THX 1138 (1971)

Director:

George Lucas

Writers:

George Lucas (story)
George Lucas (earlier screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

11 March 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Visit the future where love is the ultimate crime.

Plot:

Set in the 25th century, the story centers around a man and a woman who rebel against their rigidly controlled society.

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Escape | Underground City | Roommate | Computer

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Robert Duvall	...	THX
Donald Pleasence	...	SEN
Don Pedro Colley	...	SRT
Maggie McOmie	...	LUH
Ian Wolfe	...	PTO
Marshall Efron	...	TWA
Sid Haig	...	NCH
John Pearce	...	DWY
Irene Cagen	...	IMM (as Irene Forrest)
Gary Alan Marsh	...	CAM
John Seaton	...	OUE
Eugene I. Stillman	...	JOT
Jack Walsh	...	TRG (as Raymond J. Walsh)
Mark Lawhead	...	Shell Dweller
Robert Feero	...	Chrome Robot
Johnny Weissmuller Jr.	...	Chrome Robot
Claudette Bessing	...	ELC
Susan Baldwin	...	Control Officer
James Wheaton	...	OMM (voice)
Henry Jacobs	...	Mark 8 Student
Bill Love	...	Mark 8 Instructor
Doc Scortt	...	Monk
Gary Austin	...	Man in Yellow
Scott L. Menges	...	Child #1
Toby L. Stearns	...	Child #2
Paul K. Haje	...	Trial Prosecutor
Ralph Chesse	...	Trial Proctor
Dion M. Chesse	...	Trial Defender
Bruce Chesse	...	Trial Pontifex
Mello Alexandria	...	Hologram Dancer
Brandyn Barbara Artis	...	Hologram Dancer (as Barbara J. Artis)
Morris D. Erby	...	Hologram Newscaster
Willie C. Barnes	...	Hologram Comic
Richard Quinnell	...	Hologram Comic
Jean M. Durand	...	Hologram Listener
Scott Beach	...	Announcer (voice)
Neva Beach	...	Announcer (voice)
Terence McGovern	...	Announcer (voice) (as Terrence McGovern)
Julie Payne	...	Announcer (voice)
James Cranna	...	Announcer (voice)
Ruth Silveira	...	Announcer (voice)
Bruce Mackey	...	Announcer (voice)
David Ogden Stiers	...	Announcer (voice) (as David Ogden Steers)
Bart Patton	...	Announcer (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Rigg	...	Computer Operator (uncredited)
Matthew Robbins	...	THX - End Scene (uncredited)

Directed by
George Lucas

Writing credits
George Lucas		(story)
George Lucas		(earlier screenplay)
George Lucas		(screenplay) and
Walter Murch		(screenplay)
Matthew Robbins		comic (uncredited)

Produced by
Francis Ford Coppola	....	executive producer
Edward Folger	....	associate producer (as Ed Folger)
Larry Sturhahn	....	producer (as Lawrence Sturhahn)

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Albert Kihn		(director of photography)
David Myers		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Lucas

Art Direction by
Michael D. Haller		(as Michael Haller)

Production Management
Al Locatelli	....	production manager (uncredited)

Art Department
Ted Moehnke	....	property master

Sound Department
Jim Manson	....	location sound
Walter Murch	....	sound montage
Louis Yates	....	location sound (as Lou Yates)

Visual Effects by
Michael Muir	....	technical director (directors cut)
Brad Alexander	....	lead visual effects artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
John Andrew Berton Jr.	....	visual effects supervisor (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Richard Bluff	....	digital matte painter (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Dorian Bustamante	....	visual effects (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Ian Christie	....	digital effects artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Zachary Cole	....	digital artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Lee Croft	....	digital paint and rotoscope artist: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Chris Crowell	....	digital compositor (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Sarahjane Javelo	....	digital paint/rotoscope artist: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Ian Jenkins	....	technical director: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Lars Jensvold	....	visual effects editor (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Toan-Vinh Le	....	digital artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Gary H. Lee	....	visual effects (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Hiroshi Mori	....	digital artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Ken Nielsen	....	technical director (special edition) (uncredited)
Ben O'Brien	....	Sabre artist: ILM (2004 directors cut) (uncredited)
Scott Palleiko	....	technical director: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Brian Pohl	....	digital artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Evan Pontoriero	....	digital artist (2004 directors cut) (uncredited)
Henry Preston	....	CG supervisor (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Paul Sharpe	....	digital artist (2004 special edition) (uncredited)
Peter Szewczyk	....	visual effects artist (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Catherine Tate	....	digital compositor: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Pat Tubach	....	digital artist: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Eric Voegels	....	digital artist: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)
Elbert Yen	....	digital artist: ILM (2004 director's cut) (uncredited)

