Backdraft (1991)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Ron Howard

Writer (WGA):

Gregory Widen (written by)

Release Date:

24 May 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

One breath of oxygen and it explodes in a deadly rage.

Plot:

Two Chicago firefighter brothers who don't get along have to work together while a dangerous arsonist is on the loose.

Plot Keywords:

Helmet | Explosion | Pubic Hair | Male Nudity | Pyromaniac

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Kurt Russell	...	Stephen 'Bull' McCaffrey / Dennis McCaffrey
William Baldwin	...	Brian McCaffrey
Robert De Niro	...	Donald 'Shadow' Rimgale
Donald Sutherland	...	Ronald Bartel
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Jennifer Vaitkus
Scott Glenn	...	John 'Axe' Adcox
Rebecca De Mornay	...	Helen McCaffrey
Jason Gedrick	...	Tim Krizminski
J.T. Walsh	...	Alderman Marty Swayzak
Anthony Mockus Sr.	...	Chief John Fitzgerald (as Tony Mockus Sr.)
Cedric Young	...	Grindle
Juan Ramírez	...	Ray Santos
Kevin Casey	...	Nightingale
Jack McGee	...	Schmidt
Mark Wheeler	...	Pengelly
Richard Lexsee	...	Washington
Beep Iams	...	Sean McCaffrey
Ryan Todd	...	Brian, Age 7
Robert Swan	...	Willy, Bartender
Clint Howard	...	Ricco, Pathologist
Ron West	...	Alan Seagrave, Backdraft Victim
Kevin Crowley	...	Candidate
Carlos Sanz	...	Candidate
Harry Hutchinson	...	Candidate
David A.C. Saunders	...	Candidate
Jane Jenkins	...	Woman Psychiatrist
Tim Grimm	...	Man at Parole Board
David Crosby	...	'70s Hippie
Mike Mangano	...	Firetruck Driver
Rick Reardon	...	Paramedic
Leslie A. Ford	...	Paramedic
W. Earl Brown	...	Paramedic
Robert F. Byrnes	...	Paramedic (as Robert F. Byrnes Jr.)
Kathryn Jaeck	...	Mannequin Fire Reporter
David Westgor	...	Mannequin Fire Reporter
James Ritz	...	Mannequin Fire Reporter
Joe Guastaferro	...	Donald Cosgrove, Backdraft Victim
Don Herion	...	Repairman
Tony Mockus Jr.	...	Jackson
Gregory Widen	...	Engine Lieutenant
Andrew Lipschultz	...	Man on Party Boat
Walter Williams	...	Security Guard
Bob Krzeminski	...	Captain
F. Pat Burns	...	Battalion Chief at Tenement Fire
Wanda Christine	...	Mother at Tenement Fire (as WandaChristine)
Anthony C. Ellis Jr.	...	Gasping Child at Tenement Fire
Peter C. Hobert Jr.	...	Probie
Zita Visockis	...	Grandma Vaitkus
Razz Jenkins	...	Photographer at Boat Party
Irma P. Hall	...	Nurse
Nydia Rodriguez Terracina	...	Nurse
Hollis Resnik	...	Sally
Don Rimgale	...	Party Crony
Dennis Liddiard	...	Party Brawler
David Luckenbach	...	Security Officer
Neil J. Francis Jr.	...	Cop #1
Andre Melchor	...	Cop #2
Karel King	...	Swayzak Aide #1
Scott Baity	...	Swayzak Aide #2
Gretchen Erickson	...	Bar Patron
Joan Esposito	...	Television Reporter
Bob Rice	...	Detective
Marcella DeTineo	...	Nurse
Jane MacIver	...	Retirement Party Schmoozer
Burton Stencel	...	Retirement Party Schmoozer
Robert Martell	...	Retirement Party Roaster
Tony G. Chrisos	...	Politico
Cay DeVos	...	Politico
Gregory Lundsgaard	...	High Rise Fireman
Charles Burns Jr.	...	Battalion Chief at Mannequin Fire
Louise Woolf	...	Falling Chair Lady
Ian A. Nevers	...	Nervous Probie
Kelsey E. McMahon	...	Child Rescued at '70s Fire
Fidel Moreno	...	'70s Onlooker
Zan Heber	...	Reporter
Ilene Kwitny	...	Reporter
Jane Alderman	...	Reporter
Kevin Petersen	...	Doctor
Thomas A. Senderak	...	Fireman
Michael Allen Mark	...	Fireman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Duda	...	Stephen, Age 12
Jackie Moran	...	Musician (uncredited)
Larry Nazimek	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
David Saunders	...	Candidate (uncredited)
Dan Tullis Jr.	...	Engine 17 Firefighter (uncredited)
Linda Wylie	...	Photographer (uncredited)

