This film is pretty good for emotion and drama. I've been to St. Helens and love the region. It's largely grown back and is green and fertile again, dominated by the stark gray gutted monolith of the mountain. In a way, it's a tombstone of granite and pumice, still steaming and hot despite more than two decades of slumber. Very somber and impressive sight. I liked the movie the first time I saw it probably about 20 years ago on TV. It was cut a bit for commercials so I probably saw about 75 minutes so there were a few plot holes, but nothing to worry about. After all, it's a fictionalized docudrama. The only real characters? Harry Truman (Carney in a real departure from Ed Norton), the crusty old soldier who won't do what he don't want to. He's earned the right to die on his own land. And David Jackson (Huffman) who is based on the late David Johnston who died on the mountain in the eruption. He's portrayed as the antithesis of Truman, a calm dreamer who hates stupidity and bureaucracy (one and the same) in the local businessmen and NGS officials. He and Harry hit it off despite their differences and find common ground in the love of the mountain about to destroy everything. I rather liked Tim Thomerson, the sheriff, who's out of his usual stand-up routine but a 'stand up guy' in the local community, as he tries to keep peace as the drama unfolds. The Huffman/Yates love interest? Probably untrue, and in my opinion, unnecessary in the film. A bit of country-western 'local yokels' in the bar, getting to know one another is a decent way of helping us like the town and the folks, but one wonder something. For instance, why does Cassie Yates and her son, who have a car, get a helicopter ride out of danger? And when the news report of the eruption comes on, the first thing they say is that Harry Truman was at his lodge and David Jackson, the 'Young Geologist' was on the face of the mountain when it erupted. Fast work. The end theme, "Here's to You, Harry Truman," is a pretty good ballad, and catchy, even if old Harry himself would probably have scoffed at the overly maudlin lyrics. "Sounds like pigs being murdered." The film of the eruption and the later destruction are impressive and gut-wrenching. It was a huge disaster which flattened thousands of acres of forest and wilderness. Yet, if you go up to St. Helens, the thing you'll be most surprised by is the roadside attractions. "ST. HELENS: FEEL THE ERUPTION! EXPERIENCE THE DESTRUCTION, THE QUAKE, THE POWER, from the comfort of a chair. All over the place, you can see movies, buy lava chunks and explore houses buried under ash. What a country.
23 Reviews
Art Carney steals the show
krorie21 February 2006
This is a superior made for TV movie about one of the worst natural disasters in the history of North America. The film centers on the crusty old mountain man Harry Truman played by the fine actor Art Carney who gives one of his best performances. Harry was a cracker barrel philosopher of sorts who loved all the attention given him my the media. Determined to stay put come hell or high water or a mountain blowing up in his face, Harry represents the stubborn American type who wants to hang on to cherished memories of his wife and daughter at any cost, choosing to die with his canine companion than to face an uncertain future elsewhere in a world he doesn't know. Art Cartney captures the spirit and essence of this eccentric oddity out of place in the present high-tech world he never made.
The weakest aspect of this film is the awful music. Who ever tried to write the country and western songs had absolutely no feel for the genre. (The Italian rock band Goblin is credited.) The lyrics are cold and lifeless, the melodies hackneyed and bland. Too bad they couldn't have got someone of the caliber of Merle Haggard or Dolly Parton to give the flick some real s**t-kicking hoedowns and barroom crying in your beer songs.
The cast other than Art Carney is adequate. David Huffman and Cassie Yates make a cute couple of opposites attracting, he a professional geologist, she an uneducated waitress with a failed marriage and a son. But they make the relationship believable and the ending probable. Of special note is the appearance of Bill McKinney as one of the loggers Kilpatrick. He is perhaps the most famous villain in screen history because of his work as the Mountain Man in "Deliverance." In "St. Helens" he gets the short end of the stick.
The on-location photography is an added attraction with actual shots of the Mt. St. Helens eruption inserted. The scene toward the end where Harry is fishing as the mountain spews forth its load is harrowing. The attentive viewer will come away from this picture with new questions concerning the meaning of life and its brevity.
The weakest aspect of this film is the awful music. Who ever tried to write the country and western songs had absolutely no feel for the genre. (The Italian rock band Goblin is credited.) The lyrics are cold and lifeless, the melodies hackneyed and bland. Too bad they couldn't have got someone of the caliber of Merle Haggard or Dolly Parton to give the flick some real s**t-kicking hoedowns and barroom crying in your beer songs.
The cast other than Art Carney is adequate. David Huffman and Cassie Yates make a cute couple of opposites attracting, he a professional geologist, she an uneducated waitress with a failed marriage and a son. But they make the relationship believable and the ending probable. Of special note is the appearance of Bill McKinney as one of the loggers Kilpatrick. He is perhaps the most famous villain in screen history because of his work as the Mountain Man in "Deliverance." In "St. Helens" he gets the short end of the stick.
