When Time Ran Out (1980)

My Review

“When Time Ran Out” is an all-star disaster movie where a South Pacific resort island is suddenly threatened by a huge volcanic eruption. As the ground ruptures and the lava begins to flow, resort guests and workers are forced to make a dangerous trek across the island to safety. Director James Goldstone (“Rollercoaster” 1977) put together a weak film due to a mediocre screenplay by Carl Foreman and Stirling Silliphant. It was adapted from the 1969 novel “The Day the World Ended” by Gordon Thomas.

The cast includes Paul Newman, Jacqueline Bisset, William Holden, Edward Albert, Red Buttons, Barbara Carrera, Valentina Cortesa, Veronica Hamel, Alex Karras, Burgess Meredith, Ernest Borgnine, James Franciscus, and Pat Morita. The nearly unwatchable “When Time Ran Out” was a box office bomb for producer Irwin Allen and Warner Bros. Pictures. It was filmed on the Big Island of Hawaii, and received one Oscar nod for Best Costume Design. The musical score was composed by Lalo Schifrin.