The Changeling (1980)

Director:

Peter Medak

Writers:

Russell Hunter (story)
William Gray (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

28 March 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

...an experience beyond total fear.

Plot:

A man staying at a secluded historical mansion, finds his life being haunted by the presence of a spectre.

Plot Keywords:

House | Mansion | Composer | Ghost | Research

Awards:

10 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

George C. Scott	...	John Russell
Trish Van Devere	...	Claire Norman
Melvyn Douglas	...	Senator Carmichael
Jean Marsh	...	Joanna Russell
John Colicos	...	Captain DeWitt
Barry Morse	...	Parapsychologist
Madeleine Sherwood	...	Mrs. Norman (as Madeleine Thornton-Sherwood)
Helen Burns	...	Leah Harmon
Frances Hyland	...	Mrs. Grey
Ruth Springford	...	Minnie Huxley
Eric Christmas	...	Albert Harmon
Roberta Maxwell	...	Eva Lingstrom
Bernard Behrens	...	Robert Lingstrom
James B. Douglas	...	Eugene Carmichael
J. Kenneth Campbell	...	Security Guard
Chris Gampel	...	Mr. Tuttle (as C. M. Gampel)
Voldi Way	...	Joseph Carmichael
Michelle Martin	...	Kathy Russell
Janne Mortil	...	Linda Grey
Terence Kelly	...	Sergeant Durban
Robert Monroe	...	Archives Clerk
Hagan Beggs	...	Coroner
Anna Hagan	...	Secretary
Antonia Rey	...	Estancia
Sammy Smith	...	Doorman
Paul Rothery	...	Tony Grey
Bruce MacLeod	...	Security Guard (as Bruce Macleod)
Fred Latremouille	...	Airport Guard
David Peevers	...	Microfilm Clerk
Sera Johnstone	...	Sara Lingstrom
Adam Earle	...	Adam Lingstrom
Carl Boychuk	...	Music Student
Bryan King	...	Music Student
Susan Round	...	Music Student
Nicki Steida	...	Music Student
Randolph Blankinship	...	Pilot
Travis Major	...	Pilot
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Wayne McLaughlin	...	Orchestra Member (uncredited)
Louis Zorich	...	Stewart Adler (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Medak

Writing credits
Russell Hunter		(story)
William Gray		(screenplay) &
Diana Maddox		(screenplay)

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

Original Music by
Rick Wilkins		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
John Coquillon		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Lilla Pedersen

Casting by
Barbara Claman
Geri Windsor

Production Design by
Trevor Williams

Art Direction by
Reuben Freed

Set Decoration by
Keith Pepper

Costume Design by
Roberta Weiner

Makeup Department
Del Acevedo	....	makeup artist: Mr. Scott
Salli Bailey	....	hair stylist
Ken Brooke	....	makeup artist: Ms. Van Devere
Linda A. Brown	....	makeup artist (as Linda Brown)
Roberto Fernández	....	hair stylist: Ms. Van Devere (as Roberto Fernandez)
Renate Leuschner	....	hair stylist: Ms. Van Devere

Production Management
George Margellos	....	assistant production manager
James Margellos	....	production manager
Paul L. Tucker	....	production manager: second unit (as Paul Tucker)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Frame	....	third assistant director (as Frederick Frame)
Fiona Jackson	....	second assistant director
Irby Smith	....	first assistant director
Lewis Gould	....	dga trainee (uncredited)

Art Department
John 'Frenchie' Berger	....	property master (as John Frenchy Berger)
Ken Chang	....	construction supervisor
J. Hipman Chow	....	assistant property master
Charles Dunlop	....	draftsman
Steve Shewchuk	....	assistant set decorator (as Steven W. Shewchuk)
James T. Woods	....	scenic artist (as James Woods)

Sound Department
Dennis Drummond	....	sound effects
Patrick Drummond	....	sound effects
Robert Grieve	....	sound effects
Austin Grimaldi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joe Grimaldi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Herb Heritage	....	boom operator
Dino Pigat	....	sound re-recording mixer
James Pilcher	....	sound mixer
Karl Scherer	....	sound mixer
Gary C. Bourgeois	....	foley mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Michael Clifford	....	special effects assistant
Gene Grigg	....	special effects coordinator
Barry Madden	....	special effects assistant
William H. Orr	....	special effects assistant (as William Orr)

