The Hindenburg

• Produced and Directed by Robert Wise
• December 25, 1975
• Based on the 1972 book The Hindenburg by Michael M. Mooney

The Nazi government believing a saboteur is aboard the Hindenburg, a Luftwaffe colonel is tasked with stopping them.

The Hindenburg is a mid-70s disaster movie that takes much of its inspiration from alternative viewpoints that the famous disaster was not caused by some random sparks, but rather by an evil plot to destroy the famous airship. A little quick reading introduced me to some of the better-known elements which were all touched upon and most amounted to red herrings in the narrative.

The film stars George C. Scott playing Col. Franz Ritter who is a Luftwaffe intelligence officer. He’s a more than a bit disillusioned with the Nazi regime but is still loyal to his nation. After a letter which implies with certainty that there is a plot, he is tasked with covertly uncovering who the saboteur is and avoiding a propaganda disaster. Going from an icon like Patton to an Axis officer is one heck of a shift. Of the Germans present, they do not paint any as saints but rather Ritter gets framed as one of the better ones.

Aside from George C. Scott we have Anne Bancroft as Countess Ursula von Reugen, William “Walter Peck” Atherton as Karl Boerth, Roy “David Vincent” Thinnes as Martin Vogel, Gig Young as Edward Douglas, Burgess “The Penguin” Meredith as Emilio Pajetta, Charles Durning as Capt. Max Pruss, Richard A. Dysart as Capt. Ernst Lehmann, Robert “Corporal LeBeau” Clary as Joe Späh, René “Odo” Auberjonois as Maj. Napier, Alan “Skeletor” Oppenheimer as Albert Breslau, and Katherine “Jessica Tate” Helmond as Mildred Breslau. All made an impact over their careers and were very talented.

As with such a movie there are interweaving plotlines. Unlike most disaster movies though is the lack of the actual threat going on in the background. I am used to films like The Towering Inferno where the disaster propels events. This is more a police investigation with the disaster capping things off.

Though it’s clearly highly fictionalized and at best takes the names of real individuals for characters rather than actually portraying individuals, it’s a very gripping film. Perhaps it’s because it’s a touch different than your average disaster film. While no Titanic the story is built around a real event and real conspiracy theories and uses the representation of those people to tell a possible story. 

The effects in this movie are absolutely fantastic. They do a very convincing job when it comes to the Hindenburg. The techniques they used are on par if not superior to what could be accomplished today mostly because of the level of realism achieved through the techniques. Miniatures and mat paintings create something immersive and authentic. My only issue was a scene where the passengers were looking at some icebergs in the water. It didn’t look like the icebergs were quite moving with the water. One bad instance in an overall highly effective set of shots. 

The Hindenburg is a great piece of 70s disaster movie making. It has drama and tension and great performances all around. Though not as well-known as it should be it is something worth taking in. I recommend it!