Monday, May 18, 2015

May 18 - St. Helens


Today’s movie is a disaster film with scenes that happen on May 18. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

ST. HELENS
      
After 123 years, volcanic activity starts at Mount St. Helens, causing a disruption in the Earth’s magnetic field that causes a flock of quail to collide with a  helicopter, almost causing it to crash. David Jackson is sent by the USGS to investigate. Harry Truman is the crotchety owner of Spirit Lake lodge located near the mountain. Jackson meets and falls in love with Linda, a waitress at a local restaurant. Some locals are upset that Jackson is saying Mount St. Helens might be active as they are afraid it will cause economic loss.  Jackson sets up instruments to monitor the mountain. When a smoke plume goes up the head of the USGS comes to the mountain, but he downplays the seriousness of the situation.  Tourists come to see the volcano as it continues to vent, while the sheriff tries to get and keep people out of the danger zone. The townspeople talk the governor into allowing access to the town again. Jackson flies into the crater in a helicopter and gets what he thinks is positive proof that an eruption is on the way. An evacuation is ordered. On May 18, 1980, Jackson is on the mountain to monitor equipment when the mountain erupts killing him and many others, including Harry Truman,  who stupidly decided to stay in the area. [1:22:04 to 1:30:53]

A tolerable melodrama. The acting is good, although certainly not Oscar quality. It is good enough to keep you interested.

Encyclopedia of Earthquakes and Volcanoes by Alexander Gates and David Ritchie (Checkmark Books, New York, 2007) at page 223 and the movie at 1:22:12 give the date of the eruption.

Producer - Peter S. Davis and William N. Panzer

Director - Ernest Pintoff

Screenplay  - Peter Bellwood, Larry Ferguson, Michael Timothy Murphy and Larry
                       Sturholm

Released -  September, 1981

Runtime – 1 hour 30 min

Starring -

Art Carney as Harry Truman
David Huffman as David A. Johnston
Cassie Yates as Linda Steele
Albert Salmi as  Clyde Whittaker
Ron O'Neal as  Otis Kaylor
Tim Thomerson as  Sheriff Wayne Temple
Bill McKinney as  Kilpatrick
Nehemiah Persoff as  Mr. Ellison

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

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