The quality of the special effects?
3. Hawaii and its beauty. the visual impact of the islands,, volcanoes and their menace, their history? The discovery of oil and the imbalance in nature? Tourism, hotels, the exotic? Hawaiian traditions and customs? The build-up to disaster? The musical score and the dramatics?
4. The appeal of disaster films during the '70s? Audience interest, identification, fear, death? Choices for survival? The vicarious experience of dangers? Seeing the alternative and destruction?
5. The quality of the screenplay: the basic establishing of situations, place, goodies and baddies, the hints for coming disaster, the contemporary issues of big business, exploitation, resources, preservation of resources? The build-up to confrontation, decisions, the final trek to escape?
6. Audiences identifying with the characters, the situations? Real, fantasy, exotic? The participation in fear, dangers, deaths? Heroics?
7. The opening with Bob walking through the volcano, the build-up of the volcano and its explosion? The vehicle going down into the core of the volcano and the hazards and threats? Webster and his opinions, his experiencing the danger in the vehicle? The oil and its gusher? Hank and Bob and their confrontation about the volcano? Bob and his lies? Shelby Gilmour and his trust in Bob?
8. The background of tourism, hotels, wealthy clientele? Shelby and his arrival with his assistant? The plane trip, their arrival? The meeting of the guests? Bob and Shelby as partners and his trusting his word?
9. The character of Bob Spangler, his relationship with Nikki? The marrying her for her money? His stubbornness, his antagonism towards his dead father and his final outburst against his portrait, his capacity for lies, trying to blame Hank in front of the crowd? His decision to stay at the hotel? The betrayal of Nikki and his liaison with Iolani? The hurt to Nikki? His clash with Brian? The portrait of a villain for this kind of melodrama?
10. Hank as a Paul Newman hero? His work at the oil gusher, his apprehensions about the vibrations, his caution with the men, his going down the bucket into the volcano, his snubbing of Kay, his encounters with her especially in the corridor at the lift, her presence in his office, his relenting, the picnic and the transition to disaster, the helicopter ride, his relying on her during the trek? Kay as conventional heroine - as a career woman, her decision to be with Shelby, her rejection of his proposal, her being hurt by Hank, her explaining her case, her heroism during the trek?
11. The establishing of the basic situation and the disaster, the potential for the guests to participate in the trek, the presenting of decisions, the journey to safety? Satisfying suspense adventure material?
12. The sub-plot about Mona and Charlie, the workers and the cockfight, the decisions to move away, the dramatics and special effects of the tidal wave? The rescue of the children? The helicopter ride and the fall?
13. The workers and their decision to stay on the job despite the warnings, their death and its meaning?
14. The use of the Hawaiian landscapes and mountains for the adventures, the helicopter rescue of Nikki from the horse stud, the children and their being on the trek, Rene and his wife and their background of tightrope walking, Rose's death, Rene's decision to save the children, his tightrope walking and helping of Hank?
15. The establishment of Fendly as a criminal, his playing tennis, his walking, his being pursued by Tom Conti? Conti and his threats? His being burnt and blinded? Fendly's help, guiding him around the cliffs, the final resolution of their antagonism - Fendly with twenty minutes' head start?
16. The special effects with the lava, the fireball, the helicopter ride, the burns, the long bridge sequence and its impact? Brian and his knowledge of the terrain and his leadership? The struggles for the individuals to get across the bridge, the deaths, Mona and her fear, Conti and Fendly and the possible disaster, Rene and his balance. Hank and saving the little girl?
17. The happy ending - portrait of human nature, adventure story, the plausibility of this kind of disaster, the possibilities in human behaviour - especially as presented by people jeering Hank and the group in their escape?
