# WTC History in Movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2007, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697 "2007-03-13T02:03:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/1 "2007-03-13T02:03:53Z")
My husband and I watched _The Hot Rock_ (released 1972) recently. It’s set in NYC. In one scene there is a helicopter flight over downtown Manhattan and it’s easy to see that at least one of the twin towers is still under construction. There are even closeups. It is so damned poignant! What other movies show these buildings in various stages of construction? I’m not sure when they were open for occupancy, but the “Grand Opening” was April 5, 1974. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/2 "2007-03-13T03:07:31Z")
The movie version of _Godspell_ has the cast singing and dancing on the top of one of the towers. I believe it was under construction at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/3 "2007-03-13T04:19:29Z")
Loving (1970), The French Connection (1971), Godspell (1973). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/4 "2007-03-13T12:52:36Z")
I can’t remember if it was in an actual feature movie, or part of some “magic” show on TV, or just what, but some guy attempted (and I believe actually completed) a tightrope walk between the two towers. Anybody else see that and remember any details of it? I seem to recall it was quite windy up there and the guy was maybe wearing a parachute or else had some safety equipment close by. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/5 "2007-03-13T13:30:03Z")
A model only, but when I pointed out that the WTC still seemed to be standing in the future of “Escape From New York,” my mate pointed out that the film’s “future” was in 1994, so it was still accurate 😛 ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/6 "2007-03-13T13:56:48Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] I can’t remember if it was in an actual feature movie, or part of some “magic” show on TV, or just what, but some guy attempted (and I believe actually completed) a tightrope walk between the two towers. Anybody else see that and remember any details of it? I seem to recall it was quite windy up there and the guy was maybe wearing a parachute or else had some safety equipment close by. [/QUOTE] [Philippe Petit](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Petit) No parachute, no permission. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/7 "2007-03-13T14:52:22Z")
[QUOTE=postcards] [Philippe Petit](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Petit) No parachute, no permission. [/QUOTE] Thank you for locating that article. It’s amazing how close to the actual opening of the towers his stunt was performed. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/8 "2007-03-13T17:11:42Z")
Superman: The Movie. He flies Lois about the WTC and the Statute of Liberty. Or just watch Friends. There are frquent shots of the WTC as a brief intro shot. Oh and don’t forget King Kong with Jessica Lange. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/9 "2007-03-13T17:29:36Z")
There’s a shot in the beginning of _When Harry Met Sally_ where Harry and Sally first part ways after arriving in Greenwich Village in Manhattan right under the Washington Square Arch. The camera is looking south from 5th Ave. (where it ends at the park) and you can see the towers directly through the archway. This was a very familiar sight to me as I used to go around that area all the time, it’s still one of those jolting moments to me when I’m walking down 5th Ave. south from 8th St. and realize I don’t see the towers through the arch any more. Similarly hitting close to home (and another Meg Ryan/Billy Crystal romantic comedy) is one of the last scenes in _Sleepless In Seattle_, where Meg Ryan’s character breaks up with her fiancé before heading over to the observation deck of the Empire State Building to hook up with Billy Crystal’s character. The breakup takes place in the WTC in the Windows On The World restaurant before its (last) renovation, which is where my HS prom was held in 1988 (the movie was filmed in 1993). I also noticed that _Home Alone 2: Lost In New York_ (which I saw for the first time on cable this past holiday season) shows Macaulay Culkin’s character going up to the rooftop observation deck and taking pictures shortly after arriving in NYC. ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/10 "2007-03-13T17:49:25Z")
Let us not forget (though some of us have tried _very_ hard) the Dino de Laurentiis version of **King Kong**. In fact, IIRC, the poster art depicted Kong standing on top of the WTC, straddling _both_ towers! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/11 "2007-03-13T18:06:55Z")
