Earthquake (1974)

Overview

Earthquake (1974) was released at the peak of the 1970s disaster movie craze, a trend kicked off by Airport (1970) and further fuelled by The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and The Towering Inferno (also 1974). But Earthquake distinguished itself not only through its large-scale urban devastation but also through the innovative use of "Sensurround", a then-revolutionary theatre sound system designed to simulate the rumble of an actual quake.

Combining an ensemble cast, an emotionally charged melodrama, and impressive (for the time) special effects, Earthquake delivers both spectacle and sentimentality in a way that defined the genre for the rest of the decade.

Plot Summary (Spoiler-Free)

Set in Los Angeles, the film follows a group of disparate characters whose lives intersect in the lead-up to and aftermath of a massive, city-levelling earthquake.

Charlton Heston plays Stewart Graff, a structural engineer stuck in a loveless marriage with the neurotic and manipulative Remy (played by Ava Gardner), who is the daughter of Stewart’s powerful boss (Lorne Greene).

Stewart is having an affair with Denise Marshall (Geneviève Bujold), a widowed actress with a young son, adding emotional tension to his personal life.

George Kennedy appears as Slade, a gruff LAPD officer who tries to maintain order as the city descends into chaos.

Richard Roundtree plays a daredevil motorcyclist involved in a subplot involving a high-stakes stunt.

Marjoe Gortner plays Miles, a disturbed grocery store clerk and part-time National Guardsman who becomes one of the film's darker elements post-disaster.

When the long-feared earthquake finally hits (about halfway through the film), the movie transitions from slow-burn drama to full-throttle disaster spectacle, showcasing collapsing buildings, exploding power plants, flooded sewers, and a city literally torn apart.

Themes and Genre Context

Man vs. Nature

Like most disaster films, Earthquake is a modern morality tale about humanity’s hubris in the face of nature's raw power. The quake itself is apolitical, indiscriminate, and inevitable — highlighting the fragility of civilization and infrastructure.

Urban Anxiety and 1970s Cynicism

Set in Los Angeles, the film plays on the real-life fear of “The Big One” — a major seismic event long predicted to hit California. The 1970s were a time of social and political disillusionment, and Earthquake reflects that with its bleak tone, fractured relationships, and a vision of society crumbling under pressure — both literally and figuratively.

Personal Redemption and Sacrifice

Several characters, especially Stewart Graff, face moral reckonings. The disaster forces them to confront who they really are and what they value. This personal journey is a common throughline in disaster films, offering character arcs amid the spectacle.

Direction and Cinematography

Mark Robson, known for dramas like Peyton Place and Valley of the Dolls, brings a surprisingly traditional, old-Hollywood directorial approach to Earthquake. While the pacing in the first half is slow (at times bordering on soap opera), Robson builds tension effectively through quiet foreshadowing — tremors, warnings, scientific debates — until the inevitable eruption of catastrophe.

The cinematography by Philip H. Lathrop captures both the grandeur and intimacy of the story. Wide shots of Los Angeles are used to great effect, contrasting with claustrophobic interiors that collapse into chaos during the quake.

Performances

Charlton Heston as Stewart Graff

Heston brings gravitas to the film, as usual. He’s the archetypal 1970s disaster film protagonist: stoic, square-jawed, conflicted. While not particularly nuanced, he delivers a solid and commanding performance that anchors the film’s emotional arc.

Ava Gardner as Remy Royce-Graff

Gardner plays against type as a neurotic, clingy wife — older than Heston despite playing his boss's daughter, a choice that attracted criticism even at the time. Her performance is melodramatic but in line with the genre’s operatic tone.

George Kennedy as Slade

Kennedy, a disaster film regular, plays a no-nonsense, blue-collar hero. His character’s blend of grit and compassion offers a grounded counterpoint to the more soapy narratives around him.

Marjoe Gortner as Miles

Perhaps the film’s most unsettling subplot, Miles’ descent into madness and violence in the post-quake anarchy adds a surprisingly dark psychological edge. Gortner plays him with chilling intensity — veering into exploitation, but memorable nonetheless.

Special Effects and Sound

The real star of Earthquake is the spectacle:

Miniature Sets: Entire sections of L.A. were recreated with scale models that are impressively detailed for the time. Watching skyscrapers buckle and highways collapse remains viscerally effective.

Practical Effects: Collapsing buildings, burst pipes, falling debris, and shaky camera work immerse the viewer in the chaos.

Sensurround: This revolutionary audio system used low-frequency speakers to create physical vibrations in theatres. It was a game-changer for immersive cinema and won a Special Achievement Oscar for Sound Effects.

While modern audiences may find the effects dated, they were state-of-the-art in 1974 and inspired later disaster blockbusters like Independence Day and San Andreas.

Reception and Legacy

Critical Reception

Mixed to positive upon release. Critics praised the effects and scale but criticized the melodrama and character clichés.

The dialogue and interpersonal drama were seen as overly soapy — yet par for the course in disaster epics.

Box Office Success

A major box office hit and one of the top-grossing films of 1974.

Helped solidify the disaster genre as a dominant force in 1970s Hollywood.

Influence

Paved the way for larger, more ensemble-driven disaster films like The Towering Inferno (which surpassed it that same year).

The use of Sensurround was so impactful that it was used in subsequent films like Midway and Rollercoaster.

Continues to influence disaster cinema, especially earthquake films, and is referenced frequently in pop culture.

Conclusion

Earthquake (1974) is a quintessential 1970s disaster movie: ambitious, flawed, thrilling, and deeply reflective of its era. It combines technical innovation with human drama, even if the latter occasionally falls into soap opera territory. Its success helped define a genre and offered audiences a sense of awe — and dread — that only nature’s wrath could deliver on such a scale.

Today, it stands as both a time capsule and a technical milestone — more than a guilty pleasure, but less than a masterpiece.

A flawed but fascinating disaster epic with ground breaking spectacle and enduring influence.