The Other (1972)

Director:

Robert Mulligan

Writers:

Tom Tryon (screenplay)
Tom Tryon (novel)

Release Date:

29 September 1972 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Niles and Holland are as close as twin brothers can be. Appearances can be deceiving... and deadly.

Plot:

Down in the farm country of the US twins are born. One of them turns out to be good, while the other becomes rather evil.

Plot Keywords:

Twin | Accident | Murder | Child Killing Child | Well

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Uta Hagen	...	Ada
Diana Muldaur	...	Alexandra
Chris Udvarnoky	...	Niles Perry
Martin Udvarnoky	...	Holland Perry
Norma Connolly	...	Aunt Vee
Victor French	...	Angelini
Loretta Leversee	...	Winnie
Lou Frizzell	...	Uncle George
Portia Nelson	...	Mrs. Rowe
Jenny Sullivan	...	Torrie
John Ritter	...	Rider
Jack Collins	...	Mr. P.C. Pretty
Ed Bakey	...	Chan-yu
Clarence Crow	...	Russell
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Melvin	...	Sideshow Man (uncredited)
Carolyn Stellar	...	Woman in the Mirror (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Mulligan

Writing credits
Tom Tryon		(screenplay) (as Thomas Tryon)
Tom Tryon		(novel "The Other") (as Thomas Tryon)

Produced by
Don Kranze	....	associate producer
Robert Mulligan	....	producer
Tom Tryon	....	executive producer (as Thomas Tryon)

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees		(as Robert L. Surtees)

Film Editing by
Folmar Blangsted
O. Nicholas Brown

Casting by
Alixe Gordin		(uncredited)
William J. Kenney		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Albert Brenner

Set Decoration by
Ruby R. Levitt		(as Ruby Levitt)

Costume Design by
Joanne Haas
Thomas Welsh		(as Tommy Welsh)

Makeup Department
Joe DiBella	....	makeup artist
Dorothy White	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bert Gold	....	assistant director
Don Kranze	....	assistant director
Mark Sandrich Jr.	....	assistant director (as Mark Sandrich)
John Barnwell	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ward Preston	....	assistant art director
Ragnar Antonsen	....	drapery swing gang (uncredited)
Barry Bedig	....	property master (uncredited)
Earl W. Huntoon Jr.	....	leadman (uncredited)
Clarence Fay Konkel	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Bill Parks	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Don J. Bassman	....	sound (as Don Bassman)
Jack Solomon	....	sound
Al Yaylian	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Barth	....	first assistant camera
James R. Connell	....	camera operator
Bud Gray	....	still photographer
Earl Kennedy	....	gaffer
Dan Lambert	....	key grip

Casting Department
Jim Riggs	....	local casting (uncredited)
Joanne Riggs	....	local casting (uncredited)

Music Department
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Aram Betkijian	....	transportation captain (uncredited)

Other crew
Ray Quiroz	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Arthur Riley	....	consultant (uncredited)
Estelle Schaffe	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Carl Skelton	....	location auditor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Benchmark
• Rem
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• CBS/Fox (video)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

108 min | 100 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (DVD rating) | UK:X (original rating) | France:-16 | USA:PG (Approved No. 23156)

Filming Locations:

Murphys, California, USA

Company:

Benchmark

Trivia:

In post-production, editing done to the film caused over half of Jerry Goldsmith's music to be left out. The soundtrack was finally available in 1997 along with The Mephisto Waltz (1971).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Niles is talking to his mother, she drops her flowers and Niles hops down to pick them up. When he does so his small can of Prince Albert pipe tobacco falls to the floor spilling the contents. However, it can be seen that the contents had already been placed before the can hits the floor.

Quotes:

Niles Perry:No, wait! I'm gonna figure it out!
Holland Perry:Yeah, how?
Niles Perry:I'll play the game on him!

Movie Connections:

References Naughty Marietta (1935)

A Pandora's Box... or a Tobacco Tin... Dare You Open It?

I'll admit it took me a while to get into this movie. Years, in fact. But I think it was Halloween of '07 when I finally realized just what a tremendous achievement it really is, not only in the horror genre, but in the world of cinema in general. The story of twin boys experiencing all sorts of bizarre happenings thanks to "the Great Game" their grandmother has taught them, "The Other" is subtle, quiet, creepy, (almost completely) well-acted, beautifully photographed, and elegantly scored. It's not outrageously frightening, like "The Exorcist," or darkly envisioned like "Halloween," but it works on the same level as "The Omen" in its simple plausibility, and 95% of the terror is purely psychological... the best kind. Uta Hagen and Diana Muldaur give great performances, and Robert Mulligan has atoned for any mistakes he has made (come on, admit it, you hated "To Kill a Mockingbird," too). It's just such a shame that it's so hard to find.