The on-location photography is an added attraction with actual shots of the Mt. St. Helens eruption inserted. The scene toward the end where Harry is fishing as the mountain spews forth its load is harrowing. The attentive viewer will come away from this picture with new questions concerning the meaning of life and its brevity.
The old man and the mountain
sol121827 February 2011
Warning: Spoilers
(Mild Spoilers) True modern day Don Quixote like story of a somewhat nutty old man Harold known as "Give em Hell Harry" Truman, Art Carney, who against everyones advice stayed steadfast at his Mt. St. Helena Inn that he's been the caretaker of for over the last 50 years. The hard as nails Harry is waiting for the end to come together with his fitfully pooch and a years supply of bourbon to keep him both warn and happy. That's as Mt. Saint Helena is about to blow sky high and flatten everything within as much of 50 miles around it!
This real life drama began on March 20, 1980 as Mt. St. Helena started to rumble and churn out hot lava causing the people living around it to become concern that it might just erupt for the first time in over 100 years. With handsome geologist David Jackson, David Huffman, sent by the US Government to check the mountain out he comes to the shocking conclusion that the mountain is very likely to blow it's top at any moment. David urges the local Sheriff of Couger on the foot of Mt. St. Helena Wayne Temple, Tim Thomerson, to evacuate the ares before the now active volcano ends up vaporizing the town with everyone in it.
Harry for his part is totally unafraid of what's about to happen in his determination to stick it out and ride out the storm or volcanic eruption even if it ends up killing him! There's also the owner of the Whittaker Inn and local logging company Clyde Wittaker, Albert Salmi, who despite warning of impeding doom refuses to closed down his inn and timber business putting profits ahead of people like the true money grubbing and unfeeling, for his fellow human being, capitalist swine that he is!
The drama of the St. Helena eruption that everyone watching the movie knows is going to happened since it was broadcast around the clock,for some six weeks, at the time it did is seen in stages as the mountain continued to rumble and grumble as the pressure builds up inside of it for it's massive and powerhouse eruption! An explosion that has the destructive power of, God help us all, at least 500 Hiroshima like atomic bombs!
We also have in the movie David Jackson's love interest single mom Linda Steele, Cassi Yates, who works at the Whittaker Inn who by the time the movie is over falls in love with David who instead of returning the favor leaves her to take photos of the big once in a lifetime eruption despite the danger he's to face photographing it. There's also the butt kicking and karate black belt helicopter pilot Otis Kaylor played by Ron "Superfly" O'Neal who together with David flies into the belly of the beast, Mt. St. Helena, to check out if its about to blow that almost cost him and David their lives! We also have as comic relief, if you can call it that, this whacked out Reverend Dr.Lucus Romarantin, Biff Manard, who in an effort to keep Mt. St.Helena from erupting is willing to offer up to it a human sacrifice, not himself of course, of a virgin from his congregation Pamala, Julie Phillips, in order to placate the God Vulcan. It's Vulcan that Dr.Romarantin feels is the reason that the mountain is acting so angry toward the world or better yet the state of Washingon and its surroundings!
***SPOILERS*** As the fateful day-May 18, 1980-approaches it's old man Harry Truman who turns out to be the real hero of this end of the world earth shaking drama. With Harry not giving as much as an inch to the mountain that's about to bury him he and his dog go out for a days fishing at Spirit Lake that by the time the movie is finally over would be vaporized together with Harry and 59 other people as the big bad and angry Mt. Saint. Helena lets off the steam, as well as fire and brimstone, that's been building up in it for over the last 100 years!!
This real life drama began on March 20, 1980 as Mt. St. Helena started to rumble and churn out hot lava causing the people living around it to become concern that it might just erupt for the first time in over 100 years. With handsome geologist David Jackson, David Huffman, sent by the US Government to check the mountain out he comes to the shocking conclusion that the mountain is very likely to blow it's top at any moment. David urges the local Sheriff of Couger on the foot of Mt. St. Helena Wayne Temple, Tim Thomerson, to evacuate the ares before the now active volcano ends up vaporizing the town with everyone in it.
Harry for his part is totally unafraid of what's about to happen in his determination to stick it out and ride out the storm or volcanic eruption even if it ends up killing him! There's also the owner of the Whittaker Inn and local logging company Clyde Wittaker, Albert Salmi, who despite warning of impeding doom refuses to closed down his inn and timber business putting profits ahead of people like the true money grubbing and unfeeling, for his fellow human being, capitalist swine that he is!
The drama of the St. Helena eruption that everyone watching the movie knows is going to happened since it was broadcast around the clock,for some six weeks, at the time it did is seen in stages as the mountain continued to rumble and grumble as the pressure builds up inside of it for it's massive and powerhouse eruption! An explosion that has the destructive power of, God help us all, at least 500 Hiroshima like atomic bombs!
