What are the disaster films of the classic era?

KEY LARGO

“The Last Voyage” (1960) could be called classic era from its year but I tend to think of it as the first of the modern-style disaster film. In the very first shot of the film, cruise ship captain George Sanders opens a note that says there is a fire in the boiler room. That’s getting off to a fast start. The next 90-minutes are a non-stop one life threatening situation after another.

The British war time film “Unpublished Story” (1942) has an extended episode where Richard Greene and Valerie Hobson drive into the heart of the bombing during the London blitz – the fire, the collapsing buildings - to report on the supreme courage and effort of the British public.

This may not fit because it is not a natural disaster but there’s “King Kong” (1933) running amuck first in the native village and then through NYC and any number of “atomic monster” movies from the 1950s that have overgrown creatures tearing up a city.

The Rains Came (1939). The climax is an earthquake followed by a flood. The effects work has aged surprisingly well.

Agree 100%.

Intolerance 1916



Noah’s Ark 1928 

The Last Days of Pompeii (1935)

For many years, Deluge was considered lost until Forrest J Ackerman discovered a print dubbed in Italian (La distruzione del mondo) in a film archive in Italy in 1981.[10]

Wade Williams actually discovered an Italian-language nitrate print of the film in the basement of an old mansion in Rome in 1981 belonging to his friend and Italian film producer Luigi Cozzi aka Lewis Coates. Forry Ackerman, his wife Wyndane, the Mossman Brothers and Wade Williams were guest speakers at a Science-Fiction Festival in Rome. Forry Ackerman verified it was a lost film in the US. Wade Williams bought the access rights, made a dupe preservation negative and 35mm print. It was sub-titled in English for the first US re-release on VHS by Englewood Entertainment and the 35mm print was re-released theatrically and played at the Film Forum in New York and other revival houses and archives.[11]

In 2016, a 35mm nitrate dupe negative with the English soundtrack was discovered. A 2K scan restoration was made by Lobster Films, and this restoration was picked up for a limited theatrical re-release by Kino Repertory, and a home media release by Kino Lorber Studio Classics in February 2017.