Marathon Man (1976)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

John Schlesinger

Writers:

William Goldman (screenplay)
William Goldman (novel)

Release Date:

8 October 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A graduate history student is unwittingly caught in the middle of an international conspiracy involving stolen diamonds, an exiled Nazi war criminal, and a rogue government agent.

Plot Keywords:

War Criminal | Nazi | Dentist | New York | Diamond

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	Babe
Laurence Olivier	...	Szell
Roy Scheider	...	Doc
William Devane	...	Janeway
Marthe Keller	...	Elsa
Fritz Weaver	...	Professor Biesenthal
Richard Bright	...	Karl
Marc Lawrence	...	Erhard
Allen Joseph	...	Babe's Father
Tito Goya	...	Melendez
Ben Dova	...	Szell's Brother
Lou Gilbert	...	Rosenbaum
Jacques Marin	...	LeClerc
James Wing Woo	...	Chen
Nicole Deslauriers	...	Nicole
Lotte Palfi Andor	...	Old Lady on 47th Street (as Lotta Andor-Palfi)
Lionel Pina	...	Street Gang
Church	...	Street Gang
Tricoche	...	Street Gang
Jaime Tirelli	...	Street Gang
Wilfredo Hernández	...	Street Gang (as Wilfredo Hernandez)
Harry Goz	...	Jewelry Salesman
Michael Vale	...	Jewelry Salesman
Fred Stuthman	...	Jewelry Salesman
Lee Steele	...	Jewelry Salesman
William Martel	...	Bank Guard
Glenn Robards	...	Plainclothesman
Ric Carrott	...	Plainclothesman
Alma Beltran	...	Laundress
Daniel Núñez	...	Guard in Uruguay (as Daniel Nunez)
Tony Pena	...	Guard in Uruguay
Chuy Franco	...	Guard in Uruguay
Billy Kearns	...	Tourist Couple
Sally Wilson	...	Tourist Couple
Tom Ellis	...	T.V. Announcer
Bryant Fraser	...	Young Photographer
George Dega	...	Hotel Valet
Gene Bori	...	French Doctor
Annette Claudier	...	Nurse
Roger Etienne	...	Headwaiter
Raymond Serra	...	Truck Driver (as Ray Serra)
John Garson	...	Bystander
Charlott Thyssen	...	Bystander
Estelle Omens	...	Bystander
Madge Kennedy	...	Lady in Bank
Jeff Palladini	...	Young Babe
Scott Price	...	Young Doc
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Abebe Bikila	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
S.C. Dacy	...	Innocent Bystander (uncredited)
Shawn McAllister	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
Irving Metzman	...	Accident Witness (uncredited)
Louis Tanno	...	(uncredited)
Treat Williams	...	Central Park Jogger (uncredited)

Directed by
John Schlesinger

Writing credits
William Goldman		(screenplay)
William Goldman		(novel)

Produced by
Sidney Beckerman	....	producer
Robert Evans	....	producer
George Justin	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Michael Small		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
Conrad L. Hall		(as Conrad Hall)

Film Editing by
Jim Clark

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Production Design by
Richard Macdonald		(as Richard MacDonald)

Art Direction by
Jack De Shields

Set Decoration by
George Gaines

Costume Design by
Robert De Mora		(costumes)

Makeup Department
Barbara Lorenz	....	hair stylist
Ben Nye	....	make-up artist
Dick Smith	....	special make-up consultant
Brad Wilder	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Stephen F. Kesten	....	unit production manager
Lindsley Parsons Jr.	....	executive production manager: Paramount (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Everett Creach	....	second unit director
Burtt Harris	....	assistant director
Hawk Koch	....	assistant director (as Howard W. Koch Jr.)
William Saint John	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bill MacSems	....	property master

Sound Department
David M. Ronne	....	sound mixer (as David Ronne)
Edward L. Sandlin	....	sound editor
Fred Stafford	....	sound editor (as Freddie Stafford)
John Wilkinson	....	re-recording mixer (as John K. Wilkinson)
Robert Rogow	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Richard E. Johnson	....	special effects
Charles Spurgeon	....	special effects