We also have in the movie David Jackson's love interest single mom Linda Steele, Cassi Yates, who works at the Whittaker Inn who by the time the movie is over falls in love with David who instead of returning the favor leaves her to take photos of the big once in a lifetime eruption despite the danger he's to face photographing it. There's also the butt kicking and karate black belt helicopter pilot Otis Kaylor played by Ron "Superfly" O'Neal who together with David flies into the belly of the beast, Mt. St. Helena, to check out if its about to blow that almost cost him and David their lives! We also have as comic relief, if you can call it that, this whacked out Reverend Dr.Lucus Romarantin, Biff Manard, who in an effort to keep Mt. St.Helena from erupting is willing to offer up to it a human sacrifice, not himself of course, of a virgin from his congregation Pamala, Julie Phillips, in order to placate the God Vulcan. It's Vulcan that Dr.Romarantin feels is the reason that the mountain is acting so angry toward the world or better yet the state of Washingon and its surroundings!
***SPOILERS*** As the fateful day-May 18, 1980-approaches it's old man Harry Truman who turns out to be the real hero of this end of the world earth shaking drama. With Harry not giving as much as an inch to the mountain that's about to bury him he and his dog go out for a days fishing at Spirit Lake that by the time the movie is finally over would be vaporized together with Harry and 59 other people as the big bad and angry Mt. Saint. Helena lets off the steam, as well as fire and brimstone, that's been building up in it for over the last 100 years!!
Enjoyable
forbesfour21 November 2003
Dramatic re-creation of the events leading up to the eruption of Mt. St. Helens and the unsuccessful efforts to evacuate the area even with so many warning signs. Special effects combined with actual footage give added reality.
The dumbest movie i have ever seen
EmperorHorde77729 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Call me an immature little boy, but i've had a more profound experience just watching a documentary on Mount St. Helens. To that end, there was actually some real footage of the eruption mixed in there somewhere. Now that was good, about all that actually was good in this dumb movie. (some people might think of this as a spoiler) The actor who plays Harry Truman is. Way. Too. Young. Truman was probably in his seventies, the actor looks like he's barely out of his fifties.
This movie runs about ninety minutes. Am I ever thankful for that, ninety minutes of sheer torture magnified by the fact that they swear (i'm talking S-words here) like it's 1999 just all the time. they must swear at least three times every scene. I'm telling you, it's out of control.
The only good line in the whole movie is "Ahh, hayte bahg pypes!" oh, sorry, translated version: "I hate bagpipes!" That line has become legendary around my house.
1 star is way too many. if given a choice i'd give it 0.00000001 stars. Watch a Mount St. Helens documentary instead.
This movie runs about ninety minutes. Am I ever thankful for that, ninety minutes of sheer torture magnified by the fact that they swear (i'm talking S-words here) like it's 1999 just all the time. they must swear at least three times every scene. I'm telling you, it's out of control.
The only good line in the whole movie is "Ahh, hayte bahg pypes!" oh, sorry, translated version: "I hate bagpipes!" That line has become legendary around my house.
1 star is way too many. if given a choice i'd give it 0.00000001 stars. Watch a Mount St. Helens documentary instead.
A first rate semi-documentary
bbhlthph23 August 2004
First I must take issue with the reviewer who found this film boring because he classed it as a disaster movie, and felt there was not the suspense necessary for a good disaster movie. Personally I would question whether disaster movies really comprise a distinct category - they are dramas in the thriller category where the more usual dramatic excitement of violent action is replaced by the tension of waiting to see whether or not the impending disaster can be staved off. To maintain this tension, such a movie has to be based on a fictional story. By contrast, films of real events can be full documentaries which were filmed only in advance or concurrently; or semi-documentaries in which some of the essential scenes have had to be fictionally, but as accurately as possible, reconstructed and filmed after the event. St. Helens clearly fits this latter category. Such films should have a sufficiently dramatic story to retain the viewers interest throughout, but they also have a very important role to play in conveying to the general public in dramatic terms the actual impact of the event in question on the lives of the ordinary people who were affected. We judge the success of semi-documentaries from the extent to which they succeed in satisfying these two objectives. In my view St. Helens meets both objectives well, and was artistically a most successful film.
Volcanic eruptions are not rare events, but the eruption in North America of a volcano generally regarded by the public as extinct, attracted enormous public attention as events unfolded day by day. Millions in North America experienced dull skies and falling ash over a period of several days, and those of us who are old enough remember the story very well. Ultimately this eruption cost fifty nine lives, but two of these in particular provided the media with ongoing human interest stories and later provided the core story for this movie. One was the young geologist from the U.S. Geological Survey who allowed his enthusiasm to run away with him to such an extent that he was conducting monitoring in an area very close to the mountain when the eruption took place. He saw it happen, and had time to report it by telephone before he was overwhelmed by the escaping gases or falling rocks. The other was the elderly retired man living alone in a cabin on Spirit Lake very close to the volcano who consistently refused to be evacuated until too late. These are the principal characters in this semi-documentary, and both are portrayed very sympathetically so that their self destructive behaviour becomes quite understandable. I would rate this as a very good film - I also have an 'official' full documentary account of this eruption on videotape, it provides many interesting facts about the scientific impact on the area; but this dramatised semi-documentary with its human interest stories is the one which will bear watching repeatedly, and it is commendably careful not to seriously distort any of the facts in the interests of artistic licence. We may never be near a volcano that is threatening to erupt, but we read about such eruptions each year and this film helps to give us a better understanding of what one is really like.