Directed by
Ron Howard

Writing credits (WGA)
Gregory Widen		(written by)

Produced by
Raffaella De Laurentiis	....	executive producer
Pen Densham	....	producer
Larry DeWaay	....	co-producer
Brian Grazer	....	executive producer
Todd Hallowell	....	associate producer
Richard Barton Lewis	....	producer (as Richard B. Lewis)
John Watson	....	producer

Original Music by
Hans Zimmer

Cinematography by
Mikael Salomon		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Daniel P. Hanley		(as Daniel Hanley)
Mike Hill		(as Michael Hill)

Casting by
Janet Hirshenson
Jane Jenkins

Production Design by
Albert Brenner

Art Direction by
Carol Winstead Wood

Set Decoration by
Garrett Lewis

Costume Design by
Jodie Lynn Tillen		(as Jodie Tillen)

Makeup Department
Lance Anderson	....	prosthetic makeup artist
Ilona Herman	....	hair stylist: Mr. De Niro
Ilona Herman	....	makeup artist: Mr. De Niro
Dennis Liddiard	....	makeup artist: Mr. Russell
Dominic Mango	....	additional hair stylist
Dominic Mango	....	additional makeup artist
Linda Melazzo	....	additional hair stylist (as Linda V. Melazzo)
Linda Melazzo	....	additional makeup artist (as Linda V. Melazzo)
Robert Norin	....	key makeup artist (as Robert N. Norin)
Peggy Pliscott	....	hair stylist: Ms. Leigh
Peggy Pliscott	....	makeup artist: Ms. Leigh
Linda Rizzuto	....	key hair stylist (as Linda R. Rizzuto)
Kathe Swanson	....	hair stylist: second unit
Kathe Swanson	....	makeup artist: second unit
Jerome H. Turnage	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Larry DeWaay	....	unit production manager
Andrew Golov	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Gallagher	....	first assistant director: ILM
Todd Hallowell	....	second unit director
Bruce Moriarty	....	first assistant director: second unit
Jeff Okabayashi	....	second second assistant director
Aldric La'Auli Porter	....	first assistant director
John L. Roman	....	second assistant director: second unit (as John Roman)
Ian Woolf	....	second assistant director (as Ian Foster Woolf)

