The Star Chamber (1983)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Peter Hyams

Writers:

Roderick Taylor (story)
Roderick Taylor (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

5 August 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

THEY HAVE COMMITED EVERY CRIME IN THE BOOK. Yet the law cannot touch them. They are free to walk the streets. UNTIL TONIGHT'S MEETING OF... [THE STAR CHAMBER] [UK Theatrical]

Plot:

Disgusted with criminals escaping the judicial system via technicalities, an idealistic young judge...

Plot Keywords:

Hitman | Drugs | Conspiracy | Child Murder | Courtroom

Cast

Michael Douglas	...	Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin
Hal Holbrook	...	Judge Benjamin Caulfield
Yaphet Kotto	...	Det. Harry Lowes
Sharon Gless	...	Emily Hardin
James Sikking	...	Dr. Harold Lewin (as James B. Sikking)
Joe Regalbuto	...	Arthur Cooms
Don Calfa	...	Lawrence Monk
John DiSanti	...	Det. James Wickman
Otis Day	...	Stanley Flowers
Jack Kehoe	...	Hingle
Larry Hankin	...	Det. Kenneth Wiggan
Dick Anthony Williams	...	Det. Paul Mackey
Margie Impert	...	Louise Pacinni
Dana Gladstone	...	Dept. Dist. Atty. Martin Hyatt
David Proval	...	Officer Nelson
Robin Gammell	...	Judge Archer
Matthew Faison	...	Judge Stoner
Fred McCarren	...	Robert Karras
Michael Ensign	...	Judge Kirkland
Jason Bernard	...	Judge Bocho
Jerry Taft	...	Judge Fogelson
Michael Austin	...	Judge Lang (as Mike Austin)
Sheldon Feldner	...	Superior Court Judge James Culhane
James Margolin	...	Albert R. Beamer
Hexin E. McPhee	...	Marvin Dewson
Diana Douglas	...	Adrian Caulfield
Keith Buckley	...	Assassin
Domingo Ambriz	...	Hector Andujar
Frances Bergen	...	Mrs. Cummins
Charlie Stavola	...	Det. Sarkin
Robert Costanzo	...	Sgt. Spota
Paul Brennan	...	Gareth
Kate Zentall	...	Janet
George A. Cooper	...	State Sen. Walden
Gary Rebstock	...	Eyewitness News newscaster
David Faustino	...	Tony Hardin
Jason Tomarken	...	Max Hardin
George Dickerson	...	George Tillis
Eddy C. Dyer	...	Garbage man
John C. Garrett	...	Chuck Hurley (as John Garrett)
Danna Hyams	...	Caroline Stout
Alan Oliney	...	Ladd
Don Pulford	...	Bailiff
Ron Cummins	...	Man #1
Jack Slate	...	Man #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
George Lane Cooper	...	State Senator Walden (uncredited)
Charles Hallahan	...	Officer Pickett (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Hyams

Writing credits
Roderick Taylor		(story)
Roderick Taylor		(writer) and
Peter Hyams		(writer)
Roderick Taylor		screenplay

Produced by
Kurt Neumann	....	associate producer
Frank Yablans	....	producer
Jonathan A. Zimbert	....	associate producer (as Jonathan Zimbert)

Original Music by
Michael Small

Cinematography by
Richard Hannah

Film Editing by
James Mitchell

Casting by
Penny Perry

Production Design by
Bill Malley

Art Direction by
Bo Welch		(as Robert 'Bo' Welch)

Set Decoration by
Rick Simpson

Costume Design by
Patricia Norris

Makeup Department
Dorothie J. Long	....	hair stylist
Michael Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Kurt Neumann	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William S. Beasley	....	first assistant director
Duncan Henderson	....	second assistant director

Art Department
George Eckert	....	set designer
Jack Johnson	....	illustrator (as John C. Johnson Jr.)
Howard McCormick II	....	lead man (as Howard McCormick)
Everett Olson	....	construction coordinator
William James Teegarden	....	set designer (as William T. Teegarden)
Marty Wunderlich	....	property master

Sound Department
Ray Alba	....	sound editor
Max Bell	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Carolyn Colwell	....	assistant sound editor
Jerry Jost	....	sound mixer
Richard Overton	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bert Schoenfeld	....	sound editor
Theodore Soderberg	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Wells	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Henry Millar Jr.	....	special effects
Jay King	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Stunts
Bobby Bass	....	stunts
Janet Brady	....	stunts
Jophery C. Brown	....	stunts (as Jophery Brown)
Jadie David	....	stunts
Eddy Donno	....	stunts
Kenny Endoso	....	stunts
Ken Fritz	....	stunts
Pat Green	....	stunts
James M. Halty	....	stunts (as Jimmy Halty)
Roy E. Harrison	....	stunts (as Roy F. Harrison)
Freddie Hice	....	stunts
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunts
Ann Pat Kelly	....	stunts
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts
Michael Runyard	....	stunts (as Mike Runyard)
Sharon Schaffer	....	stunts (as Sharon M. Schaffer)
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunt coordinator
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunts
Scott Wilder	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Larry Barbier	....	still photographer
John Baron	....	gaffer
Don E. FauntLeRoy	....	assistant camera (as Don E. Fauntleroy)
Ralph Gerling	....	camera operator
Tom May	....	key grip
John C. Moulds	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Annette Benson	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nancy Martinelli	....	costumer: women
G. Tony Scarano	....	costumer: men (as Tony Scarano)

Editorial Department
Joanna Cappuccilli	....	assistant editor
Charles Tetoni	....	associate editor

Music Department
Jan Gershkoff	....	music editor
Armin Steiner	....	scoring mixer
Tommy Tedesco	....	musician: guitar

Transportation Department
Dean E. Mason	....	driver: cast
James Nordberg	....	driver

Other crew
John Franco	....	script supervisor
Alan Landaker	....	video coordinator (as Alan Landacker)
Hal Landaker	....	video coordinator (as Hal Landacker)
Claire Mactague	....	production coordinator
Vince Martinez	....	auditor
Lydia Telo	....	assistant auditor
Vince Trankina	....	set location assistant
Arthur Wilde	....	unit publicist
John R. Woodward	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Frank Yablans Presentations
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Other Companies

• Intrada  score album released by (limited edition)
• Pacific Title  titles

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Germany:12 (re-rating) (2006) | West Germany:16 (original rating) | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Frank Yablans Presentations

Trivia:

The movie features footage of a baseball game being played between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The footage shows Dusty Baker hitting a home run off of Phil Niekro. Also, a clip can be seen of a scoreboard during the game showing the Braves leading 4-3. This places the date of the game at 7 June 1982.

Quotes:

Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin: The law. Nothing is right or wrong! It’s either the law or its not the law. Well, we got a problem here, because it’s not working anymore. It turns out that right and wrong count.

Movie Connections:

Remade as The Star Chamber (2011)

An entertaining, if imperfect film

In this quietly released early eighties film, Michael Douglas plays a young city judge who is sick and tired of being forced to allow obviously guilty criminals off the hook due to technicalities built up by lawyers. He realizes that there may be a way to correct this problem once one of the older, more experienced judges(Hal Holbrook) lets him in on a group of judges that meet privately to set up murders of the guilty criminals that got off the hook.

For the most part this is a highly entertaining and thought provoking film which always leaves you wondering where its going to turn next. However, there are a few important things that are left unexplained or just plain forgotten about, which was somewhat sloppy. Otherwise, a good film about an interesting topic. Certainly one of Douglas' best. 7/10.