Favorite Firefighter/Firefighting Movies

[mack]

Hollywood has not made many films about firefighters.  Just about all are unrealistic and most are bad movies.  A few stand out as entertaining, popular or well-made.  This poll consists of movies I pulled from several firefighting movie lists.  It is not meant to be scientific or complete.  There is no particular order.  There is wide range of firefighting characters and plots.  Movies on the list are documentary, drama or comedy.  The movie list shows the range of the few firefighting movies that have been made compared to cop, soldier, spy movies.  Apologies for missing some movies that should be on a firefighting movie list and including a terrible movie made by Julia Roberts. But even that movie makes most firefighting movie lists.  Maybe the real discussion should be - why aren't there more movies about fighting?  Are they too difficult to make? 

Info and trailers on the movies listed above:

Backdraft:
Backdraft The Movie

Ladder 49:
Ladder 49 - Movie Trailer

9/11:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11_(film)

Towering Inferno:
The Towering Inferno Trailer

Frequency:
Frequency Original Movie Trailer

Turk 182:
Turk 182! (1985) - trailer

Hellfighters:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellfighters_(film)

Brothers on Holy Ground:
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/288873/Brothers-On-Holy-Ground/overview

False Alarm:
The Three Stooges episode 17 (False Alarms) 1936 full video

Fahrenheit 451:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451_(1966_film)

Life of an American Fireman:
Life of an American Fireman 1903

Roxanne:
Roxanne fire scene speech

The Fireman:
The Fireman - Charles Chaplin - 1916

Firehouse:
Firehouse (1987)

 

[811]

How about the 1937 hokey romance film "She Loved a Fireman" with Ann Sheridan.

For the apparatus fan, plenty of scenes with LAFD American LaFrance 400 Series and other rigs, plus working footage of the new fireboats Ralph Scott (LAFD) and John J Harvey (FDNY)

 

[68jk09]

An odd fact concerning the movie "Frequency".......it was filmed in 2000 ....the address on the house was "343". 

 

[68jk09]

How about the 1937 hokey romance film "She Loved a Fireman" with Ann Sheridan.

For the apparatus fan, plenty of scenes with LAFD American LaFrance 400 Series and other rigs, plus working footage of the new fireboats Ralph Scott (LAFD) and John J Harvey (FDNY)

.........HERE IS A LINK TO THE TRAILER......  http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/138369/She-Loved-a-Fireman-Original-Trailer-.html

 

[raybrag]

No question about it:  Booker T. Bacon.  (Our Gang Fire Fighters, 1922, Hal Roach Studios)

 

[mack]

There have been several made-for-TV movies wich were pilots for TV series. 

Firehouse - 1973 - Vince Edwards:
Catch the technical errors! (Firehouse 1973)

Emergency - 1972 - Randolph Mantooth, Kevin Tighe
EMERGENCY! Pilot Movie - The Wedsworth-Townsend Act

London's Burning - 1986
londons burning movie 1986 part 1

 

[68jk09]

Some videos......  http://www.strikethebox.com/store/amazon/index.htm

 

[FDNY150]

I've been extremely lucky to stand in the firehouses where both Emergency! and Backdraft were filmed. Next stop, Baltimore for Ladder 49's house.

 

[nfd2004]

In 1986 a movie came out titled: "Firefighter", starring TV actor Nancy McKeon.
The movie was based on the true story of Los Angeles County Firefighter named Cindy Fralick who is determined to become the first female firefighter in the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
A feat never accomplished in the organizations 60 year history.
She has to overcome rigorous physical test, as well as sexism and a failing marriage to accomplish her goals.
But through determination and perseverance, Cindy is ready to break the mold of what a firefighter can be.

After the release of that movie, the Los Angeles County Fire Department wanted to make actor Nancy McKeon an "honorary member" of the L.A. County FD.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz5Y4PNbiEE

 

[Disp51]

Ambulance Girl (2005)l, starring Kathy Bates
Based on the story of food writer Jane Stern who became a Vol. EMT in order to overcome personal emotional issues.

 

[entropychaser]

In the Red Skelton movie The Fuller Brush Man (1948) there are some interesting shots of a 1940's LAFD box response after Red sets a warehouse on fire with a flare. A portion of that can be seen at the end of the movie trailer.

 

[scoobyd]

E 88 in The Warriors

 

[DaveReinstein]

E 88 in The Warriors

Who knew they were first due to Brooklyn

 

[68jk09]

Don't forget the sequel to "Shaft" ...."Shafts Big Score" ......a part was filmed in Hells Kitchen 2 Officers & 10 FFs w/a Pumper & a RM in the early scenes when a storefront is bombed ..... good closeup of me being the OV.

 

[entropychaser]

Don't forget the sequel to "Shaft" ...."Shafts Big Score" ......a part was filmed in Hells Kitchen 2 Officers & 10 FFs w/a Pumper & a RM in the early scenes when a storefront is bombed ..... good closeup of me being the OV.

Richard Roundtree did a made for TV movie with Vince Edwards in 1973 entitled "Firehouse". Roundtree plays the probie.


Still got your SAG card Chief?

 

[68jk09]

^^^ no SAG card ....there was a minimum number of hours for that & they kept us under that number....same deal when we were in "The Hot Rock" nothing much on camera in that ....just pulling up to the front of the BKLYN Museum in a Pumper & a RM after they blew up the car at the front door.

 

[1261Truckie]

^^^ no SAG card ....there was a minimum number of hours for that & they kept us under that number....same deal when we were in "The Hot Rock" nothing much on camera in that ....just pulling up to the front of the BKLYN Museum in a Pumper & a RM after they blew up the car at the front door.

I was there when the car blew up. The boom scared the pigeons who were sleeping in the Museum’s facade and we all know what scared pigeons do ! Also, I understand Geraldo Rivera almost got hit by a piece of the car. Good times.