Paul Newman Called This Classic a "Junk Movie" (It Made Millions Anyway)
Paul Newman had standards. He wasn't the type to jump into mindless blockbusters just for the paycheck. But when he finally did? The movie raked in $203 million, scored eight Oscar nominations, won three, and became the biggest box office hit of 1974. Of course.
The film? The Towering Inferno. Newman knew exactly what it was—a slick, crowd-pleasing disaster epic designed to scare the hell out of audiences. Fire. Heights. Explosions. Steve McQueen. Everything but subtlety.
"There's an escapist kind of film which is very fashionable now," Newman said at the time. "The Towering Inferno is a perfect example. I knew the quicker I got off the screen and the stuntman got on, the quicker the picture would start rolling."
He didn't pretend it was high art, either. When asked if it was just big-budget junk, he didn't argue:
"It probably is that. But it is a very distinguished junk movie."
What really lit the fuse behind the scenes was his rivalry with Steve McQueen. Both stars demanded equal screen time, equal pay, and equal billing. Their contracts were so carefully matched you'd think a lawyer had used a microscope. McQueen even made sure his character put out more fires than Newman's.
Despite all the ego sparring, the final product delivered exactly what audiences wanted—high-stakes chaos in a burning skyscraper. Critics might've rolled their eyes, but ticket buyers couldn't get enough.
The Towering Inferno might not have been Newman's proudest acting moment—but if you're going to sell out, this is how you do it.