Art Department
Art Anthony	....	construction mold foreman
Gary Baugh	....	set designer
Charles J. Brady Jr.	....	assistant props: second unit
Alan Broadbent	....	stand-by painter
Michael L. Butkovich	....	paint foreman
Thom Caraccio	....	signwriter
David J. Chamerski	....	props
David Conaghan	....	lead man: Chicago
Frank D. Dambra	....	head painter
Richard Bryan Douglas	....	construction foreman
William B. Fosser	....	set designer
Harold Fuhrman	....	set designer
Michael D. Gianneschi	....	construction buyer
Harry N. Haase	....	standy-by painter: second unit
Steve A. Hagberg	....	construction coordinator (as Steve Hagberg)
Gary Happ	....	mold foreman
Steve Homa	....	greens
Gary Isbell	....	set dresser
Gary Isbell	....	swing gang (as Gary S. Isbell)
Catherine M. Jones	....	construction cost coordinator
Nancy A. Knight	....	signwriter
Robert E. Knight	....	sign painter
Randlett King Lawrence	....	construction foreman
Amie McCarthy	....	props
Dennis J. Parrish	....	property master
Hope M. Parrish	....	property master: second unit
Walter J. Piers	....	swing gang
Peter A. Ramsey	....	production illustrator
Pat Raney	....	construction coordinator: Chicago (as Patrick Raney)
James Roach	....	construction buyer
James F. Roorda	....	construction foreman
John H. Schulz	....	location paint foreman
Bobby L. Vaughn	....	construction foreman
Gregory A. Weimerskirch	....	assistant art director: ILM
Mark Woods	....	lead man
Anthony Joseph Fatigato	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Sandina Bailo-Lape	....	foley editor
Sara Bolder	....	dialogue editor
Christopher Boyes	....	foley recordist
Karen Brocco	....	sound effects assistant
Scott Chandler	....	assistant sound designer
Dan Engstrom	....	sound effects assistant
Frank E. Eulner	....	sound effects editor (as Frank Eulner)
Ken Fischer	....	sound editor
Curt Frisk	....	sound mixer: second unit
Rob Fruchtman	....	adr editor
Vivien Hillgrove Gilliam	....	adr editor (as Vivien Gilliam)
J.R. Grubbs	....	dialogue assistant
Scott Guitteau	....	sound effects assistant
Dick Hansen	....	cable person
Tim Holland	....	sound effects editor
Richard Hymns	....	supervising sound editor
Donna Jaffe	....	sound effects assistant
Nancy Jencks	....	foley assistant
Tom Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mary Helen Leasman	....	foley editor
Marilyn McCoppen	....	adr editor
Marnie Moore	....	foley artist
Diana Pellegrini	....	foley editor (as Diana Pellgrini)
Bob Ryan	....	cable person (as Bob E. Ryan)
Gary Rydstrom	....	sound designer
Gary Rydstrom	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Silvers	....	dialogue editor
Randy Smith	....	sound recordist
Gary Summers	....	sound re-recording mixer
Randy Thom	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dennie Thorpe	....	foley artist
Maia Veres	....	dialogue assistant
Glenn Williams	....	sound mixer
Jeffrey A. Williams	....	boom operator
John Countryman	....	machine room operator (uncredited)
Dennis Leonard	....	post-production sound engineer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
William L. Allen Sr.	....	special effects technician (as William L. Allen)
Pat Domenico	....	special effects technician
Allen Hall	....	special effects and pyrotechnics creator
Gary L. Karas	....	special effects technician (as Gary Karas)
William D. Kennedy	....	special effects technician
Rodman Kiser	....	special effects technician
C.J. McMurray	....	special effects technician
Paul Meehan	....	special effects crew
Mike Menzel	....	special effects technician
Joe Montenegro	....	special effects technician
Clay Pinney	....	special effects foreman
Michael Roundy	....	special effects technician (as Michael D. Roundy)
Tom Ryba	....	special effects foreman
Tom Tokunaga	....	special effects technician
Jacob Zawacki	....	special effects technician (as Jake Zawacki)

