Papillon (1973)

Director:

Franklin J. Schaffner

Writers:

Dalton Trumbo (screenplay) and
Lorenzo Semple Jr. (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 December 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

The greatest adventure of escape ever filmed!

Plot:

A man befriends a fellow criminal as the two of them begin serving their sentence on a dreadful prison island, which inspires the man to plot his escape.

Plot Keywords:

Escape | French | South America | French Guiana | Tattoo

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Steve McQueen	...	Henri 'Papillon' Charriere
Dustin Hoffman	...	Louis Dega
Victor Jory	...	Indian Chief
Don Gordon	...	Julot
Anthony Zerbe	...	Toussaint
Robert Deman	...	Maturette
Woodrow Parfrey	...	Clusiot
Bill Mumy	...	Lariot
George Coulouris	...	Dr. Chatal
Ratna Assan	...	Zoraima
William Smithers	...	Warden Barrot
Val Avery	...	Pascal
Gregory Sierra	...	Antonio
Vic Tayback	...	Sergeant (as Victor Tayback)
Mills Watson	...	Guard
Ron Soble	...	Santini
Barbara Morrison	...	Mother Superior
Don Hanmer	...	Butterfly Trader
E.J. André	...	Old Con
Richard Angarola	...	Commandant
Jack Denbo	...	Classification Officer
Len Lesser	...	Guard
John Quade	...	Masked Breton
Fred Sadoff	...	Deputy Warden
Allen Jaffe	...	Turnkey
Liam Dunn	...	Old Trustee
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Brocco	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	...	Manhunter (uncredited)
Billy M. Greene	...	Old man (uncredited)
Anne Byrne Hoffman	...	Mrs. Dega (uncredited)
Fred Lerner	...	Convict on ship (uncredited)
Harry Monty	...	(uncredited)
Ellen Moss	...	Nun (uncredited)
Dalton Trumbo	...	Commandant (uncredited)

Directed by
Franklin J. Schaffner

Writing credits
Dalton Trumbo		(screenplay) and
Lorenzo Semple Jr.		(screenplay)
Henri Charrière		(book "Papillon")

Produced by
Robert Dorfmann	....	producer
Robert O. Kaplan	....	assistant producer
Ted Richmond	....	executive producer
Franklin J. Schaffner	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Fred J. Koenekamp		(director of photography) (as Fred Koenekamp)

Film Editing by
Robert Swink

Casting by
Jack Baur

Production Design by
Anthony Masters

Art Direction by
Jack Maxsted

Costume Design by
Anthony Powell

Makeup Department
Charles H. Schram	....	makeup designer (as Charles Schram)

Production Management
Emmett Emerson	....	production manager
Robert Watts	....	unit production manager
Francisco Ariza	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
José López Rodero	....	first assistant director (as Jose Lopez Rodero)
Kuki López Rodero	....	first assistant director (as Juan Lopez Rodero)
Joe Nayfack	....	second assistant director
Roberto Parra	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bill MacSems	....	assistant property master (as William MacSems)
Dennis J. Parrish	....	property master (as Dennis Parrish)
Hugh Scaife	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Derek Ball	....	sound recordist
Gordon Daniel	....	sound editor
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recordist

Special Effects by
Alex Weldon	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Albert Whitlock	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Joe Canutt	....	stunt gaffer
Jophery C. Brown	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dar Robinson	....	cliff stunt double: Steve McQueen (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Benson	....	assistant camera (as Michael Benson)
Jack Courtland	....	camera operator (as John Courtland)
Reggie Jones	....	key grip
Thomas Laughridge	....	camera operator
William McCreery	....	assistant camera
Gene Stout	....	gaffer
Steve Yaconelli	....	assistant camera (as Stephen Yaconelli)
Owen Marsh	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tony Pueo	....	wardrobe supervisor
Mickey Sherrard	....	wardrobe supervisor

Music Department
Erma E. Levin	....	music editor
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator
Charles Gounod	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert Laffont	....	publisher: book "Papillon"
Lucien Lamontagne	....	technical advisor
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Allied Artists Pictures
• Corona-General
• Solar Productions

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (????) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1974) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Irfan Film (1974) (Turkey) (all media)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Egmont Film (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Nordisk Film (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Vii Pillars Entertainment (2004) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Allied Artists Home Video (1973) (worldwide) (all media)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2002) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Flashstar (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2002) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• Screen Life Sucessos (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  titles

Runtime:

150 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints)

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Australia:M | South Korea:18 | Canada:14A (video rating) | Brazil:12 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-18 | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1974) | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | UK:AA (original rating) (cut) | West Germany:16 | UK:15 (video rating) (2000) | USA:PG (re-rating on appeal) | USA:R (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Jamaica

Company:

Allied Artists Pictures

Trivia:

Although billed as a true story, the French in French Guiana claim that much of the story of Henri Charrière (Papillon) is fabricated. Papillon was documented to have been incarcerated in Saint Laurent and may have escaped from there, but he never served any time on the Devil's Islands (now known as Iles du Salut or Salvation Islands). The book and movie both present Devil's Island as having rocky cliffs, when in fact, though the entire island is rocky, it gently slopes into the surrounding sea.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Papillon is in his first solitary confinement a vampire bat bites him and drinks his blood. The wound is two fang-like holes where the blood comes out. A vampire bat doesn't have fangs for teeth. Using their sharp teeth, the bats make tiny cuts in the skin. The bats' saliva contains a chemical that keeps the blood from clotting. The bats then lap up the blood that oozes from the wound.

Quotes:

Dega: If I stay - here in this place -I will die!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Steve McQueen: The King of Cool (1998) (TV)

The Caged Butterfly

"Papillon" (pronounced "pap-e-yawn") is one of the most underrated films of the 1970s. Most critics attacked it on it's released, accusing it of being extremely overlong. That is unfortunate, because that is it's only major fault. Despite the rather silly casting of Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman as French criminals, they work surprisingly well together. Franklin J. Schaffner's direction is inspiring, as is most of the work he did while at the top of his game. He creates one of my favorite shots in film history (the short blow-dart sequence), and captures the isolation of McQueen perfectly.

As for length issues, the native villager sequence runs too long (though the nudity will no doubt entertain some), and trimming of some earlier scenes may have helped. Still, "Papillon" remains one of the most gruelling and well-made prison dramas of all time.

7.7 out of 10