Stunts
Everett Creach	....	stunt coordinator
Rock A. Walker	....	stunt driver (uncredired)
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Holly Bower	....	stills
Garrett Brown	....	special photography
Earl L. Clark	....	assistant camera (as Earl Clark)
Charles Langham	....	best boy
Rick Martens	....	gaffer (as Richard Martens)
Nick McLean	....	camera operator
Robert Moore	....	key grip (as Robert C. Moore)
Peter Sorel	....	stills

Casting Department
Juliet Taylor	....	casting: New York

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert M. Moore	....	wardrobe
Bernie Pollack	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Arthur Schmidt	....	associate editor
Dennis Wooley	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrations
Patrick Moore	....	music editor
Michael Small	....	music conducted by

Transportation Department
Kelly Aldrich	....	driver: John Schlesinger (uncredited)

Other crew
Cathy Chazan	....	assistant: Mr. Evans
Michael Childers	....	assistant to producers
Giancarlo Giannini	....	voice dubbing: : Dustin Hoffman
Mark Griffiths	....	coordinator: AFI
Roland Meledandri	....	clothes: Roy Scheider
Dan Perri	....	title design
Nicholas Sgarro	....	script supervisor (as Nick Sgarro)
Karen Hale Wookey	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1977) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1979) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Esselte Video (????) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Fotomat (Drive-Thru Movies) Video (1979) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (Italy) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1997) (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Connaught Productions  services
• Decca Records  "Dors, ô cité perverse!" courtesy of (as London and Decca Records)
• Maslansky Koenigsgerg  publicity
• Polydor Records  "Der Neugierige" used by arrangement with (as Polydor Inc.)

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German | Spanish | Yiddish

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | Brazil:14 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-15 (re-rating) (2003) (uncut version) | Finland:K-16 (1988) (cut version) | France:-16 | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM18 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1977) | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

47th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Producer Robert Evans was set upon getting Laurence Olivier to play the part of Szell. However, because Olivier at the time was riddled with cancer, he was uninsurable so Paramount refused to use him. In desperation, Evans called his friends Merle Oberon and David Niven to arrange a meeting with the House of Lords (the upper body of the UK's parliament). There, he urged them to put pressure on Lloyds of London to insure Britain's greatest living actor. The ploy succeeded and a frail Olivier started working on the film. In the end, not only did he net an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but his cancer also went into remission. Olivier lived on for another 13 years.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After Doc flees the Opera, when we him in the Grecian temple, dolly tracks are clearly visible on the floor. As the camera dollies in, we lose sight of them but Doc obviously high-steps over the tracks.

Quotes:

Old Lady on 47th Street: [recognizing Szell across 47th Street] Szell!... Szell!... Szell!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Clerks: Leonardo Leonardo Returns and Dante Has an Important Decision to Make (#1.1)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Le Tram

"No, you can keep them. You can keep as many as you can swallow. " - Babe (Dustin Hoffman)

John Schlesinger's 1976 classic about a graduate student in New York City who becomes the center of a mean old ex-Nazi war criminal dentist and the government's objective to throw him over. Dustin Hoffman provides us with an excellent performance as the 'Marathon Man'. He was almost forty when he played the role and with his acting skills he makes us believe he is actually a graduate student. Roy Scheider is perfect as Hoffman's crafty and slick older brother who works for the C.I.A. Scheider really does a lot with his role making him perhaps even the coolest character in the movie. Veteran Shakespearan actor Laurence Olivier gives an incredible performance as the evil ex-Nazi that rightfully earned him a Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor. John Schlesinger provides incendiary direction, and the screenplay is consistently engrossing and full of twists. If you are looking for one hell of a suspense flick with a lot of action you should definitely check out 'Marathon Man' at your local videostore. 'Marathon Man' should have earned Oscar nominations for -- Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role - Dustin Hoffman, Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Laurence Olivier, Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Roy Scheider, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing. Watch out for the creepy 'dentist' scene. Grade: B+