Visual Effects by
Jon Alexander	....	optical camera operator: ILM
Bill Barr	....	best boy grip: ILM
Tom Bertino	....	rotoscope artist: ILM
Anne Calanchini	....	visual effects coordinator: ILM
Rob Doherty	....	electrician: ILM (as Robert Doherty)
Giovanni Donovan	....	model maker: ILM
Jeff Doran	....	optical camera operator: ILM
Dick Dova	....	key grip: ILM
Scott Farrar	....	visual effects supervisor: ILM
Bob Finley III	....	best boy grip: ILM (as Robert Finley III)
Robert Finley Jr.	....	pyrotechnic supervisor: ILM
Chris Goehe	....	model maker: ILM
Reuben Goldberg	....	pyrotechnician: ILM
David Heron	....	construction: ILM
Robert Hill	....	assistant camera: ILM
Edward Hirsh	....	stage manager: ILM (as Ed Hirsch)
Paul Huston	....	visual effects art director: ILM
Brad Jerrell	....	best boy electric: ILM
Ed Jones	....	executive in charge of post-production: ILM (as Ed L. Jones)
David Karpman	....	optical line-up: ILM (as Dave Karpman)
Suella Kennedy	....	visual effects producer: ILM
Brad Kuehn	....	optical photography supervisor: ILM
Michael Lynch	....	model maker: ILM (as Michael P. Lynch)
Richard Miller	....	model maker
Ted Moehnke	....	pyrotechnician: ILM
Terry Molatore	....	rotoscope artist: ILM
Rodney Morgan	....	model maker: ILM
Tim Morgan	....	electrician: ILM
Jim Morris	....	executive in charge of production: ILM
David Morton	....	electrician: ILM (as Dave Morton)
Michael Olague	....	visual effects crew
Jeff Olson	....	model supervisor: ILM
Chuck Ray	....	pyrotechnician: ILM
Louis Rivera	....	negative cutter: ILM
Stuart Robertson	....	digital effects: ILM
Martin Rosenberg	....	visual effects camera operator: ILM
Scott Ross	....	general manager: ILM
Susan Ross	....	model maker: ILM
Mikael Salomon	....	visual effects photographer: second unit
Thomas J. Smith	....	digital effects: ILM
Tony Sommers	....	model maker: ILM
Eben Stromquist	....	model engineer: ILM
Mark Sullivan	....	matte painter: ILM
I.J. Van Perre	....	construction: ILM
Gregory A. Weimerskirch	....	assistant art director: ILM
Chuck Wiley	....	model maker: ILM
Steve Gawley	....	model maker (uncredited)
Brian Gernand	....	model maker: ILM (uncredited)
Tony Hudson	....	model maker: ILM (uncredited)
Mark Moore	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Stunts
William Baldwin	....	stunts
Tony Brubaker	....	stunts (as Anthony Brubaker)
Kevin Casey	....	stunts (as Kevin M. Casey)
John Casino	....	stunts
Corey Michael Eubanks	....	stunts (as Corey Eubanks)
Eddie J. Fernandez	....	stunts
Scott Glenn	....	stunts
Johnny Hock	....	stunts
Norman Howell	....	stunts
Robert Jauregui	....	stunts
Mike Johnson	....	stunts
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunts (as Rick LeFevour)
Terry Leonard	....	stunts (as Terry J. Leonard)
Stacy Logan	....	stunts
Kurt Russell	....	stunts
Walter Scott	....	stunt coordinator
Kay Whipple	....	stunts
Eddie J. Fernandez	....	stunt double: Jaun Ramirez (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William Allen Jr.	....	grip: second unit
Kenneth Berry	....	crane operator: Titan
Sam Bertone	....	electrician (as Sammy A. Bertone Jr.)
Robert L. Blatman	....	camera operator
Josh Bleibtreu	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Alphonse Blumenthal	....	gaffer: Chicago second unit
Todd Braden	....	lighting technician: Musco
Fernando M. Briones	....	grip (as Fernando Briones)
Don Burgess	....	director of photography: second unit
Dwight Campbell	....	chief lighting technician (as Dwight D. Campbell)
Joe Carroll	....	second assistant camera: second unit (as W. Joe Carroll)
Phillip V. Caruso	....	still photographer
Paolo Cascio	....	second assistant camera
Chic Cecchini	....	grip
Peter Clarson	....	gaffer: second unit
Eugene F. Crededio	....	generator operator
Joseph C. Crededio	....	generator operator
Gerrit Dangremond	....	camera operator: second unit
Roger Doherty	....	electrician
George Dougherty	....	film loader (as George E. Dougherty)
John Formanack	....	electrician: second unit
Ian Fox	....	first assistant camera (as Ian M. Fox)
Chris Freres	....	dolly grip: second unit
Jack Glenn	....	dolly grip
Steven Hiller	....	additional first assistant camera: second unit (as Steven V. Hiller)
Bobby Huber	....	key grip
John Hudecek	....	gaffer: Chicago
Ron Leahy	....	electrician
Morgan Michael Lewis	....	key grip: second unit
David Luckenbach	....	assistant camera
Gregory Lundsgaard	....	Steadicam operator
Gregory Lundsgaard	....	camera operator
Mel P. Mack	....	electrician
Mollie S. Mallinger	....	additional second assistant camera: second unit
Bradley T. Matthys	....	best boy grip: second unit
Mark E. Matthys	....	best boy grip
David Morenz	....	additional first assistant camera
David Morenz	....	assistant Steadicam
Mark Purkart	....	dolly grip: Chicago
John S. Robertson	....	key grip: Chicago
Andy Ryan	....	best boy electric (as Andrew Ryan)
Mikael Salomon	....	aerial photographer
Dean M. Simmon	....	film loader (as Dean Michael Simmon)
John Waldo	....	second assistant camera (as John A. Waldo)
Frank Yario Jr.	....	video playback operator: second unit
Jeffrey P. Ackil	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Lou Angeli	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Ron Kunecke	....	musco light operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Jane Alderman	....	casting: Chicago
Erica Arvold	....	casting intern: Chicago
Catherine Holzer-Ballowe	....	extras casting: Holzer Roche Casting Inc. (as Cathie Holzer-Ballowe)
Jacqueline King	....	casting associate: Los Angeles
Michelle Landes	....	extras coordinator: on set (as Michelle Landis)
Michelle Landis	....	extras casting: Holzer Roche Casting Inc.
Joan Philo	....	extras casting assistant: second unit
Lynne Redding	....	voice casting: Loop du Jour
Mark A. Ridge	....	extras casting: Holzer Roche Casting Inc. (as Mark Ridge)
Barbara L. Roche	....	extras casting: Holzer Roche Casting Inc. (as Barbara Roche)
Susan Wieder	....	casting associate: Chicago

