Cul-de-sac (1966)

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Roman Polanski
Gérard Brach

Release Date:

7 November 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A wounded criminal and his dying partner take refuge at a beachfront castle. The owners of the castle...

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Partner | Coward | Eccentric | Chicken

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win

Cast

Donald Pleasence	...	George
Françoise Dorléac	...	Teresa
Lionel Stander	...	Richard
Jack MacGowran	...	Albie
Iain Quarrier	...	Christopher
Geoffrey Sumner	...	Christopher's Father
Renee Houston	...	Christopher's Mother
Robert Dorning	...	Philip Fairweather
Marie Kean	...	Marion Fairweather
William Franklyn	...	Cecil
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Jacqueline (as Jackie Bisset)
Trevor Delaney	...	Nicholas

Directed by
Roman Polanski

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gérard Brach		(as Gerard Brach)
Roman Polanski

Produced by
Gene Gutowski	....	producer
Michael Klinger	....	producer
Tony Tenser	....	producer
Sam Waynberg	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Krzysztof Komeda		(as Komeda)

Cinematography by
Gilbert Taylor

Film Editing by
Alastair McIntyre

Casting by
Maude Spector

Production Design by
Voytek

Art Direction by
George Lack

Makeup Department
Alan Brownie	....	makeup artist
Joyce James	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Robert Sterne	....	production supervisor
Don Weeks	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roger Simons	....	first assistant director
Ted Sturgis	....	first assistant director
Stuart Black	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Alf Pegley	....	props
Gilbert Wood	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Campling	....	sound editor
Stephen Dalby	....	sound supervisor
Gerry Humphreys	....	dubbing mixer
George Stephenson	....	sound mixer
Ken Reynolds	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Les Bowie	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Roy Ford	....	camera operator
Jeff Seaholme	....	camera operator (as Geoffrey Seaholme)
Laurie Turner	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bridget Sellers	....	wardrober

Editorial Department
Maxine Julius	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Terry Glinwood	....	production controller
Michael Klinger	....	presenter
John Sutro	....	translator
Tony Tenser	....	presenter
Dee Vaughan	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Compton Films
• Tekli British Productions

Distributors

• Lii-Filmi (1966) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Globo Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• International Film Distributors (1967) (Canada)
• Nightmare Video (video)
• Sigma III Corp.
• Transmission Films Ltd. (2002) (worldwide) (internet)
• Zima Entertainment (2005) (Mexico) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Bowie Films

Also Known As:

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:16 | UK:12 (2003) | France:U | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (re-release) | UK:15 | West Germany:16 (bw)

Filming Locations:

Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

Compton Films

Trivia:

Jack Nicholson claimed in an interview in 2007 that this is his favorite film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Dickie is pushing the car, the shadow of the camera and the cameraman can be seen on him.

Quotes:

Nicholas:[after being punished for scratching one of Teresa's records] That Froggy bitch pulled my ear off!
Philip Fairweather:Here, here, here! Who taught you to speak like that?
Nicholas:Mum did!
Philip Fairweather:[slaps the back of Nicholas's hand] That'll teach you to tell lies.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Grande Arte (1991)

This odd black comedy is one of Polanski's most underrated movies.

As 'Cul-de-sac' was Polanski's first movie after his brilliant psychological thriller 'Repulsion' it can't help but be a slight disappointment. Even so, I thought it was an interesting movie and I found it to be much more enjoyable than his next one the totally unfunny spoof 'The Fearless Vampire Killers'. 'Cul-de-sac' is quite difficult to catergorise. In some ways it reminded me of Pinter's 'The Birthday Party' (filmed much later than this but originally staged in the late 1950s), in others of Jack Hill's cult favourite 'Spider Baby' (made earlier but not really released until afterwards), and you could almost see it as prefiguring 'Performance' (old school gangsters meet the new world of the swinging 1960s). But really it quite an odd and unique black comedy. It may not be 100% successful, and it does have a few dull spots, but overall it's worth tracking down if you want to see something different. The main reason it succeeds for me is the unusual location of Lindisfarne, England (which I have visited), and the performances of Donald Pleasence, Francoise Dorleac and Lionel Stander. Pleasence was one of Britain's most underrated character actors, the beautiful and doomed Dorleac had appeared alongside Jean-Paul Belmondo in the entertaining thriller 'That Man From Rio', and Standish, who later appeared in movies by Leone and Spielberg, is best remembered as Max, the craggy manservant on the popular 1980s TV show 'Hart To Hart'. All three are excellent in this movie, and their interaction make it fascinating viewing. The supporting cast also includes Jack MacGowran ('The Exorcist') and an early appearance by 1970s sex symbol Jacqueline Bisset. 'Cul-de-sac' is without a doubt Polanski's most underrated movie, and fans of the unusual and the off beat will enjoy it very much. A DVD with a commentary from Polanski would would be wonderful. Any chance?