the hindenburg

Director: robert wise

Actor: george c. scott,anne bancroft,william atherton,roy thinnes

Data Published: Thu Dec 25 1975

Genres: Adventure,Drama,History,Thriller

Key Words: airship,hindenburg disaster,year 1937,explosion,fire

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073113/

WIKI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hindenburg_(film)

Description: The Hindenburg is a movie starring George C. Scott, Anne Bancroft, and William Atherton. A film that chronicles the events of the Hindenburg disaster in which a zeppelin burst into flames.

Plot: Kathie Rauch (Ruth Schudson), a psychic from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, sends a letter to the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. claiming the Hindenburg Zeppelin will explode after flying over New York. In the meantime, Luftwaffe Colonel Franz Ritter (George C. Scott) boards with the intention of protecting the Hindenburg as various threats have been made to down the airship, which some see as a symbol of Nazi Germany. Ritter is assisted by a Nazi government official, SS/Gestapo Hauptsturmführer Martin Vogel (Roy Thinnes), who poses as an "official photographer" of the Hindenburg. However, both operate independently in investigating the background of all passengers and crew on the voyage. Ritter has reason to suspect everyone, even his old friend, Countess Ursula von Reugen (Anne Bancroft), whose Baltic estate in Peenemunde had been taken over by the Nazis and appears to be escaping Germany to visit her daughter in Boston. Other prime suspects include card sharks Emilio Pajetta (Burgess Meredith) and Major Napier (René Auberjonois), Edward Douglas (Gig Young), a suspicious German-American ad executive, as well as several crew members and even the Hindenburg captains Pruss (Charles Durning) and Lehmann (Richard A. Dysart). Many possible clues turn out to be red herrings, such as acrobat Joe Spah (Robert Clary) sketching the ship's interior as an idea for a Vaudeville show and mysterious names which later turned out to be the name of race horses on board the Queen Mary (where Douglas' competitor is travelling). Across the Atlantic, the flight slowed down by thunderstorms as well as a rip in the fabric of the upper port tail fin. Hiding from Ritter, the rigger Karl Boerth (William Atherton) tripped on a cable, causing the rip. The next day, the riggers Boerth and Ludwig Knorr (Ted Gehring) are sent outside the fin to repair the damage. Boerth nearly falls overboard when the ship loses altitude and Captain Pruss makes the decision to increase speed and altitude. Boerth is then pulled back into the ship by Knorr. In Germany, Boerth's girlfriend, Freda Halle (Lisa Pera), who was rumored to work for foreigners and having anti-Nazi affiliations, is arrested by the Gestapo. Although Captain Lehmann is relieved by the news of Mrs. Rauch's letter being a crank, both Ritter and Vogel soon suspect Boerth is the saboteur. Ritter attempts to arrest Boerth but he resists and requests help from Ritter, who sympathizes with him because Ritter's son was killed in an accident a year before while in the Hitler Youth. Ritter later receives news that Halle was killed by the Gestapo while trying to escape arrest as the Hindenburg crossed the Atlantic. Boerth, upon hearing the news of Halle's death, plans to commit suicide by staying alone aboard the airship as the bomb goes off, to show that there is a resistance against the Nazi party. Boerth insists an explosion in flight with others aboard is the "last thing I want", and Ritter reluctantly agrees with Boerth to set the bomb to 7:30, when the airship should have landed and passengers disembarked. While setting up the bomb, Boerth drops the knife part which is recovered by rigger Ludecke. To cover up the loss of his knife, Boerth steals a knife from fellow rigger Ludwig Knorr. Vogel starts to work behind Ritter's back, arresting Boerth and confiscating the Countess's passport. As the airship approaches Lakehurst Naval Air Station at 7:00, Ritter realizes the bomb will explode before the ship can land and searches for Boerth to ask where the bomb is. Vogel is caught by Ritter in the cargo bay interrogating Boerth and fights Ritter only to be knocked unconscious. An injured Boerth tells Ritter the bomb is in the repair patch of gas cell 4. Ritter attempts to defuse the bomb, but is unable to do so in time after being distracted by a now-awakened Vogel. The bomb explodes, killing Ritter instantly and sending Vogel flying down the walkway. The resulting explosion instantly sets the rear of the airship ablaze. The film transitions to monochrome as passengers and crew struggle to survive the fire, set alongside the actual newsreel footage of the disaster. Vogel survives, being carried by ground crewmen. Boerth was injured from being tortured by Vogel and later dies of his burns, but manages to set the Channing's dog free before the ship crashes to the ground. The Countess survives the fire by walking down the gangway stairs and reunites with her daughter. The final scene of the disaster shows a burnt piece of fabric among the wreckage that was painted with the ship's name. The following day, with the fire cleared, a list of some of the passengers and crew who died or survived is described briefly as well as the common theories of the disaster. The wreckage is examined for the inquiry before being cleaned up. The film transitions back to color, with Herbert Morrison's memorable radio commentary played back, and the Hindenburg is seen flying once again, only to disappear into the clouds before the closing credits are shown.