Stunts
Duffy Hambleton	....	bike stunts (as Duffy Hamilton)
John Ward	....	car stunts
Carey Loftin	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ned Kopp	....	assistant camera
Steve Lighthill	....	assistant camera
William Maley	....	gaffer (as William Mayley)
Ken Phelps	....	key grip
Bernie Abramson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Caleb Deschanel	....	additional photographer (uncredited)

Animation Department
Hal Barwood	....	animator

Casting Department
Ronald Colby	....	casting supervisor

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Donald Longhurst	....	costumes

Editorial Department
Marcia Lucas	....	assistant editor

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

Other crew
Hal Barwood	....	titles
George Burrafato	....	production assistant
Lillian O. MacNeill	....	continuity (as Lillian McNeil)
Nick Saxton	....	production assistant
Stan Scholl	....	production assistant

Thanks
Carl Bernstein	....	thanks (as Cal Bernstein)
Caleb Deschanel	....	thanks
Peter Szewczyk	....	special thanks
Haskell Wexler	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• American Zoetrope
• Warner Bros

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1973) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (director's cut)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1971) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD) (director's cut)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1984) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (director's cut) (uncredited)
• Third Floor, The

Other Companies

• Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)  special thanks
• City of Oakland  special thanks
• City of San Francisco  special thanks
• Fibre Fab Inc.  special thanks
• Marin County, California  special thanks
• Synanon  special thanks

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality/nudity (2004 director's cut)

Runtime:

86 min | USA:88 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-11 (2004) (director's cut) | Iceland:Unrated | Italy:VM14 | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:R (2004 director's cut) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | UK:15 (video rating) (1988-2003) | UK:X (original rating) | Germany:12 | UK:15 (video rating) (director's cut) (2004) | South Korea:15 (director's cut) | Brazil:14

Filming Locations:

Broadway Tunnel, Russian Hill, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

American Zoetrope

Trivia:

In the computer room near the end of the film, the lights on one computer can be seen flashing the word "TILT".

Goofs:

Continuity: During the car chase, THX's car is shown from the front stopping in the right-hand lane of two. A subsequent shot showing a monitor has the car from the rear, stopped in the left-hand lane.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Male voice (medicine cabinet):What's wrong?
THX 1138:Nothing. Nothing really. I just feel that I need something stronger.
Male voice (medicine cabinet):If you have a problem, don't hesitate to ask for assistance.
THX 1138:Yes, thank you, I'll be alright.
Male voice (medicine cabinet):Call 3485...

Movie Connections:

Features Buck Rogers (1939)

Soundtrack:

Elevator Music

Cult in the 70's, Boring in the Present Days

In an undefined future, a dystopian underground society is oriented to production and consumption in the malls. The population is controlled by drugs and people do not feel affection or sympathy for the others. Sexual intercourse are absolutely forbidden and roommates are chosen by the computer. Faceless androids are responsible for the surveillance of the behavior of the dwellers and people pray in Unichapels for their god OMM 0910 that responds through recorded electronic messages.

The worker THX 1138 (Robert Duvall) handles radioactive materials in a factory and lives with his roommate LUH 3417 (Maggie McOmie). When she decides to stop using drugs, she becomes lucid and replaces the drugs of her partner for harmless pills. THX becomes emotional again and falls in love with LUH. He plans to escape with LUH to the superstructure, where they expect to live in freedom. But when SEN 5241 (Donald Pleasance) manipulates the computer to live with THX, he reports a complaint to the authorities and SEN is arrested. When THX commits a mistake in his work, the Powers That Be discover that THX and LUH are not taking drugs and having sexual intercourse and they are sentenced to be imprisoned in a weird white place. THX and SEN plan to escape with the hologram SRT (Don Pedro Colley) and THX discover that LUH was killed by the authorities and he decides to find the way out to the surface.

"THX 1138" was a cult-movie in Brazil in the earlier 70's; however watching it again in 2012, I found it a plagiarism of the Logan's Run novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson that was published in 1967 and become a cult-movie in 1976. "THX 11238" is also very similar to George Orwell's "1984"; Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World"; and Fritz Lang's "Metropolis".

The narrative is boring in many moments and the excessive white landscapes are tedious. Anyway, this is a film mandatory for any cinema lover or student. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "THX 1138"