Somewhere in Time (1980)

Director:

Jeannot Szwarc

Writers:

Richard Matheson (screenplay)
Richard Matheson (novel)

Release Date:

3 October 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Fantasy

Tagline:

Some day in the past, he will find her.

Plot:

A Chicago playwright uses self-hypnosis to find the actress whose vintage portrait hangs in a grand hotel.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Hotel | Playwright | Hypnosis | Pocket Watch

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Christopher Reeve	...	Richard Collier
Jane Seymour	...	Elise McKenna
Christopher Plummer	...	William Fawcett Robinson
Teresa Wright	...	Laura Roberts
Bill Erwin	...	Arthur Biehl
George Voskovec	...	Dr. Gerald Finney
Susan French	...	Older Elise
John Alvin	...	Arthur's Father
Eddra Gale	...	Genevieve
Audrey Bennett	...	Richard's Date
William H. Macy	...	Critic (as W.H. Macy)
Laurence Coven	...	Critic
Susan Bugg	...	Penelope
Christy Michaels	...	Beverly
Ali Marie Matheson	...	Student (as Ali Matheson)
George Wendt	...	Student
Steve Boomer	...	Hippie
Pat Billingsley	...	Professor (as Patrick Billingsley)
Ted Liss	...	Agent
Francis X. Keefe	...	Desk Clerk
Taylor Williams	...	Maitre D'
Noreen Walker	...	Librarian
Evans Ghiselli	...	Coin Shop Proprietor
Barbara Giovannini	...	Tourist in Hall of History
Don Franklin	...	Tourist in Hall of History
David Hull	...	Hotel Manager
Paul Cook	...	Doctor (as Paul M. Cook)
Victoria Michaels	...	Maude
William P. O'Hagan	...	Rollo
Maud Strand	...	Marie
Bo Clausen	...	Man in Elevator, in 1912
James P. Dunnigan	...	Second Man in Elevator, in 1912
Sean Hayden	...	Young Arthur, in 1912
Hal Frank	...	Stage Manager, in 1912
Hayden Jones	...	Man with Stage Manager, in 1912
Val Bettin	...	Director, in 1912
Bruce Jarchow	...	Bones, in 1912
Ed Meekin	...	Fisher, in 1912
Erin Tomcheff	...	Miss Hammond, in 1912
J.J. Butler	...	Prompter, in 1912
Chukuma	...	Bearded Stagehand, in 1912
Michael Woods	...	Dinner Guest, in 1912
Jerry Kaufherr	...	Maitre D', in 1912
Don Melvoin	...	Diamond Jim, in 1912
Ann K. Irish	...	Teacher, in 1912
JoBe Cerny	...	2nd Day Desk Clerk, in 1912 (as Jo Be Cerny)
Richard Matheson	...	Astonished Man - in 1912
Audrie J. Neenan	...	Maid in Play (1912) (as Audrie Neenan)
Tim Kazurinsky	...	Photographer, in 1912
Robert Swan	...	Stagehand with Note, in 1912 (as Bob Swan)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stan Adams	...	Man In Library (uncredited)
Sandra Bogan	...	Woman at Hotel (uncredited)
Steven Earl-Edwards	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Jeannot Szwarc

Writing credits
Richard Matheson		(screenplay)
Richard Matheson		(novel "Bid Time Return")

Produced by
Steve Bickel	....	associate producer
Stephen Deutsch	....	producer
Ray Stark	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Isidore Mankofsky		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jeff Gourson

Casting by
Jennifer Shull

Production Design by
Seymour Klate

Set Decoration by
Mary Ann Biddle

Costume Design by
Jean-Pierre Dorléac		(as Jean-Pierre Dorleac)

Makeup Department
Sandra Henderson	....	hair stylist
Gregg Mitchell	....	hair stylist
Paul Sanchez	....	makeup artist
Jack Wilson	....	makeup artist
Jim Gillespie	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Britt Lomond	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Burt Bluestein	....	first assistant director
Lorraine Senna	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Tom Bartholomew	....	construction
Earl F. Betts	....	construction (as Earl Betts)
Christopher Burian-Mohr	....	set designer (as Chris Burian-Mohr)
Martin Emert	....	set dresser
Edward G. Fitzgerald	....	set dresser (as Ed Fitzgerald)
Andy Hawkes	....	construction
Douglas M. Keenan	....	assistant property master (as Douglas Keenan)
Richard Mazzotti	....	set dresser
Jerry Moss	....	property master (as Gerald Moss)
Bob Nohles	....	construction coordinator (as Bobby Nohles)
Donnie R. Puga	....	construction (as Donnie Puga)
Phil Read	....	construction
Bob Shaw	....	construction (as Robert Shaw)
Doug Sofio	....	construction
Dwight Solander	....	construction
Emidgio Sosa-Chavez	....	set dresser
John Stewart	....	construction
Robert D. Stout	....	set dresser (as Bob Stout)
John Verna	....	set dresser
Woody Woodworth	....	construction

