The Hindenburg is a 1975 American film based on the disaster of the German airship Hindenburg. Because Hindenburg blew up in 1937, this film actually falls into the Dieselpunk Genre rather than the Steampunk Genre.
A highly speculative thriller, The Hindenburg depicts a conspiracy leading to the destruction of the airship. In reality, while the Zeppelins were certainly used as a propaganda symbol by the Third Reich, and anti-Nazi forces might have had the motivation for sabotage, the theory of sabotage was investigated at the time, and no firm evidence for such sabotage was ever put forward. The possibility of Boerth's (i.e. Spehl's) deliberate sabotage is one theory of the fire that had been the subject of Mooney's book, published around the time of the film's development. It has never been proven definitively, and most airship experts tend to discredit this theory.
Plot[]
Col. Ritter is called up by the German high command to settle concerns that a sabotage conspiracy is at work on blowing up Hindenburg at some point in its highly reported voyage to Lakehurst, New Jersey. Ritter moves into action by monitoring all the passengers as they board the airship, taking the opportunity to find out specifics about each them and their reasons for traveling on Hindenburg. After the craft is aloft, Ritter continues to look over the mechanics and the servicing of the airship doggedly determined to quell any possible problems. After determining that there is indeed a plot afoot to destroy Hidenburg, Ritter responds by trying to get the craft to land and get the passengers off safely.
Steampunk Influences[]
None. This is actually a Dieselpunk drama, given that the events depicted, Hindenburg's last flight in 1937, occurred well after both the Victorian Era and Edwardian Era.