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jane Blank	....	seamstress
John Casey	....	costume supervisor
Gloria Coffey-Sharrieff	....	set costumer: second unit
Haleen K. Holt	....	costume illustrator
Anthony J. Scarano	....	set costumer
Carolyn Schraut-Barczak	....	set costumer
Cheryl Weber	....	set costumer
Denise Wingate	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Guy Barresi	....	assistant editor: New York
Sandy Brundage	....	negative cutter
Greg Lavin	....	apprentice editor
Ed O'Malley	....	assistant editor: Chicago (as Edward M. O'Malley)
David Orr	....	color timer
David Siegel	....	assistant editor: New York (as David J. Siegel)
Roger Tweten	....	first assistant editor
Fred C. Vitale	....	assistant editor: Chicago
Steve Kraus	....	editing systems technician: Chicago (uncredited)

Music Department
Sandy DeCrescent	....	music contractor
Bruce Fowler	....	additional orchestrator
Becky Mancuso-Winding	....	music supervisor: Magstripe Entertainment (as Becky Mancuso)
Celest Ray	....	music coordinator
Larry Rench	....	additional orchestrator
Jay Rifkin	....	music scoring mixer
Timothy R. Sexton	....	music supervisor: Magstripe Entertainment (as Tim Sexton)
Shirley Walker	....	conductor
Shirley Walker	....	orchestrator
Laura Perlman	....	music editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Calvin Chin	....	transportation coordinator: second unit
Todd Dickison	....	driver
Todd Dickison	....	transportation co-captain
George DiLeonardi	....	transportation coordinator (as George J. DiLeonardi)
Timothy J. Maxwell	....	driver (as Tim Maxwell)
Timothy J. Maxwell	....	transportation co-captain (as Tim Maxwe