Earthquake Rumbles and Rattles!

Genevieve Bujold and Charlton Heston.

Rumble...rumble. That's the sound of Earthquake (1974), one of several big budget, all-star disaster movies made in the 1970s. Airport (1970) perfected the formula, but it was The Poseidon Adventure (1972) that inspired a dozen or so imitations (not counting the spoofs The Big Bus and Airplane!). Still, Earthquake had one thing that these other disaster pics didn't have--and that was Sensurround. But before we delve into that thunderous technology, let's take a look at the plot.

Ava Gardner and Loren Greene.

Charlton Heston stars as Stewart Graff, a former football player-turned-engineer who, along with other Los Angeles residents, feels an earth tremor in the film's opening scenes. Stewart is coping with a high-strung wife (Ava Gardner) who fakes suicides, while becoming attracted to a young widow (Genevieve Bujold).

Disaster film vet Kennedy also played
a cop on The Blue Knight TV series.

Meanwhile, street cop George Kennedy is suspended after punching a fellow officer (who deserved it, of course) and a motorcycle daredevil (Richard Roundtree) prepares to perform a stunt worthy of Evel Knieval. And then there's the creepy grocery store employee (Marjoe Gortner) who moonlights as a National Guardsman.

While all these folks shrug off the tremor, a young seismology student (Kip Niven) predicts that the Big One is coming. Little does he know that one of his bosses has already died as a result of a crack in the Earth and that a city employee has mysteriously drowned in an elevator shaft at the dam....

Earthquake, which was co-written by Mario Puzo--yes, the author of The Godfather!--differs in scope from most disaster films. Its tapestry is an entire city, not just a towering inferno or a cruise ship turned upside down. Puzo and co-writer George Fox do a nice job of introducing the characters and then weaving them into a single storyline after the earthquake decimates the city.

The big quake, which constitutes a seven-minute sequence--still looks impressive. Yes, there are some obvious miniature sets in some clips, but one can see why Earthquake earned an Oscar for Best Special Effects. The effects team included acclaimed matte artist Albert Whitlock, who was likely responsible for the eerie closing shot of a crumbling, burning L.A. Earthquake also won an Oscar for Best Sound and that brings us to...

Los Angeles in shambles after the first big quake.

Sensurround, which was the brand name for a sound system that allowed theater audiences to "feel" the rumbles from the earthquake by using low-frequency sound waves. According to Shared Pleasures: A History of Movie Presentation in the United States, theater owners rented special speakers and an amplifier for $500 a week when showing a Sensurround movie. While the new technology may have contributed to Earthquake's boxoffice clout, it barely survived the 1970s. It was used in a handful of other films such as Midway (1976) and Rollercoaster (1977). However, the introduction of Dolby high-fidelity stereo had attracted far more attention by the end of the decade.

When Earthquake made its broadcast television debut on NBC in 1976, the movie was expanded into a two-night "event." The running time was extended by inserting leftover footage and filming new scenes, including a subplot about an airplane unable to land due to the quake. My recommendation is to steer clear of that inflated edition and stick with the 123-minute version. It may not be great filmmaking, but it's one of the better disaster movies and the cast seems fully engaged.

By the way, that is Victoria Principal (shown on the right) as the the frizzy-haired Rosa, four years before she starred in Dallas. At one time, she and George Kennedy were among those scheduled to star in an Earthquake sequel. Also, although you may not see Walter Matthau's name in the credits, that's him (of course) as the drunk in the bar. He asked to be credited as Walter Matuschanskayasky.