Stunts
Max Kleven	....	stunt coordinator
Alex Green	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Abram	....	grip
Rick Allen	....	best boy
Eric D. Andersen	....	cameraman: second unit (as Eric Andersen)
David R. Anderson	....	gaffer (as David Anderson)
Arthur Collier	....	best boy (as Art Collier)
James R. Connell	....	camera operator
Ron Gillham	....	dolly grip
Ivan Hawkes	....	electrician
Frank Heeney	....	gaffer
Phil Hersee	....	stills photographer (as Philip Hersee)
Michael Marce	....	generator operator
Rod Parkhurst	....	camera operator
Fred Ransom	....	grip
Thom Ryan	....	first assistant cameraman
John W. Scott	....	grip (as John Scott)
Brenton Spencer	....	second assistant cameraman
Joseph F. Valentine	....	camera operator (as Joe Valentine)
Ted Voigtlander	....	director of photography: second unit (as Ted Voigtländer)
Frederick Wharton	....	grip
Al White	....	key grip (as Alan White)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Maureen Hiscox	....	wardrobe
Kerry Holmes	....	wardrobe
G. Tony Scarano	....	wardrobe (as Anthony Scarano)
Albert Wolsky	....	wardrobe: Ms. Van Devere

Editorial Department
Lou Lombardo	....	supervising editor
Paul Rubell	....	assistant editor
Mitchell Sinoway	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Howard Blake	....	composer: music box theme
Leonard A. Engel	....	music remixer (as Len Engel)
John R. Harris	....	music editor (as John Harris)
National Philharmonic Orchestra	....	music performer (as the National Philharmonic Orchestra of London)
Alan Snelling	....	music recordist
Eric Tomlinson	....	music recordist
Kenneth Wannberg	....	conductor (as Ken Wannberg)
Kenneth Wannberg	....	music arranger (as Ken Wannberg)
Albert Woodbury	....	orchestrations

Transportation Department
Scott Irvine	....	driver captain

Other crew
Raymond Bayliss	....	seance technical advisor
Tom Braidwood	....	production assistant
Melinda Coffey	....	consultant pianist
Al Ebner	....	unit publicist
Mel Epstein	....	completion services
Lynda Friendly	....	publicist: Canada
Catherine Howard	....	secretary
Rondi Johnson	....	location manager
Mario Kassar	....	presenter
Rod Laxton	....	craft service
Margaret Livingston	....	production secretary
Suzanne Lore	....	production coordinator
Heather McIntosh	....	location auditor
Wayne McLaughlin	....	production assistant (as Wayne Mclaughlin)
Sandra Palmer	....	accountant
Christine Pittel	....	assistant to producers
Kimberley Richardson	....	production assistant
Pattie Robertson	....	script supervisor
Douy Swofford	....	title design
Andrew G. Vajna	....	presenter (as Andrew Vajna)
Lorraine Valentine	....	accountant
Mahoney Wasserman	....	publicist
James R. Westwell	....	production comptroller

Production Companies

• Chessman Park Productions
• Tiberius Film Productions

Distributors

• Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (1980) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Associated Film Distribution (AFD) (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1980) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Adams Filmi (1980) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Aster Films (1980) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Brent Walker Film Distributing (198?) (UK) (theatrical)
• Prodis (1981) (France) (theatrical) (as S. N. Prodis)
• Fil à Film (1990) (France) (VHS)
• H.O.M. Vision (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• M. Nyström (????) (Finland) (video)
• Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1984) (USA) (TV)
• T:mi Pekka Pietislä (????) (Finland) (video)
• Vestron Video (1985) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (1982) (USA) (VHS)
• Videofirma Makuuni (????) (Finland) (video)
• Viza Video (????) (France) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Anvil Studios  music recorded at (as Anvil Studios, Denham, England)
• B.C.I. Casting  casting (as BCI)
• Canadian Casting Associates  casting (as Canadian Casting Association)
• Canadian Honda Motor Ltd.  special thanks to: who kindly provided production vehicles (as Canadian Honda Motor Limited)
• Honda Motor Company  special thanks to: who kindly provided production vehicles (as American Honda Motor Co., Inc.)
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.®)
• Mahoney / Wasserman  publicity (as Mahoney/Wasserman & Associates)
• Pathé Sound  recorded at (as Pathé Sound, Toronto, Canada)

Also Known As:

L'enfant du diable (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Argentina:13 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Sweden:15 | West Germany:18 (video rating) | South Africa:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | West Germany:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1980) | USA:R (certificate #25883) | Singapore:PG | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Boeing Field - 7149 Perimeter Road, Seattle, Washington, USA

Company:

Chessman Park Productions

Trivia:

French censorship certificate: -13.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: There are no telephone poles or wires going to the phone booth in the opening scene.

Quotes:

Minnie Huxley: That house is not fit to live in. No one's been able to live in it. It doesn't want people.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ringu (1998)

Soundtrack:

Symphony #1 in C minor, Opus 68

More Chilling Than I Had Remembered

I found this to be a pretty solid haunted-house thriller...and better than I remembered so I have changed a few things in this review. The cinematography was admirable, mainly in the first half of the film and the special-effects near the end were excellent. That was capped off by a wheelchair chasing Trish Van Devere and a railing catching fire. In all, kind of bizarre and interesting scene.

George C. Scott stars and Van Devere and an aged Melvyn Douglas provide noted supporting roles. There are very few dry spots and overall, its a decent horror film and not an expensive DVD purchase - so grab it, if you can. The suspense build beautifully. Nice direction by Peter Medak.