Romancing the Stone (1984)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writer:

Diane Thomas (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

30 March 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

She's a girl from the big city. He's a reckless soldier of fortune. For a fabulous treasure, they share an adventure no one could imagine... or survive.

Plot:

A romance writer sets off to Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister, and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure.

Plot Keywords:

Village | Cult Favorite | Hand Bitten Off | Anti Hero | Map

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Michael Douglas	...	Jack T. Colton
Kathleen Turner	...	Joan Wilder
Danny DeVito	...	Ralph
Zack Norman	...	Ira
Alfonso Arau	...	Juan
Manuel Ojeda	...	Zolo
Holland Taylor	...	Gloria
Mary Ellen Trainor	...	Elaine
Eve Smith	...	Mrs. Irwin
Joe Nesnow	...	Super
José Chávez	...	Santos
Evita Muñoz 'Chachita'	...	Hefty Woman (as Chachita)
Camillo García	...	Bus Driver
Rodrigo Puebla	...	Bad Hombre
Paco Morayta	...	Hotel Clerk
Jorge Zamora	...	Maitre'D
Kymberly Herrin	...	Angelina (as Kym Herrin)
William H. Burton	...	Jessie (as Bill Burton)
Ted White	...	Grogan
Manuel E. Santiago	...	Vendor (as Manuel Santiago)
Ron Silver	...	Vendor
Michael Cassidy	...	Zolo's Men (as Mike Cassidy)
Vince Deadrick Sr.	...	Zolo's Men
Richard Drown	...	Zolo's Men
Joe Finnegan	...	Zolo's Men
Jimmy Medearis	...	Zolo's Men
Jeff Ramsey	...	Zolo's Men

Directed by
Robert Zemeckis

Writing credits
Diane Thomas		(written by)
Lem Dobbs		uncredited
Howard Franklin		uncredited
Treva Silverman		uncredited

Produced by
Jack Brodsky	....	co-producer
Joel Douglas	....	co-producer
Michael Douglas	....	producer

Original Music by
Alan Silvestri

Cinematography by
Dean Cundey

Film Editing by
Donn Cambern
Frank Morriss

Production Design by
Lawrence G. Paull

Art Direction by
Agustín Ituarte

Set Decoration by
Enrique Estévez

Costume Design by
Marilyn Vance

Makeup Department
Kathryn Blondell	....	hair stylist
E. Thomas Case	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Carlos Rodríguez Álvarez	....	unit production manager: Mexico (as Carlos Rodriguez)
John D. Schofield	....	unit production manager (as John Schofield)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Javier Carreño	....	second assistant director
Joel Douglas	....	first assistant director
Terry Leonard	....	second unit director
Joseph Paul Moore	....	second assistant director: second unit
José María Ochoa	....	first assistant director: Mexico

Art Department
George Jensen	....	production illustrator
Antonio Mata	....	property master: Mexico
German Ramirez	....	greensman
Rudy Reachi	....	property master: USA
Jorge Sainz	....	set designer
Tom Southwell	....	graphic illustrator
Gregg Vance	....	assistant production designer
Brent W. Bell	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Steve Bartlett	....	post-production sound
Charles L. Campbell	....	supervising sound editor
Larry Carow	....	sound editor
Samuel C. Crutcher	....	sound editor
Don Digirolamo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mike Dobie	....	sound editor (as Michael Dobie)
Louis L. Edemann	....	sound editor
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer
William B. Kaplan	....	sound mixer
Robert Knudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Chuck Neely	....	assistant sound editor
David Pettijohn	....	sound editor
Rod Rogers	....	assistant adr editor
Earl Sampson	....	boom operator
Victoria Rose Sampson	....	adr editor
Larry Singer	....	supervising adr editor
Jonathon 'Earl' Stein	....	sound mixer: Utah
Roger Sword	....	sound editor
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Laurencio Cordero	....	special effects coordinator: Mexico
Ken Estes	....	special effects foreman
Jay King	....	special effects crew
Robert King	....	special effects crew
Terry W. King	....	special effects assistant (as Terry King)
Alan E. Lorimer	....	special effects coordinator: second unit coordinator
Robert Moore	....	special effects crew
Billy Myatt	....	special effects coordinator: USA
Harold Weed	....	creature maker
Kelly Lepkowsky	....	mechanical alligator effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Peter Bloch	....	optical effects
Kerry Colonna	....	optical effects

