THE CASSANDRA CROSSING (1976, UK/Italy/West Germany, 129m, PG) **
Drama, Thriller
dist. AVCO Embassy Pictures (USA), Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (UK); pr co. Associated General Films / International Cine Productions / ITC Entertainment; d. George P. Cosmatos; w. Tom Mankiewicz, Robert Katz, George P. Cosmatos (based on a story by Robert Katz and George P. Cosmatos); pr. Carlo Ponti; ph. Ennio Guarnieri (Colour | 1.85:1); m. Jerry Goldsmith; ed. Françoise Bonnot, Roberto Silvi; pd. Aurelio Crugnola.
cast: Sophia Loren (Jennifer Rispoli Chamberlain), Richard Harris (Dr. Jonathan Chamberlain), Martin Sheen (Robby Navarro), O.J. Simpson (Haley), Lionel Stander (Max – the Train Conductor), Ann Turkel (Susan), Ingrid Thulin (Dr. Elena Stradner), Lee Strasberg (Herman Kaplan), Ava Gardner (Nicole Dressler), Burt Lancaster (Colonel Mackenzie), Lou Castel (Swedish Terrorist), John Phillip Law (Major Stark), Ray Lovelock (Tom), Alida Valli (Mrs. Chadwick – Nanny), Stefano Patrizi (Terrorist), Thomas Hunter (Captain Scott), Fausta Avelli (Caterina), Angela Goodwin (Nun), Dan Haggerty (Bobby (uncredited)).
A preposterous, but undeniably enjoyable disaster thriller in which a fleeing terrorist has unwittingly carried a deadly virus onto a transcontinental train. On board are the glamorous Jennifer Chamberlain (Loren) and her ex-husband, Dr. Jonathan Chamberlain (Harris), as well as Nicole Dressler (Gardner) and her young lover, Robby (Sheen). They can’t get off, and one solution proposed is to quarantine them by rerouting the train over the Cassandra Crossing — an unstable bridge. Dr. Chamberlain wants to save them but has to battle the terrorists first. Filled with increasingly absurd scenarios and awful dialogue, Cosmatos at least injects some energy into the action sequences. The terrorist attack on the Health Organisation opens the movie promisingly, but the story quickly spirals downhill in terms of following any logical narrative. The stellar cast struggle manfully with the material and Goldsmith’s score is suitably urgent. The model work in the bridge top finale, however, is poorly realised.
