The Amateur (1981)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Charles Jarrott

Writers:

Robert Littell (novel)
Robert Littell (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

12 February 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

The first 11 minutes will absolutely shock you. The last 11 minutes will rivet you to your seat.

Plot:

A researcher for the CIA who convinces his superiors to send him to the eastern bloc in order to avenge...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Blackmail | Cold War | Defibrillation | Communist

Awards:

10 nominations

Cast

John Savage	...	Charles Heller
Christopher Plummer	...	Professor Lakos
Marthe Keller	...	Elisabeth
Arthur Hill	...	Brewer
Nicholas Campbell	...	Schraeger
George Coe	...	Rutledge
John Marley	...	Molton
Jan Rubes	...	Kaplan
Ed Lauter	...	Anderson
Miguel Fernandes	...	Botaro
Jan Triska	...	Rodzenko
Graham Jarvis	...	Porter
Jacques Godin	...	Argus
Chapelle Jaffe	...	Gretchen
Lynne Griffin	...	Sarah
Vladimír Valenta	...	Uncle Ludwig
Vlasta Vrana	...	Guide
Neil Dainard	...	Slater
Lee Broker	...	Sharp-Eyed Man
Tedde Moore	...	Newscaster
Maruska Stankova	...	Eva Lakos
Iréna Mayeska	...	Woman Clerk
George Buza	...	Terrorist #4
George R. Robertson	...	U.S. Consul
John Kerr	...	CIA Security Guard
Guy Sanvido	...	News Vendor
Robert Beatty	...	Ambassador Neville
Walter Reyer	...	Chancellor
Peter Wolsdorff	...	General Felder
Henry Gomez	...	Master Sergeant
Erin Noble	...	Waitress (as Erin Flannery)
Lisa Schrage	...	Teenage Girl #1
Susan Young	...	Teenage Girl #2
Anthony Kramreither	...	TV Director
Paul Reymont	...	TV Technician
Midge Taylor	...	Doorman (as Aubrey Taylor)
Roman Chabursky	...	Busboy
Bob Lem	...	Nakamura
Fred Culik	...	Martin
Peter Langley	...	Demolitions Expert
Harry Hornisch	...	Watcher
Helmut Gräf	...	Taxi Driver
Wally Bondarenko	...	Czech Detective
Zdenek Gruner	...	Czech Officer

Directed by
Charles Jarrott

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert Littell		novel
Robert Littell		screenplay
Diana Maddox		writer

Produced by
Garth H. Drabinsky	....	producer
Mario Kassar	....	executive producer
Joel B. Michaels	....	producer
Andrew G. Vajna	....	executive producer (as Andrew Vajna)

Original Music by
Kenneth Wannberg

Cinematography by
John Coquillon

Film Editing by
Stephan Fanfara

Production Design by
Trevor Williams

Art Direction by
Richard Wilcox

Set Decoration by
Rondi Johnson
Steve Shewchuk

Costume Design by
Suzanne Grace

Makeup Department
Ken Brooke	....	makeup artist
Margarete Ehringer	....	hair stylist assistant: Vienna
Margarete Ehringer	....	makeup assistant: Vienna
Patricia Green	....	assistant makeup artist
James Keeler	....	hair stylist
Albert Paradis	....	assistant hair stylist

Production Management
Andreas Debowski	....	assistant production manager: Vienna
Otto Boris Dworak	....	production manager
Hannah Hempstead	....	production supervisor: Vienna
Marilyn Stonehouse	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jon Anderson	....	first assistant director
Gusti Brunjes-Goldschwendt	....	assistant director: Vienna (as Gusti Brunjes)
Richard Halsey	....	second unit director
Otta Hanus	....	second assistant director
Robert Wertheimer	....	third assistant director (as Bob Wertheimer)

Art Department
Guenter Bartlik	....	scenic artist
John 'Frenchie' Berger	....	property master (as John Berger)
Reinhard Binder	....	prop assistant: Vienna
Richard Harrison	....	draughtsman
Willi Holst	....	head painter
Jiri Juda	....	property buyer: Vienna
Denis Kirkham	....	assistant set decorator
Herwig Libowitzky	....	art director: Vienna
Ron MacMillan	....	construction supervisor
John C. Rose	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Dennis Drummond	....	sound effects editor
Wayne Griffin	....	sound effects editor
Austin Grimaldi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joe Grimaldi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Herb Heritage	....	boom operator (as Herbert Heritage)
Michael O'Farrell	....	sound effects editor
Dino Pigat	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Rea	....	assistant sound effects editor
Peter Shewchuk	....	sound mixer
John Szoges	....	assistant sound effects editor
Don White	....	foley recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Michael Clifford	....	special effects
Leland 'Bud' Fisher	....	special effects
Gene Grigg	....	special effects