Volcanic eruptions are not rare events, but the eruption in North America of a volcano generally regarded by the public as extinct, attracted enormous public attention as events unfolded day by day. Millions in North America experienced dull skies and falling ash over a period of several days, and those of us who are old enough remember the story very well. Ultimately this eruption cost fifty nine lives, but two of these in particular provided the media with ongoing human interest stories and later provided the core story for this movie. One was the young geologist from the U.S. Geological Survey who allowed his enthusiasm to run away with him to such an extent that he was conducting monitoring in an area very close to the mountain when the eruption took place. He saw it happen, and had time to report it by telephone before he was overwhelmed by the escaping gases or falling rocks. The other was the elderly retired man living alone in a cabin on Spirit Lake very close to the volcano who consistently refused to be evacuated until too late. These are the principal characters in this semi-documentary, and both are portrayed very sympathetically so that their self destructive behaviour becomes quite understandable. I would rate this as a very good film - I also have an 'official' full documentary account of this eruption on videotape, it provides many interesting facts about the scientific impact on the area; but this dramatised semi-documentary with its human interest stories is the one which will bear watching repeatedly, and it is commendably careful not to seriously distort any of the facts in the interests of artistic licence. We may never be near a volcano that is threatening to erupt, but we read about such eruptions each year and this film helps to give us a better understanding of what one is really like.
Awful!
tdberry-33-3662714 June 2011
This movie purports to be a true story, but other than some geographic references, it is true only in that Mount St. Helens erupted violently and two of the fatalities. While the differing perspectives of innkeeper Harry Truman and geologist David Johnston on the peril posed by the volcano could have made for a compelling human interest drama; but while the acting is generally acceptable, this isn't it.
The special effects are laughably cheesy, even given the state of the art in 1981, and the music is screwy. Much of the geologic phenomena that the movie associates with the eruptions are pure fantasy, and the sequence of the eruptive events before the final blast is entirely wrong. The actions of the local logging industry as conditions became more dangerous are misrepresented, as is the response in towns affected by ashfall. The climactic line of the movie is yelled without any context to indicate what the actor is talking about.
As someone who has studied the events at Mt. St. Helens, the only way I would recommend this fiasco is to fans of Art Carney, who valiantly tries to carry the film. The stock footage of the St. Helens eruption is better seen in a context that rightly explains the eruption, rather than exploiting it in such absurd terms.
The special effects are laughably cheesy, even given the state of the art in 1981, and the music is screwy. Much of the geologic phenomena that the movie associates with the eruptions are pure fantasy, and the sequence of the eruptive events before the final blast is entirely wrong. The actions of the local logging industry as conditions became more dangerous are misrepresented, as is the response in towns affected by ashfall. The climactic line of the movie is yelled without any context to indicate what the actor is talking about.
As someone who has studied the events at Mt. St. Helens, the only way I would recommend this fiasco is to fans of Art Carney, who valiantly tries to carry the film. The stock footage of the St. Helens eruption is better seen in a context that rightly explains the eruption, rather than exploiting it in such absurd terms.
Engrossing drama
Woodyanders9 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Renegade geologist David Jackson (an excellent and engaging performance by David Houffman) tries to warn people about the impending eruption of the volcano Mt. St. Helens while crusty and stubborn old-timer Harry Truman (a wonderfully ornery portrayal by Art Carney) refuses to leave his lodge home despite the fact that he lives in the immediate proximity of the volcano. Director Ernest Pintoff, working from an absorbing script by Larry Ferguson and Peter Bellwood, relates the compelling story at a steady pace, ably creates and sustains an ominous atmosphere of slowly mounting dread, and presents believable characters who are firmly grounded in a totally plausible everyday reality. This movie further benefits from sound acting by a top-drawer cast: Carney and Huffman excel in the lead roles, with bang-up support from Cassie Yates as the sweet Linda Steele, Albert Salmi as mean and greedy local mill boss Clyde Whittacker, Ron O'Neal as tough Vietnam vet helicopter pilot Otis Kaylor, Tim Thomerson as the amiable Sheriff Wayne Temple, Bill McKinney as belligerent lumberjack Kilpatrick, and Henry Darrow as arrogant scientist Lloyd Wagner. The climactic eruption is genuinely exciting and makes effective use of actual newsreel footage. Jacques Haitkin's striking cinematography offers plenty of breathtaking aerial shots and equally stunning panoramic depictions of the ripely verdant sylvan landscape. The shivery score by Goblin does the shuddery trick. Only some shoddy optical special effects of the deadly billowing clouds of volcanic ash fail to impress. A worthwhile and enjoyable picture.