The WTC appears on the poster/DVD packaging for _Moonstruck_. > **[HomeVideos.com domain name is for sale. Inquire now.](https://www.homevideos.com/)** > > HomeVideos.com is available for purchase. Get in touch to discuss the possibilities! And is quite prominent in several gorgeous shots of the magical full moon. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/12 "2007-03-13T18:16:14Z")
[QUOTE=robardin] Similarly hitting close to home (and another Meg Ryan/Billy Crystal romantic comedy) is one of the last scenes in _Sleepless In Seattle_, where Meg Ryan’s character breaks up with her fiancé before heading over to the observation deck of the Empire State Building to hook up with Billy Crystal’s character. The breakup takes place in the WTC in the Windows On The World restaurant before its (last) renovation, which is where my HS prom was held in 1988 (the movie was filmed in 1993). [/QUOTE] …::cough:: Tom Hanks. ::cough:: ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/13 "2007-03-13T18:22:24Z")
Don’t forget **Escape from New York** , where Snake Plissken’s glider is heading right towards the Towers. My other entries – **King Kong. Godspell** have already been taken. (Godspell was filmed before they finished the observation platform on top – I’m amazed they got to film up there. ) You could see the Towers going up (on a clear day) from my high school in New Jersey. They looked like two huge yellow sticks (because of some insulation or something in them that was covered by the stainless steel sheathing at the end.) _Bright_ yellow spires. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/14 "2007-03-13T20:02:28Z")
Hmm, I thought the original question was about movies that show the World Trade Center _under construction_. Maybe I read it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/15 "2007-03-13T20:08:41Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Thank you for locating that article. It’s amazing how close to the actual opening of the towers his stunt was performed. [/QUOTE] You’re welcome. And let’s not forget [George Willig](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Willig), either. Okay, I’m done hijacking. I just admire these guys as it must have been real difficult to do what they did whilst carrying such huge _cojones_. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/16 "2007-03-13T20:15:30Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] Hmm, I thought the original question was about movies that show the World Trade Center _under construction_. Maybe I read it wrong. [/QUOTE] That interpretation matches mine. As it turns out, my tightrope guy’s picture shows one of the towers under construction, but I didn’t remember it that way, and, besides, mine wasn’t even a movie – as it turns out. I guess the time span the OP is curious about would be from when they began construction in the 60’s until they were “completed” in the early 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/17 "2007-03-13T20:16:05Z")
[The Lone Gunmen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_lone_gunmen) 's first episode was about foiling a plot to fly an airplane into the World Trade Center. The plane pulls up at the last second and misses; this aired about six months before 9/11/01. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/18 "2007-03-13T20:25:26Z")
[QUOTE=Push You Down] …::cough:: Tom Hanks. ::cough:: [/QUOTE] D’oh!!! HTF did I get that wrong?? 😊 …and yes, the OP was actually referring to/asking for depictions of the WTC while under construction, but also mentioned poignancy as a factor, and to me (and I guess to other repliers) seeing depictions of them as still-standing finished structures is much more poignant than showing them under construction, since they were finished structures since as far back as I can remember and a regular part of my life. Even more poignant are scenes from movies like _Artificial Intelligence: A.I._ that show them as still standing long after the city is abandoned and mankind gone from the Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/19 "2007-03-13T20:33:24Z")
[QUOTE=Mahaloth] [The Lone Gunmen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_lone_gunmen) 's first episode was about foiling a plot to fly an airplane into the World Trade Center. The plane pulls up at the last second and misses; this aired about six months before 9/11/01. [/QUOTE] IIRC, it showed even closer to the time in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697/20 "2008-04-28T23:16:58Z")
[QUOTE=postcards] [Philippe Petit](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Petit) No parachute, no permission. [/QUOTE] They’ve just made a [documentary](http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/btm/feature/2008/04/28/tribeca1/) on Petit’s feat. It just premiered at Tribeca and is slated for general release in August. It sounds like a great film. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtc-history-in-movies/395697.md?page=2)