Stunts
Robert Hannah	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Crone	....	Steadicam operator
John Davidson	....	grip
James Devis	....	camera operator: second unit
Tony Eldridge	....	best boy
Norbert Erben	....	electrician: Vienna
Ron Gillham	....	key grip
Glen Goodchild	....	best boy grip
Wayne Goodchild	....	grip
Waldemar Haidinger	....	electrician: Vienna
Peter Holba	....	grip: Vienna
Chris Holmes	....	gaffer
Sam Hughes	....	electrician
Erich Kristufek	....	gaffer: Vienna
Walter Lobarzewski	....	electrician: Vienna
David A. Makin	....	second assistant camera (as David Makin)
Richard G. Mason	....	underwater camera operator
Anton Pfneisl	....	electrician: Vienna
Herb Reischl Sr.	....	generator operator
Eduard Richter	....	grip: Vienna
Mike Rutter	....	camera operator: second unit (as Michael Rutter)
Thom Ryan	....	first assistant camera
Robert Saad	....	underwater camera operator
John Spurrell	....	electrician
Shin Sugino	....	still photographer
Jimmy Turrell	....	camera operator
Adolf Wazin	....	generator operator

Casting Department
Michael Feinberg	....	casting: USA (as Mike Feinberg)
Mike Fenton	....	casting: USA

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lena Ilgisonis	....	wardrobe assistant: Vienna
Aleida MacDonald	....	wardrobe mistress
Nadia Ongaro	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Richard Halsey	....	supervising editor
Bruce Lange	....	assistant film editor
Marta Nielsen	....	second assistant film editor

Music Department
Leonard A. Engel	....	music mixer supervisor (as Len Engel)
Eric Tomlinson	....	music recordist
Albert Woodbury	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Bill Jackson	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Michael Brownstone	....	location manager
James Carruthers	....	craft service
Victoria Eves	....	production secretary: Washington D.C.
Lynda Friendly	....	unit publicist
Isabelle Groote	....	production assistant: Vienna
Gerda Haller	....	production secretary: Vienna
Angela Heald	....	production secretary
Joanne Jackson	....	production accountant
Connie Josefs	....	script researcher
Margo Ley	....	assistant to director
Margaret Livingston	....	executive assistant to producers
Suzanne Lore	....	production coordinator
Lyn Lucibello	....	production accountant
Carl Lawrence Ludwig	....	production assistant: Vienna
Sandra Marley	....	script supervisor (as Sandra Ulosevich Marley)
Patracian McCarthy	....	assistant to producers
Heather McIntosh	....	production controller
Stuart Neumann	....	location manager: Washington D.C.
Tom Pinteric	....	production assistant
Douy Swofford	....	title designer
Lorraine Valentine	....	production accountant
Rich Watts	....	production assistant
Alan Zweig	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Balkan Productions
• Tiberius Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (1981) (Canada) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1981) (UK) (theatrical)
• Oy Fox Films (1982) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (1988) (Finland) (video)

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:15 | UK:AA (1981) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1982) | USA:R (Certificate #26475) | France:-12 | Norway:18 (1982) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Company:

Balkan Productions

a beginning that parallels the recent American executions

The story is that of mystery and action. Its beginning minutes include an ordinary man seeing the broadcast of an American woman being held hostage in a foreign country. The woman is executed in broad daylight. This woman is his mate. How would you feel? What would you do? The movie focuses on the reaction of such an event by a normal guy. First there is confusion followed by deep conflict in determining the resolve. Much like it would be in today's world, an ordinary man with a small flame can kindle it into an emotionally fiery rage to react. The challenges in this venture are not glorified or unbelievable feats and therefore the viewer can achieve a state of reality and belief. Having several personal intimate experiences with our Government to include within its employ, and having lived and worked in foreign countries as well, I find it real easy to dismiss the few negative feedback remarks on this film as being authored in ignorance or being naive. I do love my country but is everyone an Angel within its employ? no way.... Would the Government refuse to negotiate publicly with terrorist yet negotiate amongst themselves? absolutely.... If you have a military background, specialized training or even just been an outdoors person you may also identify with a lot of the physical activity in this film. The story is even more interesting now over two decades later after its making, having a beginning that parallels the recent American executions video-taped and published by Al-Qaeda early this 21st century. This movie is by far one of John Savage's greatest performances. Savage delivers a stellar performance in this picture. This is a great film and one of best of the less known adventure films in existence today. If you get the chance to sit and watch this movie from start to finish, you will be entertained- try to see this one.