Sound Department
George Fredrick	....	sound editor
Roger Heman Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Roger Heman)
Charlie King	....	sound (as Charles L. King III)
James Leckett	....	sound recordist
Earl Madery	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Earl M. Madery)
Vince Melandri	....	loop dialogue editor
Rex Slinkard	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Rex A. Slinkard)
Roger Sword	....	sound effects editor (as Roger A. Sword)
John Unsinn	....	boom operator
Dan Wallin	....	recording mixer

Special Effects by
Jack Faggard	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Norman Ash	....	electrician
Alfred Budniak	....	electrician
Sal Camacho	....	second assistant camera
Joe Collins	....	key grip
Donald Dahlquist	....	electrician
Bertis Fancher	....	grip (as Bert Fancher)
Jim Haboush	....	grip (as James Haboush)
Rod Helzer	....	grip
Jake Jarrell	....	gaffer
Mike Mandel	....	grip
Bill Masten	....	first assistant camera (as William Masten)
Chris O'Neil	....	electrician
Michael Orefice	....	electrician
Don Piel	....	camera operator (as Donald J. Piel)
Philip Sloan	....	electrician (as Phillip Sloane)
Brian Smith	....	grip
Fred White	....	electrician
Melinda Wickman	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Christopher Burian-Mohr	....	costumer
Dan Chichester	....	costumer: men (as Daniel Chichester)
Greg Hall	....	costumer: men
Grace Kuhn	....	costumer: women
Opal Vils	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
Rick Fields	....	assistant editor (as Richard Fields)
Jim Henry	....	color timer

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor (as Ken Hall)
Chet Swiatkowsky	....	musican: piano solo, "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini"
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer
Roger Williams	....	performer: end title theme

Transportation Department
Tom Battaglia	....	transportation captain
Russ Buckens	....	transportation
Rocky D'Amico	....	transportation
Steve Hellerstein	....	transportation captain
Rick Hill	....	transportation
Lawren McDonald	....	transportation

Other crew
Charles Ajar	....	projectionist
Don Antonacchio	....	assistant stylist
Susan Bender	....	assistant location auditor
Ulla Bourne	....	script supervisor
Valerie J. Bresee	....	assistant to producer
Dan Dewey	....	location coordinator
Dan Dewey	....	production assistant
John Hammond	....	craft service
Susan Joy Harris	....	secretary to director (as Susan J. Harris)
Willy Kupahu	....	location auditor
Susan Pile	....	unit publicist
Virginia Siman	....	first aid
Allison Caine	....	additional voice talent (uncredited)

Thanks
John Hulett	....	thanks
Daniel Musser	....	thanks
Lucie Salenger	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Rastar Pictures (as Rastar)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Universal Home Video (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Universal Title  titles and opticals
• Belwin Mills Publishing  'Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Op. 43, Variation XVIII' courtesy of
• Staff of the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan, The  thanks
• People of Mackinac Island, Michigan, The  special thanks
• Illinois Film Commission  special thanks (as The Illinois Film Commission)
• People of Chicago, Illinois  special thanks
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies (uncredited)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | Sweden:11 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:PG (certificate #25953) | Australia:G | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | France:U

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Rastar Pictures

Trivia:

The professor in the movie is named "Finney". The book's author Richard Matheson gave this character the name in tribute to Jack Finney, the science fiction writer. It is (controversially) said that Matheson stole or borrowed his idea for "Bid Time Return" - the book's title, published in 1975 - from Finney's book "Time and Again", published in 1970.

Goofs:

Plot holes: The watch "walks in circles" through time, and was never, at any moment in history, actually fabricated.

Quotes:

Arthur Biehl: Have we ever met before?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Back to 'Somewhere in Time' (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

You Made Me Love You

Soulmates...Somewhere in Time

For us hopeless romantics, this kind of love story gives us the feeling that our own soulmate might have lived in another time instead of our own. It is a pleasant little fantasy to get lost in for a couple of hours anyway. For someone who analyzes the small details in movies like myself, the story has many hidden twists and turns to figure out. For example, when you consider that Elise Mckenna was 85 years old when she died in 1972, why was Richard Collier a young man in college? Was he the reincarnation of the Richard she had loved 60 years earlier in 1912? Did Richard's time-traveling professor have some connection to Elise? Why did Elise's manager warn Elise of Richard's coming? If you get too concerned with these details then you miss the overall message of the film...true love never dies and true love is worth dying for.