Discovering the Ava Gardner Museum: An Interview with Its Executive Director Deanna Brandenberger

The Ava Gardner Museum opened its doors at its permanent location officially in October 2000 in downtown Smithfield, North Carolina--which is eight miles west of Ava's birthplace. However, the idea for it was conceived much earlier by Thomas M. Banks, who met Ava when he was 12 and she was 18 in Atlantic Christian College in Wilson, NC. When Ava went to Hollywood to pursue acting, Tom became fascinated by her career. He went on to work as a publicist briefly for Columbia Pictures and later earned a Ph.D. in psychology. He married his wife, Lorraine, in 1960 and the couple started collecting Ava Gardner memorabilia. They visited Ava Gardner in 1978 and discussed donating their collection to a university. Ava, however, suggested that they display the memorabilia in her home state. In 1980, Tom and Lorraine bought The Brogden Teacherage where Ava had lived as a child. They operated a museum in the summer months for several years. When Tom died in 1989, Lorraine donated their Ava Gardner collection to the Town of Smithfield. The Ava Gardner Museum Foundation was incorporated in 1996 and the 6,400 square foot museum opened four years later. It now houses over 20,000 pieces of memorabilia and is visited by 10,000 Ava Gardner fans annually.

Deanna Brandenberger, Museum Executive Director of the Ava Gardner Museum, recently spoke with us about the museum and the Ava Gardner Festival that starts this week.

Café: What are some of the most popular items in the museum? Any unique ones that warrant a special mention?

The dress from The Great Sinner.

Deanna Brandenberger: The most popular items are the black velvet dress she wore in the film The Great Sinner, as well as the Bert Pfeiffer paintings. The dress is a sheer work of art and very opulent despite the design’s simplicity. One thing it prompts people to comment upon is how small Ava’s waist was. She actually had an 18-20 inch waist despite having a hearty appetite for down-home Southern cuisine. The Bert Pfeiffer paintings are unique because of his admiration displayed in innovative ways. Despite never meeting her, he certainly seemed to capture various aspects of her personality and visage. He often incorporated oddities (such as a mouse running up her arm or tables without legs) and guests love to browse the gallery to see if they can spot anything whimsical that he may have painted. Even Ava approved of the art. She owned three herself that hung in her London apartment till her death. Those particular three are on display in the theater.

Café: What can you tell us about your upcoming Ava Gardner Festival on October 3-5?

DB: The festival is our 14th annual celebration of the museum’s opening in this location and is also our main fundraiser. As a non-profit, we rely solely upon the income of our visitors and the generous donations to help provide the funding necessary to operate and maintain our facility. Each festival has its own theme; this year’s is “Ava’s Closet: Her Personal Fashion and Style.” On Friday evening, we have a Fashion Fling party which will feature the unveiling of the Ava’s Closet exhibit with never-before-seen wardrobes of her glamor--her everyday--and her intimate-wear; the Sinatra-style entertainment of The Carolina Crooner; and hors d’ouevres and local wines and beers provided by the new downtown restaurant Serendipity Road. Saturday, we will feature a talk by our celebrity guest, Season 12 Project Runway fashion designer and upcoming All-Star Justin LeBlanc, followed by a meet and greet, all from 9-11am. Heritage Tours of significant spots in Ava’s childhood and her gravesite will take place throughout the day. With admission, there will also be free movie screenings of The Killers and The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean. Saturday evening, the festivities will move to the Clayton Center as we team up with the Clayton Piano Festival in their special tribute to Ava in Show Boat and her love of flamenco followed by a meet-and-greet with the artist, and a dessert and coffee reception. On Sunday, the museum will host extended hours from 1-5pm and will show a screening of The African Queen (directed by Ava’s friend John Huston; and following on the Raleigh film festival’s tribute series to him), which is free with admission. Prices and packaging information can be found on our website, www.avagardner.org or by calling us directly at (919) 934-5830.

Café: Back to Bert Pfeiffer, who was he and why did he add such offbeat embellishments as a mouse on Ava's sleeve?

DB: Bert Pfeiffer was a Dutch artist who saw Ava in One Touch of Venus in 1948 and was captivated by her beauty. Every year for the next 50 years, he painted a different painting of Ava, despite never meeting her. Some of Ava’s traveling friends happened upon his gallery and asked if she would like one of his paintings. She replied that she would purchase three; they are now displayed in the theater.  Pfeiffer’s family donated his collection to the museum after his death in accordance with his wishes. No one is really certain why Pfeiffer chose to display these different embellishments in many of the paintings; although they don’t appear in every one. It is usually chalked up to artist expression. The museum gift shop is honoring Pfeiffer by releasing a limited edition postcard of one of Pfeiffer’s paintings every year, beginning in 2014.

