Westworld (1973)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Michael Crichton

Writer:

Michael Crichton (written by)

Release Date:

21 November 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller | Western

Tagline:

Westworld ...where robot men and women are programmed to serve you for ...Romance ...Violence ...Anything

Plot:

A robot malfunction creates havoc and terror for unsuspecting vacationers at a futuristic, adult-themed amusement park.

Plot Keywords:

Computer | Saloon | Brawl | Futuristic | Seduction

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Yul Brynner	...	Gunslinger
Richard Benjamin	...	Peter Martin
James Brolin	...	John Blane
Norman Bartold	...	Medieval Knight
Alan Oppenheimer	...	Chief Supervisor
Victoria Shaw	...	Medieval Queen
Dick Van Patten	...	Banker
Linda Gaye Scott	...	Arlette (as Linda Scott)
Steve Franken	...	Technician
Michael T. Mikler	...	Black Knight (as Michael Mikler)
Terry Wilson	...	Sheriff
Majel Barrett	...	Miss Carrie
Anne Randall	...	Servant Girl
Julie Marcus	...	Girl in Dungeon
Sharyn Wynters	...	Apache Girl

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (cut) (1974) | Iceland:16 | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:16 (nf) | Singapore:PG | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Harold Lloyd's Greenacres Estate - 1740 Green Acres Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

When the Gunslinger robot is splashed in the face with acid, Yul Brynner's face was coated with an oil-based makeup mixed with ground Alka-Seltzer. A splash of water then produced the fizzing effect.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Right after John is shot, the Gunslinger says "Draw" to Peter. You can see the Gunslinger's breath (condense) just after saying it, despite the fact that he is an android. The Gunslinger model should not have any significant body heat, as that would have prevented a guest's gun from firing.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Interviewer of Delos Guests: [hosting a commercial] Hi. Ed Ramsey from Delos. If there's anyone who doesn't know what Delos is, well, as we've always said: Delos is the vacation of the future, today. At Delos, you get your choice of the vacation you want. There's Medieval World, Roman World and, of course, Westworld. Let's talk to some of the people who've been there.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "What's New, Scooby-Doo?: Go West, Young Scoob (#3.2)" (2005)

A superb scifi time capsule.

There is no POINT you people slagging off at the technological deficiencies of a 1973 film...in 2002! WESTWORLD just happens to be the great-great grandparent of JURASSIC PARK as well as the surrogate parents of TERMINATOR, EVE OF DESTRUCTION etc...You don't go round slinging off at your own ancestors do you now?

This was a DEVELOPING Michael Crichton...if all of you technologically inscrutable reviewers figure you can do it BETTER...be my guest...show us your stuff!

I saw WESTWORLD the day of its '73 Australian premiere, I was actually reviewing it for my own newspaper. I'll repeat what I said THEN! A conceptually brilliant update on the Disneyland theme-park idea with Yul Brynner basically reprising his role from THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN as a robotic gunslinger with a touch too much human ambition. With the limited budget Crichton had to work with, he did alright and if some of you weren't to taken with MEDIEVAL WORLD or ROMAN WORLD well pardon me all over the place. Personally I would die for one of the "pleasure models!"

WESTWORLD was a colossal hit worldwide and I can tell you, there were few nit-pickers a quarter of a century ago. See it today for what it is..a benchmark in scifi cinema. You could do worse than watching FUTUREWORLD too - not as good but compared to BLADE2 or MIB2 a total classic.