IMDb > Death Wish (1974)
Death Wish
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Death Wish (1974) More at IMDbPro »

Videos
Death Wish (1974) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   9,259 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Michael Winner
Writers:
Brian Garfield (novel)
Wendell Mayes (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Death Wish on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 July 1974 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Crime more
Tagline:
Vigilante, city style -- Judge, Jury, and Executioner more
Plot:
A New York City architect becomes a one-man vigilante squad after his wife is murdered by street punks in which he randomly goes out and kills would-be muggers on the mean streets after dark. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(60 articles)
Grimmupnorth 09: Review of The Horseman
 (From QuietEarth. 4 November 2009, 12:09 PM, PST)

Birthday Suit: Dolph 'the biggest one' Lundgren
 (From FilmExperience. 3 November 2009, 7:06 PM, PST)

User Comments:
Classic Remedy For Instant Satisfaction more (142 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Charles Bronson ... Paul Kersey

Hope Lange ... Joanna Kersey
Vincent Gardenia ... Detective Frank Ochoa
Steven Keats ... Jack Toby
William Redfield ... Sam Kreutzer
Stuart Margolin ... Ames Jainchill
Stephen Elliott ... Police Commissioner
Kathleen Tolan ... Carol Toby
Jack Wallace ... Hank
Fred J. Scollay ... District Attorney
Chris Gampel ... Ives
Robert Kya-Hill ... Joe Charles
Edward Grover ... Lt. Briggs (as Ed Grover)

Jeff Goldblum ... Freak #1
Christopher Logan ... Freak #2
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Sidewalk Vigilante (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
93 min
Country:
USA
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Finland:K-18 (1974) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (2003) (uncut) | Iceland:16 | UK:18 (re-rating) (2006) (uncut) | West Germany:18 (f) | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Brazil:14 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | France:-16 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
After finishing The Stone Killer (1973), Charles Bronson and Michael Winner wanted to make another film together, and were discussing further projects. "What do we do next?" asked Bronson. "The best script I've got is 'Death Wish'. It's about a man whose wife and daughter are mugged and he goes out and shoots muggers," said Winner. "I'd like to do that," Bronson said. "The film?" asked Winner. Bronson replied, "No . . . shoot muggers." more
Goofs:
Continuity: The bloody rag Ochoa gets out of Kersey's trash can is not the same one Kersey used on his wound. Kersey’s back was stained with blood from the stabbing, and that rag got soaked with blood. Yet the rag Ochoa pulls out of the garbage is not stained with blood, there's just a small spot of it. more
Quotes:
[Paul and Sam listen to a police statement on the news]
Sam Kreutzer: I'll bet muggings are down, and they're afraid to tell us.
Paul Kersey: There's only one way to find out. Take a walk on Columbus Avenue tonight.
Sam Kreutzer: Thanks a lot, Paul. I think I'll wait for the official report.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Ruth Gordon/Chuck Berry (#2.12)" (1977) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
36 out of 45 people found the following comment useful.
Classic Remedy For Instant Satisfaction, 22 April 2006
9/10
Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

I guess by now you could call this movie a "classic." It would meet most definitions. It was so popular that it spawned a number of sequels, but they just got dumb and dumber. This is one of the most famous "revenge" movies ever made and still stands up today.

This was a very, very simple story and it panders to our base instincts which is probably why it was so successful. Most people want justice, and they want it now....which is what this movie preaches. At the time, the movie was shocking. If it came out today, it wouldn't have nearly the impact. However, the early scene of the mother and daughter raped and killed is still horrifying. That will never change.

The story then slows down as we see the transformation of the husband, from conscientious objector to vigilante. When Charles Bronson hits the streets, the film picks up big-time. The movie also ends on a very satisfying note.

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Message Boards

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