Stunts
Gerardo Albarrán	....	stunts (as Gerardo Moreno)
Vince Deadrick Jr.	....	stunt coordinator: first unit
Vince Deadrick Jr.	....	stunts
Eurlyne Epper	....	stunt double
Eurlyne Epper	....	stunts
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts
Dean Jeffries	....	stunts
Tracy Keehn-Dashnaw	....	stunts (as Tracy Keehn)
Terry Leonard	....	stunt coordinator: second unit
Raúl Martínez	....	stunts
Victor Moreno Jr.	....	stunts
Lem Dobbs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Leonard	....	waterfall stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bruce Birmelin	....	still photographer: USA
Clyde E. Bryan	....	first assistant camera (as Clyde Bryan)
Donaciano De Anda	....	dolly grip
Richard Hart	....	director of photography: second unit
Adolfo Lara	....	best boy
Alfredo Ruvalcaba	....	still photographer: Mexico
Robert C. Thomas	....	camera operator (as Robert Thomas)
Ronald Vidor	....	Steadicam operator
Mark Walthour	....	gaffer
Ronald Woodward	....	key grip (as Ron Woodward)

Casting Department
Claudia Becker	....	casting: Mexico
Karen Rea	....	casting: USA
Luis Sánchez	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gracielo Castillo	....	assistant costume supervisor
Juana Oliver	....	costumer: women
Gilda Texter	....	costume supervisor
Enrique Villavicencio	....	costumer: men

Editorial Department
Jorge Azcárate	....	assistant editor
William J. Meshover	....	assistant editor (as William Jay Meshover)
Kevin Stitt	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Kathleen Bennett	....	assistant music editor (as Kathy Bennett)
James B. Campbell	....	orchestrator (as James Campbell)
Tom Carlin	....	music editor (as Thomas Carlin)
Eddy Grant	....	composer: song "Romancing the Stone"
Tom Nixon	....	music researcher
Ben Rodgers	....	music recording engineer
Dennis S. Sands	....	music scoring mixer (as Dennis Sands)

Transportation Department
Steve Patten	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Beth Anthony	....	production secretary: USA
Reneé Armaun	....	production secretary: USA
Dr. Crypton	....	map designer
Peter DePalma	....	assistant to producer
Ricardo Frera	....	auditor: Mexico
Emily Gamboa	....	production secretary: Mexico
Nikki Allyn Grosso	....	production coordinator
Miguel Gurza	....	animal trainer
Karen Hale Wookey	....	continuity
Jeffrey Hornaday	....	choreographer (as Jeffrey D. Hornaday)
Cesar Jimenez	....	location manager
Robert A. Levine	....	publicity coordinator
Sandy McLeod	....	script supervisor: New York only
José Luis Ortega	....	continuity: second unit
Theodore R. Parvin	....	production consultant
Nina Saxon	....	title designer
Dorothy Schlom	....	auditor: USA
Marshall Schlom	....	unit coordinator: second unit
René Simon Cruz Jr.	....	translator (uncredited)
'Chema' Hernandez	....	head wrangler (uncredited)
'Chico' Hernandez	....	wrangler (uncredited)
Harry Kopoian	....	airport liaison: Mexico (uncredited)
Robert Tafur	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
• El Corazon Producciones S.A.
• Nina Saxon Film Design (uncredited)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1984) (UK) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox Video (1985) (Belgium) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Video (1985) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• CBS/Fox (1985) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1987) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CBS/Fox (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Encore Entertainment (1996) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)

Special Effects

• Chris Walas (mechanical alligator effects)

Other Companies

• DeLuxe Laboratories  color by (as DeLuxe)
• Group IV Recording  music recorded at
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Silvercup Studios  production coordination: New York
• Varèse Sarabande  score album released by (limited edition)

Also Known As:

2 bribones tras la esmeralda perdida (Mexico)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

Mexico | USA

Language:

English | Spanish | French

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 | Ireland:15 (uncut) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Iceland:12 | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Spain:7 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (re-rating) (2001) (uncut) | UK:PG (original rating) (cut) | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Jalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

In the English version of the film, Gloria speaks of "Macy's" as the department store where Joan gets sick. The German edition of this movie says "Bloomingdale's" instead of "Macy's". Gloria says "Bloomingdale's" on the English audio of the DVD.

Goofs:

Continuity: Joan's dress becomes clean when she makes a break for the old bridge.

Quotes:

Zolo: Crocodiles shed tears when they eat their prey. You have heard of these tears I am sure. But have you seen them?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey/G-Unit (#29.10)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

ROMANCING THE STONE

Romance novelist Turner finds real life adventure

Kathleen Turner stars as a romance novelist who receives a mysterious map from her murdered brother in law and then must go to Columbia to save her kidnapped sister by giving up the map for ransom.

After getting on the wrong bus she meets up with Michael Douglas and the adventure begins..as Douglas seeks the treasure also..

A fast paced adventure that features great chemistry between Douglas and Turner (they would make two more movies at least after this...including a sequel "jewel of the nile"). On a scale of one to ten...8