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Films with theme "Disaster films", sorted by production date
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The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
, 1h3Directed by Irving Pichel, Ernest B. Schoedsack
Origin USA
Genres Thriller, Fantastic, Action, Adventure, Horror
Themes Seafaring films, Transport films, Films about automobiles, Serial killer films, Road movies, Chase films, Disaster films, Films about seafaring accidents or incidents
Actors Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Leslie Banks, Robert Armstrong, Noble Johnson, Hale Hamilton
In 1932, a luxury yacht is sailing through a channel off the western coast of South America. The captain is worried about the channel lights not matching the charts, but is quickly dissuaded from changing course by the wealthy passengers for the sake of time, including famous big game hunter and author Bob Rainsford (Joel McCrea). It is a calm evening, with the cheerful passengers relaxing over drinks and a game of cards. Bob and his companions are debating about whether hunting is at all sporting for the animal being hunted after a friend asks if he would exchange places with a tiger he had recently hunted in Africa. Bob replies that there are two kinds of people in the world: those who hunt and those who are hunted.
White Zombie (1932)
, 1h7Directed by Victor Halperin
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Horror
Themes Medical-themed films, Seafaring films, Transport films, Zombie films, Films about viral outbreaks, Disaster films
Actors Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn, John Harron, Robert Frazer, Frederick Peters
On arrival in Haiti, Madeleine Short reunites with her fiancé Neil Parker, with imminent plans to be married. On the way to their lodging, the couple's coach passes Murder Legendre, an evil voodoo master, who observes them with interest and manages to grab Madeleine's scarf. Neil and Madeleine arrive at the home of the wealthy plantation owner, Charles Beaumont. Charles's love of Madeleine prompts him to meet Murder secretly in Murder's sugar cane mill, operated entirely by zombies. Charles wants to convince Madeleine to marry him and solicits Murder's supernatural assistance. Murder states that the only way to help Charles is to transform Madeleine into a zombie with a potion. Beaumont agrees and surreptitiously gives the potion to Madeleine. Shortly after Madeleine and Neil's wedding ceremony, the potion takes effect on Madeleine and she appears to die. After her funeral, Murder and Charles enter Madeleine's tomb at night and Murder revives her as a zombie. Drunk and depressed, Neil imagines ghostly apparitions of Madeleine and goes to her tomb. Finding it empty, Neil seeks assistance from the local missionary, Dr. Bruner, who recounts how Murder turned many of his rivals into zombies, who now guard his estate. The two men journey to Murder's cliffside castle to rescue Madeleine.
Hook and Ladder (1932)
Directed by Robert F. McGowan
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Themes Children's films, Disaster films
Actors Dickie Moore, George McFarland, Stymie Beard, Dorothy DeBorba, Sherwood Bailey, Buddy McDonald
Answering the Fire Chief's request for volunteers, the Our Gang kids form their own firefighting squadron, replete with ersatz uniforms, a fire pole, a dog-and-cat-powered alarm, and a jerry-built fire engine that must be seen to be believed. After a few false alarms and delays, the kids are afforded the opportunity to put out a real fire, which they do with the expertise of veteran smoke-eaters.
End of the World (1931)
, 1h45Directed by Abel Gance
Origin France
Genres Science fiction
Themes La fin du monde, Impact events in fiction, Disaster films
Actors Victor Francen, Abel Gance, Colette Darfeuil, Sylvie Gance, Samson Fainsilber, Jeanne Brindeau
The film opens with Jean Novalic (Abel Gance) playing Jesus Christ in a passion play. Isabelle Bolin (Sylvie Grenade) attends with her boyfriend stock promoter Schomburg (Samson Fainsilber) who is entranced by the blonde actress playing Mary Magdalene, Genevieve de Murcie (Colette Darfeuil). Genevieve defies her scientist father Monsieur de Murcie (Jean d'Yd) to propose to Jean, who tells her that they cannot marry. Back home, Genevieve's father, jealous of the wealthy Martial Novalic (Victor Francen)'s fame, accepts money from Schomburg to build an observatory better than Novalic's. Schomburg then announces his intention to court de Murcie's daughter.
Heroes of the Flames (1931)
Directed by Robert Hill
Origin USA
Themes Disaster films
Actors Tim McCoy, Walter Brennan, Joe Bonomo, Bruce Cabot, Gayne Whitman, William Gould
This script must be run from the command line
Soup to Nuts (1930)
, 1h10Directed by Benjamin Stoloff
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Romance
Themes Buddy films, Disaster films
Actors Ted Healy, Charles Winninger, Lucile Browne, Hallam Cooley, Shemp Howard, Moe Howard
Ted Healy is a salesman for the Schmidt Costume Shop who likes to hang out at the fire station where Moe (billed as "Harry Howard"), Larry and Shemp (along with Fred Sanborn) work. Old man Schmidt spends more time building crazy inventions (typical of devices by writer/cartoonist Rube Goldberg) than tending to his business; as a consequence he is bankrupt and his business is taken over by his creditors, who send a young man named Carlson to manage the business. Carlson immediately falls for Mr. Schmidt's niece, Louise, but she resists him.
Young Eagles (1930)
, 1h12Directed by William A. Wellman
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Romance
Themes Spy films, Prison films, Transport films, Aviation films, Political films, Disaster films, Films about aviation accidents or incidents
Actors Buddy Rogers, Jean Arthur, Paul Lukas, Stuart Erwin, Virginia Bruce, Gordon De Main
Lieutenant Robert Banks (Buddy Rogers), a young American aviator in the Lafayette Escadrille, on leave in Paris, meets Mary Gordon (Jean Arthur), a young American living abroad. Their romance is cut short by his return to the front. In an air battle, Robert brings down and captures von Baden, nicknamed the "Grey Eagle" (Paul Lukas), and takes him to Allied headquarters in Paris, to obtain intelligence on German plans.
