Marathon Man (1976)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

John Schlesinger

Writers:

William Goldman (screenplay)
William Goldman (novel)

Release Date:

8 October 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A graduate history student is unwittingly caught in the middle of an international conspiracy involving stolen diamonds, an exiled Nazi war criminal, and a rogue government agent.

Plot Keywords:

War Criminal | Nazi | Diamond | Dentist | New York

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	Babe
Laurence Olivier	...	Szell
Roy Scheider	...	Doc
William Devane	...	Janeway
Marthe Keller	...	Elsa
Fritz Weaver	...	Professor Biesenthal
Richard Bright	...	Karl
Marc Lawrence	...	Erhard
Allen Joseph	...	Babe's Father
Tito Goya	...	Melendez
Ben Dova	...	Szell's Brother
Lou Gilbert	...	Rosenbaum
Jacques Marin	...	LeClerc
James Wing Woo	...	Chen
Nicole Deslauriers	...	Nicole
Lotte Palfi Andor	...	Old Lady on 47th Street (as Lotta Andor-Palfi)
Lionel Pina	...	Street Gang
Church	...	Street Gang
Tricoche	...	Street Gang
Jaime Tirelli	...	Street Gang
Wilfredo Hernández	...	Street Gang (as Wilfredo Hernandez)
Harry Goz	...	Jewelry Salesman
Michael Vale	...	Jewelry Salesman
Fred Stuthman	...	Jewelry Salesman
Lee Steele	...	Jewelry Salesman
William Martel	...	Bank Guard
Glenn Robards	...	Plainclothesman
Ric Carrott	...	Plainclothesman
Alma Beltran	...	Laundress
Daniel Núñez	...	Guard in Uruguay (as Daniel Nunez)
Tony Pena	...	Guard in Uruguay
Chuy Franco	...	Guard in Uruguay
Billy Kearns	...	Tourist Couple
Sally Wilson	...	Tourist Couple
Tom Ellis	...	T.V. Announcer
Bryant Fraser	...	Young Photographer
George Dega	...	Hotel Valet
Gene Bori	...	French Doctor
Annette Claudier	...	Nurse
Roger Etienne	...	Headwaiter
Raymond Serra	...	Truck Driver (as Ray Serra)
John Garson	...	Bystander
Charlott Thyssen	...	Bystander
Estelle Omens	...	Bystander
Madge Kennedy	...	Lady in Bank
Jeff Palladini	...	Young Babe
Scott Price	...	Young Doc
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Abebe Bikila	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
S.C. Dacy	...	Innocent Bystander (uncredited)
Shawn McAllister	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
Irving Metzman	...	Accident witness (uncredited)
Louis Tanno	...	(uncredited)
Treat Williams	...	Central Park Jogger (uncredited)

Directed by
John Schlesinger

Writing credits
William Goldman		(screenplay)
William Goldman		(novel)

Produced by
Sidney Beckerman	....	producer
Robert Evans	....	producer
George Justin	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Michael Small

Cinematography by
Conrad L. Hall		(as Conrad Hall)

Film Editing by
Jim Clark

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Production Design by
Richard Macdonald

Art Direction by
Jack De Shields

Set Decoration by
George Gaines

Costume Design by
Robert De Mora

Makeup Department
Barbara Lorenz	....	hair stylist
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Dick Smith	....	special makeup consultant
Brad Wilder	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Stephen F. Kesten	....	unit production manager
Lindsley Parsons Jr.	....	executive production manager: Paramount (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Everett Creach	....	second unit director
Burtt Harris	....	assistant director
Hawk Koch	....	assistant director (as Howard W. Koch Jr.)
William Saint John	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bill MacSems	....	property master

Sound Department
David M. Ronne	....	sound mixer (as David Ronne)
Edward L. Sandlin	....	sound editor
Fred Stafford	....	sound editor (as Freddie Stafford)
John Wilkinson	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John K. Wilkinson)
Robert Rogow	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Richard E. Johnson	....	special effects
Charles Spurgeon	....	special effects

Stunts
Everett Creach	....	stunt coordinator
Rock A. Walker	....	stunt driver (uncredired)
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Holly Bower	....	still photographer
Garrett Brown	....	special photography
Earl L. Clark	....	assistant camera (as Earl Clark)
Charles Langham	....	best boy
Rick Martens	....	gaffer (as Richard Martens)
Nick McLean	....	camera operator
Robert Moore	....	key grip (as Robert C. Moore)
Peter Sorel	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Juliet Taylor	....	casting: New York

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert M. Moore	....	wardrobe
Bernie Pollack	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Arthur Schmidt	....	associate editor
Dennis Wooley	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
John Matheson	....	conductor
Patrick Moore	....	music editor
Michael Small	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Kelly Aldrich	....	driver: John Schlesinger (uncredited)

Other crew
Cathy Chazan	....	assistant: Mr. Evans
Michael Childers	....	assistant to producers
Mark Griffiths	....	coordinator: AFI
Roland Meledandri	....	clothes: Roy Scheider
Dan Perri	....	title designer
Nicholas Sgarro	....	script supervisor (as Nick Sgarro)
Karen Hale Wookey	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Gelderse Maatschappij N.V.
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1977) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1979) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Esselte Video (????) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Fotomat (Drive-Thru Movies) Video (1979) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment
• Paramount Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1997) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Decca Records  "Dors, ô cité perverse!" courtesy of (as London and Decca Records)
• Maslansky Koenigsgerg  publicity
• Polydor Records  "Der Neugierige" used by arrangement with (as Polydor Inc.)

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German | Spanish

Colour:

Colour (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | Brazil:14 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-15 (re-rating) (2003) (uncut version) | Finland:K-16 (1988) (cut version) | France:-16 | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM18 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1977) | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

47th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Gelderse Maatschappij N.V.

Trivia:

Dustin Hoffman lost 15 pounds for this role. He ran up to four miles a day to get into shape for playing the part. He would never come into a scene and fake the breathing. According to producer Robert Evans, Hoffman "would run, just for a take, he would run for a half-mile so he came into the scene, he'd actually be out of breath."

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the master shot of the first dental torture scene, you can clearly see the "marks" - a t-shape of tape on the floor - where one of the thugs is to stand in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

Quotes:

Janeway: [Referring to his dead brother] What did he do?
Babe: He was in the oil business.
Janeway: I know exactly how Doc made his living, and the closest he ever came to the oil business was when he filled up at the friendly neighborhood gas station.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: The Best of Steve Martin (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Dors, O Cite Perverse

Yeeks!

Quite apart from the infamous torture scene, which I found extremely difficult to watch without howling in horror (actually that's a lie, I DID howl) this film is FULL of nervous tension that occasionally boils over - the way it's been done is masterful. The bouncing-ball scene in the darkened building should be utterly prosaic, but it really isn't - the way it's choreographed and shot brings such an air of menace and trepidation you'll be biting your nails off. There's much of a similar vein in 'Marathon Man', and although the storyline is sometimes almost buried through the relentless suffocating tension, it's extremely watchable (with a cushion to hide behind at certain points) and one of the greatest non-Hitchcock thrillers I've ever seen. Don't hesitate!