The film represents the peak achievement within a genre often criticized. A modern skyscraper hosts a large party when a fire erupts on the 81st floor... Following the success of *The Poseidon Adventure* in 1972, both Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox wanted to capitalize by adapting novels centered around burning skyscrapers—*The Tower* and *The Glass Inferno*, respectively. Producer Irwin Allen wisely sugg…

The 1974 film "The Towering Inferno," directed by John Guillermin, focuses on a disaster unfolding in San Francisco—specifically, the world's tallest building, The Glass Tower (a structure of 138 stories), which erupts into flames because of an electrical fault and puts hundreds of lives at risk during its dedication celebration. Paul Newman portrays the architect, Steve McQueen is the fire chief, William Holden take…