City on Fire (1979 film)

City on Fire is a 1979 disaster action film directed by Alvin Rakoff, written by Jack Hill, Dave Lewis and Celine La Freniere, and stars Barry Newman, Susan Clark, Shelley Winters, Leslie Nielsen, James Franciscus, Ava Gardner and Henry Fonda. The film's plot revolves around a disgruntled ex-employee who sabotages an oil refinery, setting off a blaze that engulfs an entire city. People try to either fight the fire or flee as it spreads throughout the city.

The film was shot in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, although the name of the city is not mentioned in the film.

Plot
In an unnamed U.S. city, the corrupt mayor William Dudley has allowed an oil refinery to be built right in the center of town, far from any river, lake or reservoir. On one typically hot summer day, Herman Stover, a dangerously disturbed employee at the refinery, has been denied an expected promotion, and in addition, finds himself fired after refusing a departmental transfer. He then decides to take his revenge against the works by opening the valves to the storage vats and their interconnecting pipes, flooding the area and sewers with gasoline and chemicals. It doesn't take long for this act of petty vandalism to start a fire, which starts a chain reaction that causes massive explosions at the refinery, destroying it and spreading a mushroom cloud of flame that soon engulfs the entire metropolis.

The drama focuses on a newly built hospital that, like the refinery and all civic buildings that went up during the mayor's crooked administration, is shoddily built and poorly equipped. There, head doctor Frank Whitman and his staff treat thousands of casualties from the fire, while the city fire chief Risley keeps in constant contact with the fire companies fighting a losing battle against the fires. Maggie Grayson, an alcoholic reporter, sees it as her chance to make it nationwide with her coverage of the story of the "city on fire".

A major subplot of the film involves Diana Brockhurst-Lautrec, a wealthy socialite (and widow of the late governor who is the namesake of the hospital) who is currently and secretly involved with Mayor Dudley to further advance her rank up the social circles. The womanizing Dr. Whitman also meets with Diana before the hospital's dedication ceremony, having known her previously. Herman Stover also arrives at the hospital during the dedication ceremony, having left the refinery before the explosion to stalk Diana, and having known her since attending high school. Diana, the mayor, who's assisting Dr. Whitman, and head nurse Andrea Harper treat the large number of casualties arriving at the hospital. No one ever finds out that Stover is the one responsible for the citywide fire, and Stover is not sane enough to understand nor regret his actions.

When the hospital becomes surrounded by the fire, Chief Risley orders his son, Capt. Harrison Risley, and his firemen to create a "water tunnel" composed of creating a channel of firehoses across a burning street to evacuate the hospital. Despite some casualties of the hospital staff and patients, the evacuation is successful. Stover is one of the casualties when, distraught and in a daze after Diana rejects him, he is killed by falling debris from a building. Nurse Harper is also killed when she attempts to rescue Stover. Diana, Mayor Dudley, and Dr. Whitman are the last to make it out of the hospital before it is consumed by the fire.

The final scene is set the following day at a quarry outside the city that is set up as a makeshift camp for the thousands of people rendered homeless by the fire as it is finally brought under control. There, Dr. Whitman and Diana acknowledge their love for each other, while Mayor Dudley gives a press statement that the real heroes are the people of the city. Maggie Grayson, still reporting from the studio, signs off her broadcast and leaves with her assistant Jimbo on a date after assisting her throughout her coverage. Chief Risley leaves his headquarters with his staff, telling them that it takes only one man to destroy a city.

Production
The film required several urban blocks that could be set on fire, which led production to search for appropriate locations to shoot, including Atlanta, Edmonton, St. Louis and Cincinnati. Montreal was eventually chosen to represent the fictional American city.

Principal photography was scheduled to begin August 10, 1978, and became one of the largest film sets in Canada to that date, costing approximately $400,000. The shoot was constructed in the east side of the city and involved 45,000 gallons of fuel required to set it ablaze during filming.

Release
City on Fire was first shown in West Germany on May 24, 1979, then in Paris on July 11, 1979. It was later distributed in Canada by Astral Films, showing in Montreal on Astral Films on August 29, 1979. It opened in United States on August 31, 1979.

Reception
From a contemporary review, Gilbert Adair of the Monthly Film Bulletin declared that "'dull' as criticism, scarcely does justice to the ludicrous contrivance of this disaster movie", and that "its idiocy is best exemplified by the scene in which, as the crooked mayor and the jet-setting benefactress of a hospital resolve their amours differences, the camera focuses on the beatific expression of an elderly patient who has finally managed to relieve himself into a bedpan."

The film was featured on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Mystery Science Theater 3000

 * Episode guide: K16- City on Fire
 * Episode guide: K16- City on Fire