IMDb > Midnight Express (1978)
Midnight Express
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Midnight Express (1978) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 3)
Midnight Express (1978) -- Story of a man who is caught smuggling drugs out of Turkey and thrown into prison. Inspired from and dramatized upon a true event.
Midnight Express (1978) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)
IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   21,338 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 17% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Alan Parker
Writers:
Billy Hayes (book) and
William Hoffer (book) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Midnight Express on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 October 1978 (USA) more
Genre:
Biography | Crime | Drama | Thriller more
Tagline:
A story of triumph. more
Plot:
Story of a man who is caught smuggling drugs out of Turkey and thrown into prison. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 12 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(24 articles)
John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The Rt Interview
 (From Rotten Tomatoes. 4 November 2009, 12:35 AM, PST)
Former MGM Chief Daniel Melnick Dead At 77; Many Classic Films To His Credit
 (From CinemaRetro. 16 October 2009, 9:58 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Amazing movie, but not covers truth. more (197 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
Brad Davis ... Billy Hayes

Irene Miracle ... Susan
Bo Hopkins ... Tex
Paolo Bonacelli ... Rifki
Paul L. Smith ... Hamidou (as Paul Smith)

Randy Quaid ... Jimmy Booth

Norbert Weisser ... Erich

John Hurt ... Max
Mike Kellin ... Mr. Hayes
Franco Diogene ... Yesil

Michael Ensign ... Stanley Daniels
Gigi Ballista ... Chief Judge
Kevork Malikyan ... Prosecutor
Peter Jeffrey ... Ahmet
Joe Zammit Cordina
Yashaw Adem (as Yashar Adem)
Raad Rawi
Tony Boyd ... Aslan
Zannino (as Zanninos Zanninou)
Mihalis Giannatos ... Translator (as Michael Yannatos)
Vic Tablian
Ahmed El Shenawi ... Negdir
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Alan Parker ... Long haired man at airport (uncredited)
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Directed by
Alan Parker 
 
Writing credits
Billy Hayes (book) (as William Hayes) and
William Hoffer (book)

Oliver Stone (screenplay)

Produced by
Peter Guber .... executive producer
Alan Marshall .... producer
David Puttnam .... producer
 
Original Music by
Giorgio Moroder 
 
Cinematography by
Michael Seresin 
 
Film Editing by
Gerry Hambling 
 
Production Design by
Geoffrey Kirkland 
 
Art Direction by
Evan Hercules 
 
Costume Design by
Milena Canonero 
 
Makeup Department
Pat Hay .... hair stylist
Mary Hillman .... makeup artist
Sarah Monzani .... hair stylist
Penny Steyne .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Richard Green .... unit manager
Garth Thomas .... production manager
Antoine Compin .... production manager: second unit (uncredited)
Charis Horton .... production manager: second unit (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ray Corbett .... first assistant director
Kieron Phipps .... third assistant director
David Wimbury .... second assistant director
 
Art Department
Alan Booth .... stand-by carpenter
Karen Brookes .... property buyer
Kenneth Clarke .... stand-by plasterer (as Ken Clark)
Bob Hedges .... stand-by props
John Hemmington .... dressing props
Katharina Kubrick .... art department assistant
Bob Lapper .... stagehand
John Leuenberger .... property master
Douglas Regan .... stand-by painter
Dennis Simmonds .... stand-by props
Bill Welch .... construction manager
 
Sound Department
Don Banks .... sound camera
Rusty Coppleman .... dubbing editor
Bill Rowe .... dubbing mixer
Ken Weston .... boom operator
Clive Winter .... sound mixer
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Beaumont Alexander .... clapper loader (as Beau Alexander)
David Appleby .... still photographer
Peter Bloor .... electrician
Ray Coates .... electrician
Nobby Cross .... electrician
Freddy Fry .... camera grip
Red Lawrence .... rigger
Reg Parsons .... electrician
Roy Rodhouse .... electrician
John Stanier .... camera operator
Bernard Lutic .... director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
 
Casting Department
Penny Perry .... casting: USA
Patsy Pollock .... casting: UK
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bobby Lavender .... wardrobe
Yvonne Zarb Cousin .... wardrobe mistress (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Eddy Joseph .... assistant editor
Tony Orton .... assistant editor
Richard Taylor .... assistant editor
 
Other crew
Paul Cadiou .... assistant accountant
Valerie Craig .... production secretary
Kay Fenton .... continuity
Brian Harris .... follow focus
Angela Micklesburgh .... assistant to producer
Ron Phipps .... production accountant
Caryn Picker .... assistant to producer
Roy Scammell .... fight arranger
Kathy Smith .... production assistant (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
121 min
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
English | Maltese | French
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Singapore:M18 (cut) | Iceland:16 | Spain:18 | Netherlands:16 | Brazil:18 | Germany:16 (re-rating) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R16 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1996) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1999) | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Canada:18A | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1978) | France:-16 | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R
Filming Locations:
Fort St.Elmo, Valletta, Malta more
Company:
Casablanca Filmworks more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In an attempt to really get into character, John Hurt stopped bathing for most of the 53-day schedule and reeked so badly in time, most of his colleagues avoided being close to him. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: Muslim prayer is depicted incorrectly. Muslim prayer has definite steps and rules, and there's always a leader to the prayer when more than two are praying. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
[Susan makes her way through a line at an airline checkpoint]
Susan: Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me.
[she reaches Billy in line]
Susan: Nervous?
Billy Hayes: No.
Susan: Geez, I hate flying.
Billy Hayes: It's something I ate. I think I've been poisoned.
Susan: Or you're just excited about getting home.
Billy Hayes: No, I think it's the baklavas.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Paul Smith: The Reddest Herring (2008) (V) more
Soundtrack:
Istanbul Blues more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
12 out of 18 people found the following comment useful.
Amazing movie, but not covers truth., 11 August 2001
Author: Baris Cicek from Ankara, Turkey

Midnight Express is really impressing and depressing movie. It's really must be seen, it shows the importance of human rights to whom don't care about it. I wish writer of script hadn't used realnames like Turkey. Because, as a person who lives in Turkey, I'm sure that there's no such a torture methods and implemantation in Turkey. There are just writer's imaginations. Other than that, ppl should see this film.

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Message Boards

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Interview with real Bill Hayes OnurFrancois
I hate IMDB Scoring yuotman
did he come back for max? La-z-girl_recliner
Giorgio Moroder ROCKS tennavision
Who the hell was Tex? johannes_keinestam
the Warden looks like james Gandolfini ztpt
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