Today’s movie is a disaster film with a scene on May 18. I
hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.
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) p. 223
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
Brendan Burns as
David Crockett
Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.
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