FULL of CURSING AND SWEARING
raymondw63-400-38421923 June 2020
It would be a good movie, if not for the pretty much non-stop bad language, all thru the movie. It's constantly Hell, GodD, and more. I never thought a movie about Mt St. Helens would contain such a string of vulgarities.
Sadly, it does. Hence, it is not worth watching, and my copy goes in
the trash can, rather than rewatch, or give it to anyone else to become
calloused to all the trashy language that was totally unneccessary to
the movie.
The best kind of history: involvement with the people who lived through it.
jcarter-129 July 2002
With its low-key acting, and real, believable characters, this film was a superb re-enactment of what became a nightmare for those closest to it. At first, no one is able to believe what is predicted to be coming. Gradually, the reality becomes inescapable. Art Carney, as Harry S. Truman, is completely believable, and understandable, as a man set in his ways and content with his life, unwilling to run away and perhaps unable to comprehend the totality of the disaster that is looming. How very human! We would all like terrible realities to go away, but often they are worse even than the forecasts. In light of 9/11, the poignancy of the human relationships in this film is even greater. We are so vulnerable in the face of many of the events of life, and the most important things we have to cling to are each other, and our relationships to the people we love, and to life itself. A haunting, under-rated film.
VIEWS ON FILM review of St. Helens
burlesonjesse59 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Watching 1981's St. Helens, you realize that the filmmakers decided to get this thing going right after the actual incident of an eruption in Southwest Washington happened just four months ago. A little eager in Tinseltown are we? I mean back then the phrase "too soon" could've been used (considering said eruption was the most disastrous volcanic spew in U. S. history). Whatever. Forty-plus years later, "Helens" is almost an incidental thang at this point, a flick to ponder on a rainy day via YouTube. "But if she goes, I want to be there". Indeed.
With what looks like archive footage of the real 1980 venting of Mount St. Helens and starring Art Carney, David Huffman, and Cassie Yates, "Helens" puts forth almost 90 minutes of build-up, establishing lots of characters, various subplots (some of the romantic kind), similar locales, and inching tension leading up to the inevitable (if you're my age and haven't been living in a bubble, you'll probably remember what went down).
Sure the music by progressive rock band Goblin is eerie beauty and sure, the cinematography by Jacques Haitkin is authentic enough. But HBO television might've rolled this thing out in a rushed attempt, asking the audience to painfully relive an event that killed 57 people and destroyed a hundred square miles left to wasteland.
That's not all. I mean where's the continuity here in regards to "Helens?" And why is everyone involved so mean, pent-up, and rattled? And what's with the Chuck Norris-like action clip (about 25 minutes in)? St. Helens has intentions (how could it not) but it could've hit the stratosphere had it not been so TV-movie harnessed (which it so is) and jumbled from a narrative slant. It's almost like a half-pie, edited version of The Towering Inferno. Sadly I wasn't quite "blow-ed away".
With what looks like archive footage of the real 1980 venting of Mount St. Helens and starring Art Carney, David Huffman, and Cassie Yates, "Helens" puts forth almost 90 minutes of build-up, establishing lots of characters, various subplots (some of the romantic kind), similar locales, and inching tension leading up to the inevitable (if you're my age and haven't been living in a bubble, you'll probably remember what went down).
Sure the music by progressive rock band Goblin is eerie beauty and sure, the cinematography by Jacques Haitkin is authentic enough. But HBO television might've rolled this thing out in a rushed attempt, asking the audience to painfully relive an event that killed 57 people and destroyed a hundred square miles left to wasteland.
That's not all. I mean where's the continuity here in regards to "Helens?" And why is everyone involved so mean, pent-up, and rattled? And what's with the Chuck Norris-like action clip (about 25 minutes in)? St. Helens has intentions (how could it not) but it could've hit the stratosphere had it not been so TV-movie harnessed (which it so is) and jumbled from a narrative slant. It's almost like a half-pie, edited version of The Towering Inferno. Sadly I wasn't quite "blow-ed away".
The cataclysmic eruption of Mount Saint Helens.
HumanoidOfFlesh13 September 2010
"St.Helens" centers around the events leading up to the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in Washington with the story beginning on the day volcanic activity started on March 20,1980 and ending on the day of the cataclysmic May 18,1980 eruption.David Huffman plays David Jackson,a vulcanologist who is sent by US Geological Survey to investigate the activity.His character is based on David Johnson,a real life vulcanologist who died during the eruption.Art Carney plays Mount St. Helens Lodge owner Harry Randall Truman.He refuses to leave his place of living during the volcanic activity.Jackson falls in love with a single mother named Linda Steele.On 18th May the volcano explodes..."St.Helens" is very loosely based on facts.It's an entertaining disaster drama with lovely score by Italian band Goblin.The entire movie was shot on location in Bend,Oregon and at Mount Bachelor in Central Oregon's Cascades,but there are some real-life images of Mount Saint Helens taken during an eruption.8 out of 10.
