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 | Chicken | Eccentric

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

• Constantin Film (1966) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 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)
• Odeon Entertainment (2010) (UK) (DVD)
• 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 (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (re-release) | UK:15 | West Germany:16 (bw) | Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:16 | UK:12 (2003) | France:U | USA:Not Rated

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:

Continuity: The position of the mattress on the patio changes position between scenes, especially when Teresa places the paper between Dickie's toes and lights them.

Quotes:

George:Get the hell outta my fortress!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Two Gangsters and an Island (2003) (V)

the best film by polanski

This film is Polanski's 'Citizen Kane'. From then on, he never got better (but still quite good as in 'Chinatown' for instance). It is a tight, existentialist film, situated on an island (during flood, when tide, not an island). It featured Francois Dorleac, the equally beautiful but more romantic sister of Catherine Deneuve, who died not many years after this in a car accident if I remember correctly. I haven't seen a film in which she stared that wasn't good but here is the best of them. 'I started at the top and since then I'm been working myself down', said Orson Welles in 'F as in Fake', his last film. Polanski could say (almost) the same (he had done polish films before this one and I don't know if 'Repulsion' was before or after this one). An outstanding masterpiece good for many viewings and not on DVD (of course, I almost say).