Café: How did Gregory Peck get involved with the Ava Gardner Museum?

DB: Gregory Peck and Ava were lifelong friends after starring together in The Great Sinner (1949). They would go on to star in two other films together and had a wonderful time. After Ava’s death, Peck took in Ava’s housekeeper and friend Carmen Vargas, as well as Ava’s beloved corgi, Morgan. Peck visited the museum before his death while filming in Raleigh. He was a member of the Honorary Advisory Board and held an open position on our Board of Directors to offer his input and support to the museum. His family still maintains ties with us and we are very honored to announce that his daughter Cecilia Peck Voll and Carmen will both continue by sitting on the new Honorary Advisory Board in the future.  

Café: What is the Ava Gardner Heritage Trail?

DB: The Ava Gardner Heritage Trail is a project that was recently finished, thanks to the support of The Winston-Salem Foundation. The trail highlights geographical points of interest regarding Ava’s life and her family history here in Johnston County, North Carolina. The trail map is displayed in the museum and fliers with a brief historical synopsis and directions are provided to guests free of charge.

Café: What are some of your personal favorites of Ava's movies?

Ava in The Barefoot Contessa.

DB: My favorite movie of Ava’s is The Barefoot Contessa. Although the character role was said to be loosely based on Rita Hayworth, I still find many personal parallels to Ava’s own life. There is a beautiful soliloquy where Maria Vargas (Ava’s character) explains to Bogart how she always felt comforted with her feet in the dirt as she grew up in poverty, at least she was grounded by that visceral moment. There is a real-life story of Ava running barefoot through tobacco fields here in Johnston County. Her character went from feet in the dirt to movie star, just like Ava. I love the veracity of Ava’s portrayal. Another favorite film is Mogambo. Ava used to go to the movies here in her hometown and watch Clark Gable in Red Dust. She always thought how wonderful he was and dreamed of starring in a movie with him. Little did she know she would eventually shoot the remake in Mogambo and star opposite Clark Gable. That must have been wonderful kismet for her. I like hearing how dreams come true--she is definitely our country's Cinderella. Ava’s characters were always believable because on some level she could relate to them. That makes her timeless.

Café: Are you working on any new displays for 2015?

DB: We are currently in talks with other institutions who house pieces of Ava memorabilia. Our goal is to get loans for some iconic artifacts which our visitors can see all in one place. There are no specific exhibit plans in place, but we are always brainstorming. Before very long, we will outline something new for the following year. So we will keep you updated!

Café: What advice would you give to an Ava Gardner fan visiting the museum for the first time? 

The entrance to the museum.

DB: Not very long ago, before my dreams of running this museum were realized, I myself was just a visitor. One of the things I was most struck by--and the comment I hear by most of our guests--is how impressive the gallery-style setup is and how professionally the museum is laid out. I honestly expected little more than someone’s living room with a bunch of movie memorabilia tacked on the walls and maybe a dress or two. I was completely blown away by the facility. We have 6400 square feet of space in the building and it houses a diversity of items. Not only do we have items of Ava’s, we have items from family, from husbands (such as Mickey Rooney and Frank Sinatra), and we even have our own theater and Ava’s personal library. My biggest piece of advice to visitors is to leave enough time to properly see the museum. We recommend no less than an hour. We first introduce you to Ava with an 18-minute biography in the theater and then allow you to peruse the gallery and library. There is so much to see, it is almost impossible without a few hours. But what’s the hurry? Take lunch at a diner, visit our local shops, see a movie at the antique theater where Ava sat, and see what Historical Downtown Smithfield has to offer!

