Although originally a journalist by trade, Allen had always loved the
movies and had wished to be a part of them. In the process, he became
one of the biggest names in show business during the 1970s, producing
and directing some of its most popular films. After working in
magazines and advertising, he produced the documentary,
Geheimnisse des Meeres (1953). This
excellent film won an Academy Award for Best Documentary, and he
decided to branch out into commercial film. His spoof of history,
The Story of Mankind (1957),
was a critical and commercial disaster, but he scored box office
success with Die Welt der Sensationen (1959)
and Versunkene Welt (1960), a
remake of a silent classic, and
Unternehmen Feuergürtel (1961).
As the 1960s emerged, he became interested in science fiction, and
scored considerable success. The TV takeoff of
Die Seaview - In geheimer Mission (1964)
struck a cord with TV audiences, and so did
Verschollen zwischen fremden Welten (1965),
Time Tunnel (1966) and
Planet der Giganten (1968).
However, it was during the 1970s that Allen became became a household
name. Noting the massive box office success of
Airport (1970), he immediately branched
out into disaster movies and was able to obtain star-studded casts.
Die Höllenfahrt der Poseidon (1972),
about passengers abroad a capsized cruise liner, was one of the biggest
box office hits of the year, and its theme song, "The Morning After",
by Maureen McGovern, won an Academy
Award for Best Song. He followed up that triumph by producing and
co-directing the smash,
Flammendes Inferno (1974),
about a group of people trapped in a burning skyscraper, which also
drew huge audiences and profits. In his personal life, at that time, he
fell in love with actress
Sheila Allen (Sheila Matthews),
whom he married in 1974. He returned briefly to television with the
series,
Die Schweizer Familie Robinson (1975),
but the familiar story only lasted two seasons. It was then that his
popularity was at its peak, and he had become known as "The Master of
Disaster". He then produced and directed the killer bee film,
Der tödliche Schwarm (1978). In spite of a big
budget and star-studded cast, the poor special effects and dialog made
it a complete flop. The following year, he made produced and
co-directed,
Jagd auf die Poseidon (1979),
which audiences found dull and implausible. In 1980, he attempted a
comeback with
Der Tag, an dem die Welt unterging (1980),
about tourists and natives struggling to escape a volcano eruption. The
film drew attention when Mount St. Helens in Washington state erupted
during its release, but the lavishly financed film was a box office
disaster. After three expensive films lost vast sums of money, Allen
was never able again to make films on such a grand scale. He remained
active in the entertainment industry during the 1980s, however. He
designed a special effects ride at the Universal Studios Theme Park,
and also produced some TV mini-series. He passed away in 1991. His
widow helps run a website dedicated to his memory.
