Rollerball (1975)

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

William Harrison (short story "Roller Ball Murder") &
William Harrison (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 June 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Sport

Tagline:

In the not-too-distant future, wars will no longer exist...

Plot:

In a corporate controlled future, an ultra-violent sport known as Rollerball represents the world, and one of it's powerful athletes is out to defy those who want him out of the game.

Plot Keywords:

Computer | Fictitious Sport | Futuristic | Sports Arena | Bach Toccata And Fugue

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

James Caan	...	Jonathan E.
John Houseman	...	Bartholomew
Maud Adams	...	Ella
John Beck	...	Moonpie
Moses Gunn	...	Cletus
Pamela Hensley	...	Mackie
Barbara Trentham	...	Daphne
John Normington
Shane Rimmer	...	Rusty, Team Executive
Burt Kwouk	...	Japanese Doctor
Nancy Bleier	...	Girl in Library
Richard LeParmentier	...	Bartholomew's Aide
Robert Ito	...	Strategy Coach for Houston Team
Ralph Richardson	...	Librarian
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Miquel Brown	...	(unconfirmed)
Steve Boyum	...	Biker (uncredited)
Loftus Burton	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Anthony Chinn	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Abi Gouhad	...	Reporter (uncredited)
David Griffin	...	Man Collecting Coats (uncredited)
Alan Hamane	...	Biker (uncredited)
Andy Ho	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Robert Lee	...	Executive (uncredited)
Bob Leon	...	Biker (uncredited)
Angus MacInnes	...	Jonathan's Guard (uncredited)
Mac McDonald	...	Executive (uncredited)
Bob Miller	...	Game Announcer (uncredited)
Bob Minor	...	Rollerball team member (uncredited)
Alfred Thomas	...	Team Trainer (uncredited)
Burnell Tucker	...	Jonathan's Captain of Guard (uncredited)
Danny Wong	...	Biker (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Jewison

Writing credits
William Harrison		short story "Roller Ball Murder" &
William Harrison		screenplay

Produced by
Norman Jewison	....	producer
Patrick J. Palmer	....	associate producer (as Patrick Palmer)

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe

Film Editing by
Antony Gibbs

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
John Box

Art Direction by
Robert W. Laing		(as Robert Laing)

Costume Design by
Julie Harris

Makeup Department
Leonard	....	hair consultant
Wally Schneiderman	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Larry DeWaay	....	supervising production manager (as Larry De Waay)
Ted Lloyd	....	production manager
Dieter Meyer	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kip Gowans	....	first assistant director
Chris Kenny	....	assistant director
Max Kleven	....	second unit director
Peter Price	....	assistant director
Dietmar Siegert	....	assistant director

Art Department
Charles Bishop	....	assistant art director
Michael Redding	....	construction manager
Jack Towns	....	property master

Sound Department
Derek Ball	....	sound mixer
Archie Ludski	....	dubbing editor
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound re-recordist
Les Wiggins	....	dubbing editor
John Hayward	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sass Bedig	....	special effects
John Richardson	....	special effects

Stunts
Craig R. Baxley	....	stunts (as Craig Baxley)
Tony Brubaker	....	stunts
Gary Epper	....	stunts
Max Kleven	....	stunt coordinator
Bob Minor	....	stunts
Jimmy Nickerson	....	stunts (as Jim Nickerson)
Chuck Parkison Jr.	....	stunts
Dar Robinson	....	stunts
Roy Scammell	....	stunts
Walter Scott	....	stunts (as Walt Scott)
Dick Warlock	....	stunts
Jerry Wills	....	stunts
Diamond Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dennis Fraser	....	key grip
Robin Vidgeon	....	assistant camera
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator
Robin Browne	....	photographer: second unit and aerials (uncredited)

Casting Department
Renate Arbes	....	casting: Munich (as Renate Arbes-Neuchl)
Mary Selway	....	casting: London

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Hilling	....	wardrobe supervisor
Ron Postal	....	james caan's wardrobe

Editorial Department
Terry Busby	....	assistant editor
Brian Mann	....	assistant editor
Amanda Palmer	....	assistant editor

Music Department
André Previn	....	conductor
André Previn	....	musical director

Transportation Department
Don French	....	transportation coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Yvonne Axeworthy	....	continuity
Charles Cannon	....	production accountant
Tom Carlile	....	publicist
Peter Hicks	....	skating supervisor
Golda Offenheim	....	production assistant
Julia Pascal	....	secretary to producer
Herbert Schurmann	....	track architect
Brian Smedley-Aston	....	sequences by multivision

Production Companies

• Algonquin

Distributors

• United Artists (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• Egmont Entertainment (2000) (Finland) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2002) (Finland) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Nordisk Film (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2002) (Sweden) (DVD)
• United Artists Pictures (1975) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1975) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1975) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (Finland) (video)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1993) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes
• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Leonard of London  hair consultant
• London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  music played by

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

New Zealand:M (re-rating) (2002) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (2000) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1975) | New Zealand:R18 (orginal rating) (1976) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1988) | UK:15 (video rating) (1987) | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (Alberta) (re-rating) (1999) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Germany:16 (2002) | Netherlands:18 | Norway:18 (1976) | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia)

Filming Locations:

BMW Building, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Algonquin

Trivia:

There was only one "Rollerball" rink. It was redressed to appear as different cities.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The chanting crowd in Tokyo, Japan mispronounces the name of their city. They chant "To-ki-o" instead of "Tô-kyô."

Quotes:

Bartholomew: You can be made to quit, you know. You can be forced.
Jonathan E.: You can't make me quit.
Bartholomew: Don't tell me I can't. Don't EVER say that. I can. YOU can be stopped.
[as Jonathan E. leaves the room, he turns up the volume of a TV set, as thousands are cheering his name]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Robots (2005)

Soundtrack:

Symphony no. 8: First Movement

Action-packed and insightful.

Rollerball is another of those great 70's cult sci-fi films. It features a great cast of actors and a smart script. It was notorious at the time for its violence, although that was greatly exaggerated in comparison to some professional sports and entertainment. It features a futuristic reimagining of the Roman Empire, with gladiatorial games to distract the populace from their bleak existence. It also predates cyberpunk literature, with ts depiction of a world controlled by powerful conglomerates, a world not too different from the present one.

James Caan is fantastic as Johnathan E, the Michael Jordan of Rollerball. He continues to succeed in a sport designed to show the futility of individual effort. The sport is constantly changed to stop him, yet he continues to overcome every obstacle.

John Housman is electrifying as the head of the Energy Corporation, owners of the Houston Team. He has conspired with his peers to keep the masses down and use this sport to both distract them and show them that the individual can't succeed. He grows more desperate as Johnathan E defeats his schemes. He tries every trick without success.

The supporting cast is filled with great actors, like Moses Gunn, John Beck, Sir Ralph Richardson (not John Gielgud, as one reviewer stated), Maude Adams, and Shane Rimmer.

The film demonstrates that the individual can triumph over insurmountable odds and cautions against corporate control of society. It uses both allegory and speculation beautifully, and packages it with thrilling action. The remake was destined for failure because it couldn't see beyond the action. The action was only window dressing for the greater themes. If only more recent sci-fi films were this thought-provoking, or other films for that matter.