Censored
chajb13 January 2023
The first time I saw this movie I had rented the VHS cassette. The next time I rented it it was no longer the same movie. It had been obviously edited. Over the years I've purchased many copies, but have never found the original un-edited version. The music at the beginning is garbled and words spoken during the movie are not the same as the original. I'm sure there are reason's the movie was censored, but it is a great disappointment having seen the movie once in its original form. I have tried over gthe years to find a copy of the original version but have been unsuccessful. If anyone know how I can obtain the original please contact me.
Not all accurate
towermaster1 January 2021
Volcano
BandSAboutMovies2 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Directed by Ernest Pintoff, written by Peter Bellwood and Larry Ferguson and based on a story by Michael Timothy Murphy and Larry Sturholm, St. Helens aired on HBO on May 18, 1981, a little more than a year after the real eruption.
St. Helens begins on March 20, 1980 with an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale being unleashing by the volcano, the first activity in more than a hundred years. It causes Otis Kaylor (Ron O'Neal) to nearly crash into some loggers as he makes an emergency landing.
United States Geological Survey volcanologist David Jackson (David Huffman) soon shows up to learn more. He's actually playing someone very close to David Johnston, a scientist who died in the actual volcanic eruption. His parents were angry that not only was her son portrayed as a daredevil but also how much the movie got wrong about the science. Before the movie aired, 36 scientists who knew Johnston signed a letter of protest against the film, saying that "Dave's life was too meritorious to require fictional embellishments" and that he "was a superbly conscientious and creative scientist."
He soon becomes friends with a waitress and single mom named Linda Steele (Cassie Yates) and upsets her boss Clyde Whittaker (Albert Salmi) and the locals at Whittaker's Inn about the danger of the eruption, all while Sheriff Dwayne Temple (Tim Thomerson) tries to keep law and order.
Watching this movie in 2024, it's amazing how MAGA the people of the town are. It's no accident that Bill McKinney from Deliverance is one of them. The loudest is the owner of the Mount St. Helens Lodge, Harry R. Truman (Art Carney), who refuses to leave the blast radius and becomes so famous for his stand that he basically can't leave if he wants to live up to the character that he has created for himself. His sister, Gerri Whiting, served as a historical consultant for the film. According to her, Harry Truman and David Johnston were friends.
At 8:32 a.m. PDT on May 18, 1980, David hikes to find a massive bulge that has been growing on the north face of the mountain while Harry goes fishing in Spirit Lake. As David promised to the locals, they are both annihilated by a force similar to a nuclear bomb going off in their faces.
Sadly, the David who played David - David Huffman - died a sad death as well. He was only 39 years old when he was stabbed twice in the chest while fighting with a would be car thief. He died near instantly.
Why would I watch a movie so surrounded by death and sadness? Because it's the first Hollywood movie scored by Goblin. Let me tell you, there's nothing that says the Pacific Northwest more than Italian prog rock.
St. Helens begins on March 20, 1980 with an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale being unleashing by the volcano, the first activity in more than a hundred years. It causes Otis Kaylor (Ron O'Neal) to nearly crash into some loggers as he makes an emergency landing.
United States Geological Survey volcanologist David Jackson (David Huffman) soon shows up to learn more. He's actually playing someone very close to David Johnston, a scientist who died in the actual volcanic eruption. His parents were angry that not only was her son portrayed as a daredevil but also how much the movie got wrong about the science. Before the movie aired, 36 scientists who knew Johnston signed a letter of protest against the film, saying that "Dave's life was too meritorious to require fictional embellishments" and that he "was a superbly conscientious and creative scientist."
He soon becomes friends with a waitress and single mom named Linda Steele (Cassie Yates) and upsets her boss Clyde Whittaker (Albert Salmi) and the locals at Whittaker's Inn about the danger of the eruption, all while Sheriff Dwayne Temple (Tim Thomerson) tries to keep law and order.
Watching this movie in 2024, it's amazing how MAGA the people of the town are. It's no accident that Bill McKinney from Deliverance is one of them. The loudest is the owner of the Mount St. Helens Lodge, Harry R. Truman (Art Carney), who refuses to leave the blast radius and becomes so famous for his stand that he basically can't leave if he wants to live up to the character that he has created for himself. His sister, Gerri Whiting, served as a historical consultant for the film. According to her, Harry Truman and David Johnston were friends.
At 8:32 a.m. PDT on May 18, 1980, David hikes to find a massive bulge that has been growing on the north face of the mountain while Harry goes fishing in Spirit Lake. As David promised to the locals, they are both annihilated by a force similar to a nuclear bomb going off in their faces.
Sadly, the David who played David - David Huffman - died a sad death as well. He was only 39 years old when he was stabbed twice in the chest while fighting with a would be car thief. He died near instantly.
Why would I watch a movie so surrounded by death and sadness? Because it's the first Hollywood movie scored by Goblin. Let me tell you, there's nothing that says the Pacific Northwest more than Italian prog rock.
