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Action drama

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990): Cast & Plot

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990) movie poster

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake is a 1990 action drama directed by Larry Elikann, starring Joanna Kerns as Dr. Clare Winslow, Holly Fields and Ed Begley Jr.. It runs 3 hours.

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The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990) movie poster
Released
Runtime
3h (180 min)
Director
Larry Elikann
Genres
Action , Drama
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Great Los Angeles Earthquake About?

The premise of The Great Los Angeles Earthquake without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

After a series of minor tremors rattles Los Angeles, seismologist Dr. Clare Winslow calculates the exact location and time of the much‑feared “Big One.” She races against reluctant city officials to warn the public while trying to keep her own family safe. Interwoven vignettes follow other residents as they confront the increasing quakes leading up to the massive disaster.

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • assassination attempt
  • hitman
  • murderer
  • murder
  • profanity
  • swimming pool
  • news reporter
  • police
  • riot
  • traffic jam
  • flood
  • elevator accident
+38 more
  • buried in rubble
  • buried alive
  • high school graduation
  • payphone
  • explosion
  • office
  • car crash
  • airport
  • school
  • construction worker
  • fire fighter
  • nurse
  • doctor
  • mayor
  • cigarette smoking
  • governor
  • disaster film
  • building collapse
  • bridge collapse
  • emergency
  • bloody violence
  • graphic violence
  • hollywood sign destroyed
  • earthquake
  • looting
  • sniper
  • disaster
  • hospital
  • elevator
  • gas
  • electrocution
  • edited from tv series
  • destruction
  • los angeles california
  • death
  • telephone
  • fire
  • graduation
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Cast & crew

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake Cast & Characters

Joanna Kerns leads the cast as Dr. Clare Winslow, with Holly Fields as Heather Winslow and Ed Begley Jr. as Jerry Soloway. Directed by Larry Elikann; 28 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Great Los Angeles Earthquake

· 24 more
Show all 28 cast members
From the director

More from Larry Elikann

More films directed by Larry Elikann: Lies He Told, An Unexpected Family, My Son Is Innocent and Terminal.

Full filmography
Plot

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake Plot Summary

What happens in The Great Los Angeles Earthquake from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The film opens with a small tremor rattling the hills outside Los Angeles, then shifts to a sunny moment at Universal Studios where a teenage girl, Heather Holly Fields Winslow, shares a rush of nerves on a date near the Earthquake Ride. Heather is the daughter of Clare Winslow Joanna Kerns, a USGS seismologist whose days are spent chasing tremors and patterns that could foretell a catastrophe.

Full summary

The whole story of The Great Los Angeles Earthquake, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The Great Los Angeles Earthquake.

The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990) TV Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Great Los Angeles Earthquake?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the profession of Clare Winslow?

Details

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake Also Known As

4 alternative titles, including “Le Grand tremblement de terre de Los Angeles” and “The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake”.

Also known as
  • Le Grand tremblement de terre de Los Angeles
  • The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake
  • Das große Erdbeben in L.A.
  • A nagy Los Angeles-i földrengés

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FAQ

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake FAQ: Cast & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Great Los Angeles Earthquake, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Great Los Angeles Earthquake?

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake runs 3 hours (180 minutes).

When was The Great Los Angeles Earthquake released?

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake was released on November 11, 1990.

Who directed The Great Los Angeles Earthquake?

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake was directed by Larry Elikann.

More films by Larry Elikann

Who is in the cast of The Great Los Angeles Earthquake?

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake stars Joanna Kerns as Dr. Clare Winslow, Holly Fields as Heather Winslow and Ed Begley Jr. as Jerry Soloway, among 28 credited actors.

Does The Great Los Angeles Earthquake have a post-credit scene?

No. The Great Los Angeles Earthquake has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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