Atlantic (1929)
, 1h30Directed by Ewald André Dupont
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama
Themes La fin du monde, Seafaring films, Transport films, RMS Titanic in fiction, Films based on plays, Disaster films, Films about seafaring accidents or incidents
Actors Franklin Dyall, Madeleine Carroll, Ellaline Terriss, John Stuart, Monty Banks, Donald Calthrop
Atlantic is a drama film based on the RMS Titanic and set aboard a fictional ship, called the Atlantic. The main plotline revolves around a man who has a shipboard affair with a fellow passenger, which is eventually discovered by his wife. The ship also has aboard an elderly couple, the Rools, who are on their anniversary cruise. Midway across the Atlantic Ocean, the Atlantic strikes an iceberg and is damaged to the point where it is sinking into the Atlantic. A shortage of lifeboats causes the crew to only allow women and children in (though the captain allows a few men to take to the last remaining boats as the disaster reaches its zenith) and many couples are separated. Mrs. Rool refuses to leave her husband and after the boats are gone all the passengers gather on the deck and sing "Nearer, My God, to Thee" as the Atlantic sinks into the ocean. The final scenes depict a group of passengers saying the Lord's Prayer in a flooding lounge.
Atlantik (1929)
, 1h54Directed by Ewald André Dupont
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Historical
Themes Seafaring films, Transport films, Films based on plays, Disaster films, Films about seafaring accidents or incidents
Actors Fritz Kortner, Heinrich Schroth, Elsa Wagner, Julia Serda, Lucie Mannheim, Francis Lederer
Noah's Ark (1928)
, 2h15Directed by Michael Curtiz, Darryl F. Zanuck, Anthony Coldeway
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Musical
Themes Films about religion, Musical films, Political films, Films based on the Bible, Films about Jews and Judaism, Disaster films
Actors Dolores Costello, George O'Brien, Noah Beery Sr., Louise Fazenda, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Paul McAllister
The film opens after the great flood, with Noah and his family outside of the Ark praising the Lord. Then comes depictions of the building of the Tower of Babel and the worshipping of the golden calf. Then it switches to the eve of World War I. The theme of the gold calf is carried forward by a scene in which a bankrupted trader (Otto Hoffman) shoots his uncaring stockbroker.
Wings (1927)
, 2h19Directed by William A. Wellman, Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Action, Romance
Themes Transport films, Aviation films, Political films, Disaster films, Films about aviation accidents or incidents
Actors Clara Bow, Buddy Rogers, Richard Arlen, Gary Cooper, Jobyna Ralston, El Brendel
Jack Powell and David Armstrong are rivals in the same small American town, both vying for the attentions of pretty Sylvia Lewis. Jack fails to realize that "the girl next door", Mary Preston, is desperately in love with him. The two young men both enlist to become combat pilots in the Air Service. When they leave for training camp, Jack mistakenly believes Sylvia prefers him. She actually prefers David and lets him know about her feelings, but is too kindhearted to turn down Jack's affection.
Robinson Crusoe (1927)
, 1h5Origin United-kingdom
Genres Adventure
Themes Seafaring films, Transport films, Films based on Robinson Crusoe, Disaster films, Films about seafaring accidents or incidents
Actors Fay Compton
Old San Francisco (1927)
, 1h28Directed by Alan Crosland
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Historical, Romance
Themes Disaster films, Films about earthquakes
Actors Dolores Costello, Warner Oland, Anna May Wong, Charles Emmett Mack, Josef Swickard, Anders Randolf
Chris Buckwell, cruel and greedy czar of San Francisco's tenderloin, is heartless in his persecution of the Chinese, though he himself is secretly a half-caste. Buckwell, eager to possess the land of Don Hernández Vásquez, sends Michael Brandon, an unscrupulous attorney, to make an offer. Brandon's nephew, Terrence, meets the grandee's beautiful daughter, Dolores, while Vásquez refuses the offer. Terry tries to save the Vásquez land grants, but when Chris causes the grandee's death, Dolores takes an oath to avenge her father. Learning that Chris is a half-caste, Dolores induces his feeble-minded dwarf brother to denounce him; he captures her and Terry, but they are saved from torture and death by the great earthquake of 1906 that kills the villain.
The Fire Brigade (1926)
, 1h30Directed by William Nigh
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action
Themes Disaster films, American disaster films
Actors May McAvoy, Charles Ray, Holmes Herbert, Eugenie Besserer, Warner Richmond, Bert Woodruff
Terry O'Neil (Charles Ray) is the youngest of a group of Irish-American firefighting brothers. He courts Helen Corwin (May McAvoy), the daughter of a politician whose crooked building contracts resulted in devastating blazes.
The Last Days of Pompeii (1926)
, 3h1Directed by Amleto Palermi, Carmine Gallone
Origin Italie
Genres Drama, Historical, Peplum
Themes La fin du monde, Volcanisme, Films about volcanoes, Disaster films
Actors Victor Varconi, Rina De Liguoro, María Corda, Bernhard Goetzke, Emilio Ghione, Gildo Bocci
À cause d'une rivalité amoureuse, Glauco, un bel Athénien aux multiples conquêtes, devient le pire ennemi d'Arbace, grand prêtre égyptien du temple d'Isis. Ce dernier a déjà éliminé un de ses proches qui menaçait de faire des révélations sur son compte et s'arrange pour faire accuser Glauco à sa place, qu'il fait jeter dans la fosse aux lions. Mais peu après, le Vésuve entre en éruption.