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:

Miscarriage Of Justice | Jail | Corporal Punishment | Corrupt Prison Officials | Tough Guy

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
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 (1973) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Irfan Film (1974) (Turkey) (all media)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1974) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (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)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Flashstar (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Screen Life Sucessos (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  titles

Runtime:

150 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:14A (video rating) | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:16 | Brazil:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | South Korea:18 | 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:

Revealing mistakes: When Papillon is in the natives' village he goes swimming with one of the girls who has tan lines from a bra/bikini top.

Quotes:

Warden Barrot: [to Papillon upon his release from solitary confinement after two years following his first escape attempt] Your term is completed.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fanalysis (2002)

This actually happened

Steve McQueen plays Henri "Papillon" Charriere who is sentenced to life in a French penal colony for a murder he didn't do.There he befriends with an other convict Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman).Henri's only goal is to escape.Franklin J. Schaffner's Papillon (1973) is based on a true story.Charriere actually went through all this and then wrote a book. The acting work is unique.Steve McQueen (1930-1980) is superb in the lead.Also Dustin Hoffman (1937-) is excellent as always.This movie is filled with incredible scenes.Everything works perfectly in this amazing movie.If you want to see a dramatic adventure masterpiece this is a movie for you to see.