You can learn more about the Ava Gardner Museum by visiting its excellent web site at www.avagardner.org, "liking" it on Facebook, and following it on Twitter.  All photos, except for The Barefoot Contessa, are courtesy of the Ava Gardner Museum and the permission to use them is on a project-by-project basis.

Whistle Stop (1946): She was trouble for every guy who made a play for her!

Whistle Stop (1946). Director: Leonide Mogur. Cast: George Raft, Ava Gardner, Victor McLaglen, Tom Conway, and Jane Nigh.

When Mary returns home to sell her house, her first stop is to visit Molly Veech. Mary was in love with Molly's son Kenny, a lazy bum who's stuck in a small town, indulged by his mother. Mary is disappointed to learn Kenny still spends his nights gambling and drinking. That night at dinner, Kenny becomes jealous when Mary receives roses from Lew, the owner of the town's hotel and bar, and goes into town with her when she goes to thank him. Lew is watched by Kenny and his girlfriend, Fran. Kenny and Lew's animosity results in antagonism and arguments as they compete for Mary's affections. Later, when Kenny sees the bartender in Lew's club, he suggests that he and Kenny steal the money from the local carnival earnings and then murder Lew. At first, Kenny says "no", but when Mary tells him that she is leaving town, he may decide to go through with it. The results could be deadly, but.. for who?.

Even though this movie seemed clunky at times, I did enjoy Victor McLaglen's performance in the role of the bartender. As for Ava Gardner, she is perfect for the part and she gives an excellent performance, in this "B" film. Tom Conway also does an excellent job of playing an evil and ruthless nightclub owner. This may not be George Raft's best performance, but he was fun to watch..

Click to view the movie: Whistle Stop.


George Raft, was best known for his portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. George Raft, is also known for his role in Some Like it Hot, Scarface (1932), Bolero (1934), and They Drive by Night (1940).


Jane Nigh was discovered in 1944 by Arthur Wenzler while working in a defense plant. She later signed a contract with Fox studios. She performed in movies such as Give My Regards to Broadway, Sitting Pretty, Dragonwyck and Laura (uncredited).

Show Boat Has a Good Flowing Story

The 1951 remake of Show Boat is one of my favorite movie musicals. It was directed by George Sidney, who also helmed such famous musicals as Annie Get Your Gun (1950), Kiss Me Kate (1953), and Bye Bye Birdie (1963) in addition to The Three Musketeers (1948) and Scaramouche (1953). Howard Keel was the leading man in Show Boat, which co-starred the talented Kathryn Grayson. Keel was also in Annie Get Your Gun and starred with Kathryn Grayson again in two other musicals: Kiss Me Kate and Lovely to Look At (1952). The movie Show Boat is based on a book by Edna Ferber. Jerome Kern wrote the music and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the script and song lyrics. It is one of MGM’s most popular musicals. There are quite a few differences between this remake and the 1936 original version. Many movie critics like the earlier one better, although the 1951 remake is more elaborate and the running time is shorter. I have never seen the 1936 version of Show Boat.

The story takes place at the end of the nineteenth century when river boats were still popular. The name of this show boat is the “Cotton Blossom.” It is not a passenger boat, but simply a boat that performs musical entertainment to towns along the Mississippi River. The “Cotton Blossom” is owned by Andy Hawks (Joe E. Brown) and his wife, Parthy (Agnes Moorehead). They have a grown daughter named Magnolia (I love that name), whom they call Nolie (played by Kathryn Grayson). Magnolia is good friends with the Julie LaVerne (Ava Gardner), who is the leading performer in the musical show along with her husband, Steve Baker (Robert Sterling). Magnolia looks up to Julie as a big sister. Along comes Gaylord Ravenal (Howard Keel), a riverboat gambler looking for a job as an actor on the show boat. He is instantly attracted to Magnolia. They sing “Make Believe” which becomes their love song. Julie sees quickly that Ravenal is smitten with Magnolia, who comes to Julie and asks her about being in love. Julie sings the song “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man.” (Ava Gardner’s voice is dubbed by a singer named Annette Warren. However in the MGM soundtrack album, Ava Gardner actually sings the song.)

