An amazingly suspenseful disaster epic, given that British director John Guillermin was presented with a cast top-heavy with major stars - headed by Paul Newman and Steve McQueen.

It was such a major undertaking, it took two rival studios, 20th-Century Fox and Warners, to finance the project and the script was adapted from two weighty books.

In fact, the setting up of the disaster - a fire that traps civic dignitaries near the top of a new 138-storey skyscraper - is far more interesting than later rescue attempts. An Oscar winner for cinematography, editing and its theme song - We May Never Love Like This Again, sung by Maureen McGovern.