The best kind of history: involvement with the people who lived through it.
jcarter-129 July 2002
With its low-key acting, and real, believable characters, this film was a superb re-enactment of what became a nightmare for those closest to it. At first, no one is able to believe what is predicted to be coming. Gradually, the reality becomes inescapable. Art Carney, as Harry S. Truman, is completely believable, and understandable, as a man set in his ways and content with his life, unwilling to run away and perhaps unable to comprehend the totality of the disaster that is looming. How very human! We would all like terribly realities to go away, but often they are worse even than the forecasts. In light of 9/11, the poignancy of the human relationships in this film is even greater. We are so vulnerable in the face of many of the events of life, and the most important things we have to cling to are each other, and our relationships to the people we love, and to life itself. A haunting, under-rated film.
Funny
bevo-136781 April 2020
I was there
grahamvr17 March 2019
I was in a commercial airline flying from LA to Spokane when Mt. St. Helens erupted. Upon arrival in Spokane we drove to Moscow, Idaho through a storm of dust. The next morning 3 feet of ash covered the ground around our house. This movie reminded me of hat tragic day.
Well above average TV movie
steeleronaldr1 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Released almost a year after the Mt. Saint Helens eruption, this movie was well ahead of it's time. Starring Art Carney of "The Honeymooners" fame who went on to win 4 Emmy Awards, an Oscar and Golden Globe Award "Harry And Tonto" shine's as Harry Truman. David Huffman who 4 years later met his tragic end trying to stop a auto thief. The rest of the cast were equally impressive. Though it's not a 100% accurate account it does tell the story well.
David Jackson who's real name was David Johnston and his partner were actually friends and worked together instead of against each other. The town in general was pretty much evacuated give some photographers, reporter's and some hikers which brought the death till to 57 either killed or unaccounted for. Here the movie show's a different account mainly for dramatic purposes. Art Carney steals the movie as Harry R. Truman a retirement lodge owner who refuses to vacate as his wife and daughter are buried in the mountain. David Jackson who meets a local Linda Steele (Cassie Yates) an falls in love. Otis Kaylor (Ron O'Neal) a ex Vietnam veteran who flies a helicopter and Sheriff Dwayne Temple (tim Thomerson) along with a strong supporting cast brings this movie to life.
Rip right out of the headlines and aired while still fresh in the news this movie was a rating's hit. Interesting characters and accurate eruption footage keeps this movie flowing and maintains a strong grip on your attention. It does have it's flaw's and at times inaccurate information on other events like the Hostage crisis's still keeps the viewer.
It gives the usual villain, hero and heroin like all disaster movies. The villain or in this case villains are 1. Log owner as logger owner who's main interest is profit and would do anything to keep the town pumping with tourists to keep the cash register busy. 2. The head Geologists does what he can to persuade people that there is no guarantee of an eruption. The heroes here are of course David Jackson the young geologist who foresees the eruption and does what he can to attain a evacuation. The Sheriff Dwayne Temple who is caught between who's right and wrong but willing to evacuate. And Harry R. Truman the reluctant lodge owner who feels that the eruption will or will not be either way offers what help he can long as he stays in his home. The heroin, an uneducated single mother who's only concern is not only her son but the man she instantly fell in love with. It all build's up to the climatic end with real news footage that propells this movie higher than one would imagine. Yes it's a bit dated and yes at times the acting isn't all that but the strong story and breathtaking scenery makes up for it.
David Jackson who's real name was David Johnston and his partner were actually friends and worked together instead of against each other. The town in general was pretty much evacuated give some photographers, reporter's and some hikers which brought the death till to 57 either killed or unaccounted for. Here the movie show's a different account mainly for dramatic purposes. Art Carney steals the movie as Harry R. Truman a retirement lodge owner who refuses to vacate as his wife and daughter are buried in the mountain. David Jackson who meets a local Linda Steele (Cassie Yates) an falls in love. Otis Kaylor (Ron O'Neal) a ex Vietnam veteran who flies a helicopter and Sheriff Dwayne Temple (tim Thomerson) along with a strong supporting cast brings this movie to life.
Rip right out of the headlines and aired while still fresh in the news this movie was a rating's hit. Interesting characters and accurate eruption footage keeps this movie flowing and maintains a strong grip on your attention. It does have it's flaw's and at times inaccurate information on other events like the Hostage crisis's still keeps the viewer.
It gives the usual villain, hero and heroin like all disaster movies. The villain or in this case villains are 1. Log owner as logger owner who's main interest is profit and would do anything to keep the town pumping with tourists to keep the cash register busy. 2. The head Geologists does what he can to persuade people that there is no guarantee of an eruption. The heroes here are of course David Jackson the young geologist who foresees the eruption and does what he can to attain a evacuation. The Sheriff Dwayne Temple who is caught between who's right and wrong but willing to evacuate. And Harry R. Truman the reluctant lodge owner who feels that the eruption will or will not be either way offers what help he can long as he stays in his home. The heroin, an uneducated single mother who's only concern is not only her son but the man she instantly fell in love with. It all build's up to the climatic end with real news footage that propells this movie higher than one would imagine. Yes it's a bit dated and yes at times the acting isn't all that but the strong story and breathtaking scenery makes up for it.
