Rock Hudson in Avalanche (1978)
Vitals
Rock Hudson as David Shelby, stubborn ski resort developer
Colorado, Winter 1978
Film: Avalanche
Release Date: August 30, 1978
Director: Corey Allen
Wardrobe Credit: Jane Ruhm
WARNING! Spoilers ahead!
Background
In the spirit of another snowy weekend, today’s post focuses on one of the lesser-discussed (and for good reason!) disaster movies of the 1970s. After the disaster genre conquered air (Airport), water (The Poseidon Adventure), and fire (The Towering Inferno), what was left but… snow?
Thus, Corey Allen—no relation to “Master of Disaster” Irwin Allen—took it upon himself to direct and co-write Avalanche, a harrowing tale of a ski resort built on hubris and soft-focus shots of Mia Farrow. Farrow stars as Caroline Brace, invited to the grand opening of a ski resort owned by her ex-husband David Shelby (Rock Hudson). While there, she finds herself drawn to earnest environmental photographer Nick Thorne (Robert Forster), who repeatedly tries to warn David about the threat that heavy snowfall would pose to his resort.
Of course, Nick’s premonitions are tragically realized when a rogue plane crash triggers the titular avalanche that threatens not only Mia’s burgeoning romances but also the lives of everyone at the resort—including a chef who dies covered in his own soup. Who else will perish during the avalanche? Will it be soup or snow that claims additional victims? And, most importantly, which man will Mia choose??
Included by Razzie Awards founder John Wilson among the 100 “most enjoyably bad movies ever made”, Avalanche‘s $6.5 million budget also gave it the distinction of one of the most expensive movies made by Roger Corman’s New World Pictures. Released weeks after New World’s less-expensive Pirahna, Corman reportedly expected Avalanche‘s star power to drive box office, but it ultimately flopped while Pirahna would become one of New World’s most profitable hits.
What’d He Wear?
On the day of the avalanche, David Shelby pulls on a heavy hip-length chore coat with a woolen flannel twill outer shell patterned in a cream-and-brown plaid, framed in a navy overcheck and overlaid in a narrow double-striped brown perpendicular check. The coat has a dark charcoal piled fleece lining that presents along the collar. Four caramel-colored leather shank buttons fasten up the front, with an additional button at the neck which David always wears undone. The set-in sleeves are finished with plain cuffs, and the gently slanted set-in side pockets have narrow flaps which occasionally get tucked into the pockets themselves.
David kicks off the grand opening ceremonies by wishing everyone to “have a good day!”
Under the coat, David wears his usual insulating pairing of a turtleneck as his base layer under a button-up shirt—in this instance, a yellow two-pocket work-shirt buttoned over a dark midnight-blue lightweight turtleneck.
The work-shirt appears to be made from a pale-yellow moleskin—a heavy cotton fabric that’s been woven and shorn to a soft, felt-like piled texture. Moleskin has long been a popular fabric for winter workwear due to the dense weave’s durability and wind resistance. David’s long-sleeved moleskin shirt has a then-fashionably long point collar, a button-up front placket, single-button rounded barrel cuffs, and two patch chest pockets that each close with a single-button flap. All of the buttons are large mixed beige plastic four-hole buttons.
David’s golden-tan trousers have a suede-like finish suggesting corduroy, though we never see the cloth close enough to determine if it has corduroy’s characteristic wales. If they are corduroy, it would be a fine pinwale (also known as “needlecord”) with at least 16 wales per inch of fabric, like the rust-brown cords he had worn the previous day.
Through the trouser belt loops, David wears a wide dark-brown leather belt that closes through a sterling silver open-framed buckle similar to sandcast Navajo buckles like this. David’s symmetrical buckle has a snake motif across the top and five-feathered “wings” flaring from each side of the round-framed center.
The flat-front trousers have slanted side pockets, plain-hemmed bottoms, and a close fit through the thighs and are slightly flared below the knees—a silhouette contemporary with contemporary trends while also holding space for David’s heavy boots. These slip-on snow boots have hazelnut-brown leather uppers that rise to mid-calf and tan rubber soles.
David slides across the desk to access the lodge’s administrative areas.
David’s light-gray scarf is made from a soft wool, likely cashmere, and fringed at the ends. Outside, he wears a set of silver-toned aviator-style sunglasses with wide metal arms.
David begins the day wearing black leather three-point gloves, which he evidently loses at some point during the avalanche. This exposes the yellow-gold dress watch on his left wrist, which features a round silver dial and flat gold bracelet.
What to Imbibe
At the end of the movie, Caroline finds a bottle of Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut champagne chilling in a pile of snow and brings it inside the ruined resort to offer David a drink. “What should we drink to?” he asks. “We survived,” she responds. As they pass the bottle between each other, David takes responsibility for the disaster.
How to Get the Look
Rock Hudson in Avalanche (1978)
- Cream-and-brown plaid woolen flannel twill chore coat with charcoal fur lining and collar, four caramel brown woven leather shank buttons, gently slanted flapped hip pockets, and set-in sleeves with plain cuffs
- Pale-yellow moleskin cotton long-sleeved work-shirt with long point collar, front placket, two chest pockets (with single-button flaps), and single-button rounded cuffs
- Dark-navy lightweight turtleneck
- Golden-tan pinwale corduroy flat-front trousers with belt loops, slanted side pockets, and slightly flared plain-hemmed bottoms
- Dark-brown leather belt with silver pronged Navajo-style buckle
- Hazelnut-brown leather mid-calf slip-on snow boots
- Silver-framed aviator-style sunglasses
- Light-gray cashmere scarf with fringed ends
- Black leather three-point gloves
- Gold dress watch with round silver dial on flat gold bracelet
Do Yourself a Favor and…
Check out the movie, currently (and often) streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Or, better yet, check out the episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 that riffs on it.
The Quote
I always thought survival meant being king of the mountain.
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