History Film / TheHindenburg1975

** Of course the children survive. Double-subverted with the teenage porter/bellhop; it looks like he's about to succumb to the flames, but then the floor gives out beneath him, dumping him down to the ground where he can make his escape. In reality, this was averted as Irene Doehner had died in the crash along with her father. (However, her brothers, Walter and Werner, did survive like the boys in the film do - as did cabin boy Werner Franz, who escaped in a similar manner and was also aided by a gush of water from a ballast tank.)

* OhTheHumanity: At the end of the film, the original recording of the TropeMaker is played while we see the Hindenburg flying into the heavens.

''The Hindenburg'' is a 1975 DisasterMovie, directed by Creator/RobertWise (''Film/{{The Day the Earth Stood Still|1951}}'', ''Film/{{West Side Story|1961}}'', ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture''), co-written by [[Creator/LevinsonAndLink Richard Levinson and William Link]] (creators of {{Series/Columbo}} and ''Series/MurderSheWrote''), and featuring an AllStarCast including Creator/GeorgeCScott, Creator/AnneBancroft, Creator/WilliamAtherton, Creator/RoyThinnes, Creator/GigYoung, Creator/BurgessMeredith, Creator/CharlesDurning, and Creator/RichardDysart.

The film depicts the final trans-Atlantic voyage of the [[UsefulNotes/TheHindenburg eponymous German zeppelin]] in 1937, and its tragic conclusion. Although the real-life incident remains clouded with conflicting theories as to the underlying cause of the disaster, a number of which get name-checked herein, this movie runs with a {{conspiracy theory}} (as did the book that it's based upon), positing the ''Hindenburg''[='s=] demise as an act of politically-motivated sabotage.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

''The Hindenburg'' is a 1975 DisasterMovie, directed by Creator/RobertWise (''Film/{{The Day the Earth Stood Still|1951}}'', ''Film/{{West Side Story|1961}}'', ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture''), written by [[Creator/LevinsonAndLink Richard Levinson and William Link]] (creators of {{Series/Columbo}} and ''Series/MurderSheWrote''), and featuring an AllStarCast including Creator/GeorgeCScott, Creator/AnneBancroft, Creator/WilliamAtherton, Creator/RoyThinnes, Creator/GigYoung, Creator/BurgessMeredith, Creator/CharlesDurning, and Creator/RichardDysart.

''The Hindenburg'' is a 1975 DisasterMovie, directed by Creator/RobertWise (''Film/{{The Day the Earth Stood Still|1951}}'', ''Film/{{West Side Story|1961}}'', ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture''), written by [[Creator/LevinsonAndLink Richard Levinson and William Link]] (creators of {{Series/Columbo}}, ''Series/MurderSheWrote''), and featuring an AllStarCast including Creator/GeorgeCScott, Creator/AnneBancroft, Creator/WilliamAtherton, Creator/RoyThinnes, Creator/GigYoung, Creator/BurgessMeredith, Creator/CharlesDurning, and Creator/RichardDysart.

''The Hindenburg'' is a 1975 DisasterMovie, directed by Creator/RobertWise (''Film/{{The Day the Earth Stood Still|1951}}'', ''Film/{{West Side Story|1961}}'', ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'') and featuring an AllStarCast including Creator/GeorgeCScott, Creator/AnneBancroft, Creator/WilliamAtherton, Creator/RoyThinnes, Creator/GigYoung, Creator/BurgessMeredith, Creator/CharlesDurning, and Creator/RichardDysart.

* TheHeroDies: More than that, even: Ritter [[spoiler:is the one who sets off the bomb, though it's a little fuzzy as to whether he did it intentionally, or just ran out of time to disarm it before it went off]].

* OhCrap: Ritter has two in the climax. [[spoiler: First, he locates the bomb, but clearly has no idea of how to defuse it. Then, he realizes that the bomb is going to go off ''that very second''. In fact, it's possible that he may have inadvertently set it off, himself.]]

The film depicts the final trans-Atlantic voyage of the [[UsefulNotes/TheHindenburg eponymous German zeppelin]] in 1937, and its tragic conclusion. Although the real-life incident remains clouded with conflicting theories as to the underlying cause of the disaster, a number of which get name-checked herein, this movie runs with a {{conspiracy theory}} (as did the book it's based upon), depicting the ''Hindenburg''[='s=] demise as an act of politically-motivated sabotage.

* ArtShift: At the climax, the film switches to a DeliberatelyMonochrome, grainy style to simulate newsreel footage of the Hindenburg crash, and remains in this style through the {{Denouement}} all the way until the closing shot and end credits.

* BeneathNotice: The Reich considers LaResistance to be this, and this is the entire motivation behind the bombing of the Hindenburg -- a political body blow to the very symbol of Nazi power which will force the regime to recognize the Resistance movement.

* BookEnds: The opening credits unspool over beauty shots of the Hindenburg flying through the clouds; the closing image is of the Hindenburg vanishing into the heavens.

* TheMelBrooksNumber: "There's A Lot To Be Said For The Führer". While the lyrics themselves appear to praise the Nazi regime -- at least, until the end -- the mime-and-dance act that accompanies it is outright mocking and hostile. Captain Pruss is not amused.
* MilkingTheGiantCow: Spah's part during the performance of "There's A Lot To Be Said For The Führer" is a dance/mime routine, using exaggerated gestures and movements to mock the Nazis.

** At one point the airship travels through a fog bank and collects a goodly dose of static which runs through the metal structure, alarming the passengers... then just goes away.

** The film's closing shot is of the Hindenburg, flying amongst the clouds and disappearing as if ascending into {{Heaven}}.