Artie Versus the Volcano!
Coventry25 May 2021
"St. Helens" is based on the factual series of volcanic explosions and the eventual eruption as they occurred between end of march and 18th of May 1980. Real people died and real human tragedies happened here, so in case you wonder, this is the reason why the film is much less sensational and much more serene than other, contemporary disaster movies... *cough* Irwin Allen's movies *cough*.
Still, though, and with all do respect for the casualties, our titular volcano couldn't have picked out a better era to erupt! Throughout the entire 70s and during the early 80s, large-scaled disaster movies were extremely popular, especially when natural disasters were involved. "St. Helens" - not a small or minor TV-production, mind you - was released in theaters 15 months after the date of the eruption. Now, that's what I call commitment and grabbing the opportunity when it occurs.
In spite of being less loud and spectacular than the others, it simply must be emphasized that "St. Helens" still features a lot of genuine disaster-movie trademarks. It has a strong cast (Art Carney, Albert Salmi, Ron O'Neal...) and ditto director (Ernest Pintoff of "Jaguar Lives!"), and a screenplay chock-full of delightful clichés. As usual, the cast is divided into two camps; - the smart people who realize the volcano is going to erupt and cause a lot of damage, and the dumb bunch who deny everything and stubbornly refuse to evacuate. In good "Jaws" tradition, the ignorant local politician and entrepreneur Clyde Whittaker even claims all the media fuzz is bad for tourism, and forces his employees to sign forms to continue working.
Last but certainly not least, and truly surprising, "St. Helens" is quite a comical film despite its fateful content. This is mainly due/thanks to the character played by Art Carney. His Harry Truman is an elderly and deeply cynical owner of a lodge on the outskirts of the volcano. He also refuses to leave the area, but not so much because he doesn't believe in an eruption, but just because he's old and stubborn. Also some of the situations with noisy tourists are hilarious. Some of the best quotes include: "shut up, or I'll rip your tongue out and mail it to your mother" (says a husband to his wife) and "I'm not coming off this mountain. I don't care what anyone says; - the governor, the President of the United States or the King of England". To which an English journalist responds the UK has queen nowadays. Harry's response: "That's your problem!"
Still, though, and with all do respect for the casualties, our titular volcano couldn't have picked out a better era to erupt! Throughout the entire 70s and during the early 80s, large-scaled disaster movies were extremely popular, especially when natural disasters were involved. "St. Helens" - not a small or minor TV-production, mind you - was released in theaters 15 months after the date of the eruption. Now, that's what I call commitment and grabbing the opportunity when it occurs.
In spite of being less loud and spectacular than the others, it simply must be emphasized that "St. Helens" still features a lot of genuine disaster-movie trademarks. It has a strong cast (Art Carney, Albert Salmi, Ron O'Neal...) and ditto director (Ernest Pintoff of "Jaguar Lives!"), and a screenplay chock-full of delightful clichés. As usual, the cast is divided into two camps; - the smart people who realize the volcano is going to erupt and cause a lot of damage, and the dumb bunch who deny everything and stubbornly refuse to evacuate. In good "Jaws" tradition, the ignorant local politician and entrepreneur Clyde Whittaker even claims all the media fuzz is bad for tourism, and forces his employees to sign forms to continue working.
Last but certainly not least, and truly surprising, "St. Helens" is quite a comical film despite its fateful content. This is mainly due/thanks to the character played by Art Carney. His Harry Truman is an elderly and deeply cynical owner of a lodge on the outskirts of the volcano. He also refuses to leave the area, but not so much because he doesn't believe in an eruption, but just because he's old and stubborn. Also some of the situations with noisy tourists are hilarious. Some of the best quotes include: "shut up, or I'll rip your tongue out and mail it to your mother" (says a husband to his wife) and "I'm not coming off this mountain. I don't care what anyone says; - the governor, the President of the United States or the King of England". To which an English journalist responds the UK has queen nowadays. Harry's response: "That's your problem!"
A Whimpy Little Disaster Flick
DannyMiz28 April 1999
Like most docu-drama disaster flicks, this film is pretty boring and has little to note. About all it has going for it is the fact that you know how the film is going to end... in disaster. The only reason you keep watching this is the morbid curiosity of which characters are going to die.
Somewhat a slow movie but predictable.
bjdorr19 January 2004
The movie St. Helens was a bit slow, especially how the film was drawing up the timelines. Simply I knew what I was waiting for during the whole time was May 18, 1980 at 8:32 a.m. for the "big explosion." Needless to say, the film was a bit dull but that is almost an unfair comparison when its compared to witnessing Mt. St. Helens unleash her fury in real life. What mountain is next?
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