The Illustrated Man (1969)

Director:

Jack Smight

Writers:

Ray Bradbury (book)
Howard B. Kreitsek (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 March 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Don't dare stare at the illustrated man.

Plot:

A man, whose body is almost completely covered in tattoos, is looking for the woman who drew all the intricate designs on him...

Plot Keywords:

Tattoo | Medieval Times | Insubordination | Fort | Lemonade

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Rod Steiger	...	Carl
Claire Bloom	...	Felicia
Robert Drivas	...	Willie
Don Dubbins	...	Pickard
Jason Evers	...	Simmons
Tim Weldon	...	John
Christine Matchett	...	Anna
Pogo	...	Peke

Directed by
Jack Smight

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ray Bradbury		book
Howard B. Kreitsek		screenplay

Produced by
Howard B. Kreitsek	....	producer
Ted Mann	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Philip H. Lathrop		(director of photography) (as Philip Lathrop)

Film Editing by
Archie Marshek

Art Direction by
Joel Schiller

Set Decoration by
Marvin March

Costume Design by
Anthea Sylbert

Makeup Department
Ernest Adler	....	hair stylist
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor
James E. Reynolds	....	makeup artist
James E. Reynolds	....	skin illustration designer: Rod Steiger
Lenore Weaver	....	hair stylist
George Bau	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Terence Nelson	....	production manager (as Terry Nelson)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Nayfack	....	second assistant director
Terence Nelson	....	assistant director (as Terry Nelson)

Art Department
Ernie Denard	....	greeneries (as Ernest Denard)
Ward Preston	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Francis E. Stahl	....	sound

Special Effects by
Ralph Webb	....	special effects

Stunts
Ron Stein	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Warlock	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
George Gordon Nogle	....	camera operator (as George Nogle)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michael J. Harte	....	wardrobe (as Michael Hart)

Music Department
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Dorothy Aldrin	....	script supervisor
Carl Lindstrom	....	production coordinator
Frank Weatherwax	....	dog trainer

Production Companies

• SKM

Distributors

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1972) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (1986) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Warner Home Video (video)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | Australia:M

Company:

SKM

Trivia:

When Jack Smight contacted Ray Bradbury about buying the rights to "The Illustrated Man", Bradbury informed him he would sell it if Smight hired Burt Lancaster, Paul Newman or Rod Steiger for the lead role.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Carl first arrives at Felicia's house, Felicia is wearing a black robe with a 2 inch wide green satin trim on the sleeves. In the scene where she gives Carl a glass of lemonade and then holds his hand, it is plainly visible that the trim is completely torn along a seam. Felicia then walks into another room and starts unfolding something at a table. The same seam is visible again, but it's now intact and not torn.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Felicia:Each person who tries to see beyond his own time must face questions to which there cannot yet be proven answers.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Sopranos: House Arrest (#2.11)" (2000)

Ray Bradbury hates this movie, but I'm rather fond of it.

Since most of this film consists of three independent tales it is not unlike watching The Twilight Zone or the Outer Limits on television, except that the source material is the very best possible, and Rod Steiger and Claire Bloom are two of the finest actors conceivable. And although this fragmentation causes the movie to lose the impact that a single feature length story might have had, all the tales, including the connecting story of the illustrated man himself, are bleak, despairing tales that have a cumulative quality. And that's what makes this movie so appealing and unusual. It has depth in directions that aren't often explored anymore and it does it with a simple elegance that you can't achieve with over-saturated special effects. "The Illustrated Man" isn't a masterpiece, or even great, but it is a film that is worth seeing. And in one instance it manages to improve on Bradbury. In his book he creates, then tosses away, the phrase "skin illustrations" with little effect. But a moment of Rod Steiger's rage found only in the movie will have you forever respecting those two words.