Trouble begins when a man named Pete (Leif Erickson), who works on the show boat, finds out that Julie has given a necklace he gave her to a black woman. Julie tries to get away from him and her husband, Steve, hits him. Joe is mad at Julie and knows a secret about her that will cause her to be fired from the show. He goes to the local sheriff and tells him that Julie’s father was white and her mother was black. He adds that Julie is married to a white man. The sheriff goes to the “Cotton Blossom” and confronts Julie, Steve, and Mr. Hawks since interracial marriages are against the law. Mr. Hawks does not want to, but has to let Julie go. Steve leaves with her. Before Julie leaves, Magnolia gives her an early Christmas gift that she made herself. As Julie and Steve depart the show boat,” Joe (William Warfield), who works on the boat, sings the famous “Ol’ Man River” song as the fog rolls in off the river.

Mr. Hawk comes up with the idea of his daughter, Magnolia, and Gaylord Ravenal taking over as the lead performers in his musical show. The two soon fall deeply in love. Parthy Hawks is not happy with her daughter getting involved with a river gambler. She tells Ravenal he is not to kiss her daughter during any play performances and watches the two “like a hawk”. Every chance they get Magnolia and Ravenal sneak in a kiss. When they tell Magnolia’s parents they want to marry, Mr. Hawks is delighted—but not Parthy. So, Magnolia and Ravenal leave the “Cotton Blossom.”

They move into an expensive hotel in Chicago. At first, they are happy singing “You Are in Love” and “Why Do I Love You.” Ravenal gambles and makes a lot of money. He buys Magnolia jewels and spends his money lavishly. However, his luck begins to run out and he owes debts. Magnolia offers him her jewels to sell, saying she loves him and not the money. Her husband sells them and loses all the money. He leaves Magnolia without telling her, not realizing that his wife is pregnant. Magnolia is forced to find a job to support herself and her baby. Julie finds out about Magnolia hardships. Julie’s story is heart retching and the saddest part of the story. She does two courageous and compassionate things that change Magnolia’s life. I cannot tell you the rest of the story without spoiling it.

The plot of Show Boat is not the usual happy, simple plot of most musicals. It is more like a drama with musical performances. The film’s background is quite interesting. Judy Garland was chosen to play Julie, but her contract with MGM has ended by the time the part was available. The next choices were Dinah Shore and Lena Horne, but they were dropped. Ava Gardner won the role and did an outstanding job. George Sidney was sick for several days and associate producer Roger Edens had to take over for him. He directed the scene with the fog when Julie and her husband left the show boat and William Warfield sang “Ol Man River.” Many critics say this was the best and most original scene in the movie. Roger Edens’ name is not listed in the credits. Edens searched for the singer to play Joe who sang “Ol Man River,” and he discovered the unknown William Warfield.

The most famous line in the movie is Joe E. Brown’s Andy Hawks. who is drunk on New Year’s Eve. saying “Hap---py New Year!” Notice how Agnes Moorehead as Parthy uses it in the ending. Leif Erickson’s name is misspelled in the credits as “Lief.” Ava Gardner’s Julie plays a big sister role to Kathryn Grayson’s Magnolia, but both actresses were born year in 1922. Both grew up in North Carolina towns too. Ava was born near Smithfield, NC and Kathryn Grayson in Winston-Salem, NC. When Kathryn Grayson died last March, the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield did a tribute to her. Howard Keel was known as a fine singer, but also played dramatic roles, such as Clayton Farlow on the Dallas television show from 1981-1991.

The water used as the Mississippi River was the lake built for the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies made at MGM Studios. It was on a back lot and was called The Lagoon. An amusement park bought the boat in 1973 for one of its attractions and it was taken apart in 1995.

Show Boat boasts an engrossing story, a terrific cast, and marvelous music and songs. Try to see the new DVD, which features clear, beautiful color.