** The sets were highly praised as being incredibly faithful to the real Hindenburg interiors.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: The dalmation belonging to the Breslau family is shown being freed from it's cage and running away as the Hindenburg is crashing down and it's survival is confirmed when it's the last survivor listed at the end of the film. The real-life dogs on the Hindenburg, one of them Joseph Saph's German shepard named Ulla, sadly perished in the disaster.

* TooDumbToLive: As the Hindenburg is crashing down while going up in flames, several crewman are caught in the forward-most section once the flames get there. Instead of going down towards safety, they continue climbing up... the same direction that the fire is going. This results in one of the crewman falling to his death while on fire and the rest burn to death off-screen.

** Played straight with the trailer making the audience wonder why the Hindenburg blew up in the world of the film, positing theories of sabotage, an accident, or an act of God. Then it gives away the movie's explanation for the explosion by showing a clip of George C. Scott shouting to another character that there's a bomb onboard. The narrator then asks "What REALLY happened on the Hindenburg?" immediately after.

* WidescreenShot: The opening image of the film proper is an impressive shot of the Hindenburg sitting beside her hangar. Numerous such shots of the airship [[ShootTheMoney abound throughout the film]].

The film depicts the final trans-Atlantic voyage of the [[UsefulNotes/TheHindenburg eponymous German zeppelin]] in 1937, and its tragic conclusion. While the real-life incident remains clouded with conflicting theories as to the underlying cause of the disaster, a number of which get name-checked herein, the film runs with a {{conspiracy theory}} (as did the book it's based upon), depicting the ''Hindenburg''[='s=] demise as an act of politically-motivated sabotage.

* AllStarCast: The film features a number of familiar faces, including Creator/GeorgeCScott, Creator/AnneBancroft, Creator/GigYoung, Creator/RichardDysart, Creator/WilliamAtherton, Creator/BurgessMeredith, Creator/CharlesDurning, and Creator/ReneAuberjonois.

[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_hindenburg_1975_poster.jpg]]

The film details the final trans-Atlantic voyage of the [[UsefulNotes/TheHindenburg eponymous German zeppelin]] in 1937, and its tragic conclusion. While the real-life incident remains clouded with conflicting theories as to the underlying cause of the disaster -- a number of which get name-checked herein -- the film runs with a {{conspiracy theory}} (as did the book it's based upon), depicting the ''Hindenburg''[='s=] demise as an act of politically-motivated sabotage.

The story unfolds rather like a murder/crime mystery: Col. Franz Ritter (Scott) of the German Luftwaffe is assigned as special security officer aboard the Hindenburg for her latest voyage to America, after the German embassy receives a bomb threat. Ritter must investigate the crew and passengers, many of whom have something to hide, and figure out who is plotting to bomb the airship and try to prevent it. [[ForegoneConclusion Read your history books again to see how well that turned out.]]

* WhileRomeBurns: Edward Douglass Creator/GigYoung, despondent that he couldn't reach New York ahead of a business competitor (due to the delay at Lakehurst), gets stone drunk; when the disaster strikes, he is shown barely reacting to the chaos. "Some landing!"

* TheHeroDies: More than that, even: Ritter [[spoiler:is the one who sets off the bomb]].

* WhileRomeBurns: One passenger, despondent that he couldn't reach New York ahead of a business competitor (due to the delay at Lakehurst), gets stone drunk; when the disaster strikes, he is shown barely reacting to the chaos. "Some landing!"

** Emilio and fellow card shark partner are none too happy with Countess Ursula once she takes all of their money by using their own trick against them with Emilio even saying the only thing holding him back from verbally lashing out at her are all the people in the room with them. They later bump into each other during the climax and they pit their issues aside and courteously allow the Countess to depart the ship first once the boarding ramps drop open.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: The dalmation belonging to the Breslau family is shown being freed from it's cage and running away as the Hindenburg is crashing down and it's survival is confirmed when it's the last survivor listed at the end of the film. The real-life dogs on the Hindenurg, one of them Joseph Saph's German shepard named Ulla, sadly perished in the disaster.

* TooDumbToLive: As the Hindenburg is crashing down with going up in flames, several crewman are caught in the forward-most section once the flames get there. Instead of going down towards saftey, they continue climbing up... the same direction that the fire is going. This results in one of the crewman falling to his death while on fire and the rest burn to death off-screen.

* ArtShift:
** The film opens with a vintage newsreel covering the history of rigid-body airships, displayed in the original Academy-standard AspectRatio before segueing to [[WidescreenShot glorious widescreen]] for the film proper.
** At the climax, the film switches to a DeliberatelyMonochrome, grainy style to simulate newsreel footage of the Hindenburg crash, and remains in this style through the {{Denouement}} all the way until the closing shot and end credits.

** Of course the children survive. Double-subverted with the teenage porter/bellhop; it looks like he's about to succumb to the flames, but then the floor gives out beneath him, dumping him down to the ground where he can make his escape. In reality, this was averted as Irene Doehner had died in the crash along with her father.

''The Hindenburg'' is a 1975 DisasterMovie, directed by Creator/RobertWise (''Film/{{The Day the Earth Stood Still|1951}}'', ''Film/WestSideStory'', ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'') and featuring an AllStarCast including Creator/GeorgeCScott, Creator/AnneBancroft, Creator/WilliamAtherton, Creator/RoyThinnes, Creator/GigYoung, Creator/BurgessMeredith, Creator/CharlesDurning, and Creator/RichardDysart.

* ForegoneConclusion: Even forgiving that this is a DisasterMovie, it is based upon a historical event, so it's pretty clear from the beginning how this is going to end -- a point which was roundly mocked by Creator/RogerEbert. To be fair, the film does try to circumvent this obstacle by shifting the focus from '''what's''' going to happen to '''how''', and '''by whom'''.