Logan's Run (1976)

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writers:

William F. Nolan (novel) &
George Clayton Johnson (novel) ...

Release Date:

23 June 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Welcome to the 23rd Century

Plot:

An idyllic sci-fi future has one major drawback: life must end at 30.

Plot Keywords:

Runner | Sanctuary | Domed City | Sandman | Escape

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Michael York	...	Logan
Richard Jordan	...	Francis
Jenny Agutter	...	Jessica 6
Roscoe Lee Browne	...	Box
Farrah Fawcett	...	Holly (as Farrah Fawcett-Majors)
Michael Anderson Jr.	...	Doc
Peter Ustinov	...	Old Man
Randolph Roberts	...	2nd Sanctuary Man
Lara Lindsay	...	The Woman Runner
Gary Morgan	...	Billy
Michelle Stacy	...	Mary 2
Laura Hippe	...	Woman Customer
David Westberg	...	Sandman
Camilla Carr	...	Sanctuary Woman
Greg Lewis	...	Cub (as Gregg Lewis)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Stereo (with Dolby noise reduction) (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | West Germany:12 | Italy:T | Canada:PG (TV rating) | Australia:G (alternate rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | USA:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | UK:A (original rating) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The life clocks on everyone's hands all start out clear (at birth), turn yellow at age 8, green at 16, and red at 23. Everyone wears clothes the same color as their life clocks (except Sandmen, who wear black uniforms). As Lastday - age 30 - approaches, the life clocks flash red and black, then, at 30 turn totally black.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Francis jumps down from the balcony, he is obviously headed for a spot at least ten feet from where Logan is standing, but when the shot changes we see him landing directly on Logan.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Logan: [tapping on a glass window of maternity room] Wake up.
Francis 7: Logan, you are here. I couldn't believe it when they told me. What are you doing?
Logan: [indicates baby] Logan 6. Well it's not everyday that they authorize a new sandman. I tell you Francis,
[indicating baby]
Logan: that's him.
Francis 7: Well maybe, maybe not. What does it matter? Anyway, he isn't yours anymore.
Logan: [continues tapping lightly on the glass]
Francis 7: All right, you want me to wake him?
[bangs loudly on the glass with his baton]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Hill Street Blues: The End of Logan's Run (#4.17)" (1984)

A sci-fi Spirit of '76...

Logan's Run was adapted from a novel written with the specific intention of being made into a movie. I'm glad they did because I first saw this on TV as a child during the eighties and loved every minute of it. Due to my young age I could identify with a character lorded over by incomprehensible, emotionless machines - just like mean parents who say NO! Poor Logan, so earnest and innocent. Now that I'm an adult I still love this movie, but for different reasons. Logan's Run is drenched in the seventies, from the hip music and sets to the 'revolutionary' concept of free sexuality and a new face at the flick of a switch. It's so camp in places, yet the concept of a society discarding anyone over the age of 30 seems eerily prescient, given that I've even heard Britney Spears derided for being 'old'. Perhaps they should have set the cut-off age at 20 instead?