The List of Adrian Messenger (1963)

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Anthony Veiller (screenplay)
Philip MacDonald (based upon a story by)

Release Date:

29 May 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Drama

Tagline:

5 Great Stars Challenge You to Guess the Disguised Roles they Play!

Plot:

Messenger asks a friend to check into a list of names before leaving on a trip. When his plane is blown out of the sky...

Plot Keywords:

Accident | Crime Investigation | Fox Hunting | Hitlist | Inheritance

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Tony Curtis	...	Cameo
Kirk Douglas	...	George Brougham / Vicar Atlee / Mr. Pythian / Arthur Henderson
Burt Lancaster	...	Cameo
Robert Mitchum	...	Cameo
Frank Sinatra	...	Cameo
George C. Scott	...	Anthony Gethryn
Dana Wynter	...	Lady Jocelyn Bruttenholm
Clive Brook	...	Marquis of Gleneyre
Gladys Cooper	...	Mrs. Karoudjian
Herbert Marshall	...	Sir Wilfrid Lucas
Jacques Roux	...	Raoul Le Borg
John Merivale	...	Adrian Messenger
Marcel Dalio	...	Max Karoudjian
Bernard Archard	...	Insp. Pike
Tony Huston	...	Derek Bruttenholm (as Walter Anthony Huston)
Ronald Long	...	Carstairs (as Roland Long)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Banker's Hours the Horse
Alan Caillou	...	Insp. Seymour (uncredited)
Constance Cavendish	...	Maid (uncredited)
Tim Durant	...	Hunt Secretary (uncredited)
Bernard Fox	...	Lynch (uncredited)
Paul Frees	...	Various Voices (voice) (uncredited)
Eric Heath	...	Various Voices (uncredited)
John Huston	...	Lord Ashton (uncredited)
Delphi Lawrence	...	Airport Stewardess (uncredited)
Mona Lilian	...	Proprietress (uncredited)
Joe Lynch	...	Cyclist (uncredited)
Jan Merlin	...	The Whistling Man / The Clergyman / The Workman / The Shepherd (uncredited)
Stacy Morgan	...	Whip Man (uncredited)
Barbara Morrison	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Richard Peel	...	Sgt. Flood (uncredited)
Noel Purcell	...	Countryman (uncredited)
Jennifer Raine	...	Student Nurse (uncredited)
Audrey Scott	...	Sidesaddle Rider (uncredited)
Anita Sharp-Bolster	...	Mrs. Slattery (uncredited)
Anna Van Der Heide	...	Stewardess (uncredited)
Nelson Welch	...	White (uncredited)
Dave Willock	...	Gypsy (uncredited)

Directed by
John Huston

Writing credits
Anthony Veiller		(screenplay)
Philip MacDonald		(based upon a story by)

Produced by
Edward Lewis	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Joseph MacDonald		(as Joe MacDonald)

Film Editing by
Hugh S. Fowler		(unconfirmed)
Terry O. Morse

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen
Stephen B. Grimes		(as Stephen Grimes)
George C. Webb		(as George Webb)

Set Decoration by
Oliver Emert

Makeup Department
John Chambers	....	makeup artist
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Dave Grayson	....	makeup artist (as David Grayson)
Nick Marcellino	....	makeup artist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Richard McWhorter	....	unit production manager
Edward Muhl	....	in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Shaw	....	assistant director
Terry Morse Jr.	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Colin Grimes	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Mickey Lennon	....	stand-by prop (uncredited)

Sound Department
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound
Frank H. Wilkinson	....	sound

Stunts
Audrey Scott	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Edward Scaife	....	director of photography: Europe (as Ted Scaife)
Wally Fairweather	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	music supervisor
Jerry Goldsmith	....	conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
Gladys Hill	....	associate: Mr. Huston
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer (uncredited)
Kay Mander	....	continuity (uncredited)
Jan Merlin	....	disguised double: Kirk Douglas (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Joel Productions

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1963) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1963) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Väinän Filmi (1963) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Koch Media (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1976) (Finland) (TV) (MTV1)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1966) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R) (Universal Vault Series)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  titles

Also Known As:

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Norway:16 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:13 | West Germany:12 (nf)

Filming Locations:

County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Joel Productions

Trivia:

Fourth of seven films that Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster made together.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Gwendolynne La Doll's address is shown on the manuscript as being on Fulham Road, London S.W.8., and later dialogue describing the location as "the Fulham Road" makes it clear that this means the main street of that name. But this runs from Fulham to Brompton, whereas the SW8 postal district lies across the Thames in districts such as Battersea and Wandsworth.

Quotes:

Mrs. Karoudjian:During the war, my husband was... Swiss.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Immoral Mr. Phillips (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

A Wand'ring Minstrel, I

A gem

Because of that gimmick with Curtis, Mitchum, Sinatra and Lancaster people seem to regard this film as a sort of spot-the-star contest. But it is much more than that. Excellent acting (especially Douglas in what must be his best role since Paths of Glory), superb music (Jerry Goldsmith) and brilliant direction of John Huston more than make up for occasional lapses in the story.

The story is quite simple, but the less said the better. The 'list' in question is a list of 10 names of people from all over the UK, who seem to have nothing in common except...well just see the movie.

And spotting the stars is quite fun too.