San Francisco, 1906, the big earth quake has not yet happened: Perkins
(David Opatoshu) has been an alcoholic for most of his life, which is why
as a fifty-something he is no more than a mere bellboy. Then though he has
visions of a big earthquake - and nobody believes him, everybody blames it
on his past history with alcohol. He is so insistant about his visions
though that he eventually gets fired from his job. Being jobless, he still
wants to save the city and goes to all the newspapers to make them issue a
warning - without success. Only a theatre critic is interested in his
story and even considers publishing it - but then his errand boy
identifies Perkins as his own father - the very man who let his mother die
to get drunk. Now it's Harris' own son who sees to it that the story
doesn't only not get published, but that his father is taken into custody
as well, and killed in the earthquake that happens right when he said it
would. Only a Sicilian couple (Elvira Curci, Martin Garralaga) who has
been staying at Perkins' hotel escape the ordeal because they saw the
weird man as a bad omen. Nicely told little stoy with a twist,
no more but certainly no less. Sure, much of this tale is predictable on
closer inspection, and some of the acting's a little broad, but then again
there are some nice special effects, cool earthquake footage and an ending
that's aqt best bittersweet to keep the whole thing from being just
television mediocricy. No masterpiece perhaps, but perfectly watchable.
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