Soylent Green (1973)

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Stanley R. Greenberg (screenplay)
Harry Harrison (novel)

Release Date:

9 May 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

What is the secret of Soylent Green?

Plot:

In an overpopulated futuristic Earth, a New York police detective finds himself marked for murder by government agents when he gets too close to a bizarre state secret involving the origins of a revolutionary and needed new foodstuff.

Plot Keywords:

Food | New York City | Murder | Police | Starving

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Detective Thorn
Leigh Taylor-Young	...	Shirl
Chuck Connors	...	Tab Fielding
Joseph Cotten	...	William R. Simonson
Brock Peters	...	Chief Hatcher
Paula Kelly	...	Martha
Edward G. Robinson	...	Sol Roth
Stephen Young	...	Gilbert
Mike Henry	...	Kulozik
Lincoln Kilpatrick	...	The Priest
Roy Jenson	...	Donovan
Leonard Stone	...	Charles
Whit Bissell	...	Gov. Santini
Celia Lovsky	...	The Exchange Leader
Dick Van Patten	...	Usher #1
Morgan Farley	...	Book #1
John Barclay	...	Book #2
Belle Mitchell	...	Book #3
Cyril Delevanti	...	Book #4
Forrest Wood	...	Attendant
Faith Quabius	...	Attendant
Jane Dulo	...	Mrs. Santini
Tim Herbert	...	Brady
John Dennis	...	Wagner
Jan Bradley	...	Bandana Woman
Carlos Romero	...	New Tenant
Pat Houtchens	...	Fat Guard
Joyce Williams	...	The Furniture Girls
Erica Hagen	...	The Furniture Girls
Beverly Gill	...	The Furniture Girls
Suesie Eejima	...	The Furniture Girls
Cheri Howell	...	The Furniture Girls
Kathy Silva	...	The Furniture Girls
Jennifer King	...	The Furniture Girls
Marion Charles	...	The Furniture Girls
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Ito	...	Shoe Seller (uncredited)
Ida Mae McKenzie	...	Woman Calling for Revolution (uncredited)
Richard Sterne	...	TV Announcer (uncredited)
Jeff Winkless	...	Suicide Parlor Attendant (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Fleischer

Writing credits
Stanley R. Greenberg		(screenplay)
Harry Harrison		(novel "Make Room! Make Room!")

Produced by
Walter Seltzer	....	producer
Russell Thacher	....	producer

Original Music by
Fred Myrow

Cinematography by
Richard H. Kline		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Samuel E. Beetley

Casting by
Jack Baur

Art Direction by
Edward C. Carfagno

Set Decoration by
Robert R. Benton		(as Robert Benton)

Costume Design by
Pat Barto

Makeup Department
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist
Sherry Wilson	....	hair styles

Production Management
Lloyd Anderson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gene Marum	....	second assistant director
Daniel McCauley	....	assistant director (as Daniel S. McCauley)

Art Department
Terry Ballard	....	property master

Sound Department
Harry W. Tetrick	....	sound
Charles M. Wilborn	....	sound
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Robert R. Hoag	....	special photographic effects
Augie Lohman	....	special visual effects (as A. J. Lohman)
Matthew Yuricich	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Denny Arnold	....	stunts (uncredited)
May Boss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunt double: Charlton Heston (uncredited)
Larry Duran	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Stephanie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tony Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fritz Ford	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ralph Garrett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kim Kahana	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Paul	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Warlock	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ted White	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Norman A. Burza	....	costumer (as Norman Burza)
Betsy Cox	....	costumer

Music Department
Gerald Fried	....	conductor: symphony music

Other crew
Frank R. Bowerman	....	technical consultant: Director of Environmental Engineering Programs, University of Southern California & President, American Academy of Environmental Engineers (as Professor Frank R. Bowerman)
Joe Canutt	....	action sequence coordinator
Charlsie Bryant	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Glenn Shahan	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presented by) (as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM-EMI (1973) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1974) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM/CBS Home Video (1981) (USA) (video)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM) (2008) (USA) (TV)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (????) (West Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1985) (Greece) (VHS)
• Vídeo Arte (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)

Other Companies

• Braverman Productions  special photographic sequences
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)
• MGM Home Entertainment  VHS package design
• Magnum  prologue photos

Also Known As:

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG | Finland:K-18 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | France:U | UK:15 (DVD rating) | UK:AA (original rating) | Iceland:16 | USA:TV-MA (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Sports Arena - 3939 S. Figueroa Street, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The video game in Simonson's apartment, "Computer Space", was one of the first coin-operated video games, manufactured by Nutting Associates in 1971 and designed by Nolan Bushnell, who later founded Atari and designed "Pong". The video game was painted white for the movie but the original color was either yellow, red or blue.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Thorn goes into the bedroom, the drink in his hand switches from a highball glass to a tumbler, then back to a highball glass.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Voice over PA:First stage removal. First stage removal. Streets prohibited to non-permits in one hour. Streets prohibited to non-permits in one hour.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Zak McKracken Between Time and Space (2008) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op.74: 'Pathetique': I. Adagio - Allegro non Troppo

A smart sci-fi with an engaging vision of the future

It is the year 2022 and nothing has changed even if things have gotten worse. New York City has become even more overpopulated and is just yet another city heaving in its own filth with countless "have-nots" fighting over sparse resources. Energy supplies are low, water is strictly controlled, living spaces are small and cramped and "real" food is a luxury reserved for the very rich. The masses do not have such luxuries and eat rationed supplies of high-nutrient processed foods from the Soylent Corporation. Detective Thorn is a "have-not" and just like everyone else is out to get what he can for himself and friend Sol Roth. Called to a burglary that became a murder, Thorn learns that the victim is a director at Soylent and suspects that all the curious thing about the crimes may be coming together to be far more than the work of some random thug.

Famous for its "shock" ending (which everyone must know and most people will guess) this film is actually more than just one scene and is actually an intelligent sci-fi detective story that has an engaging central story and a generally interesting vision of the future that is much more convincing than the one of Hollywood blockbusters and such. The investigation is solid but it is the world it happens within that is most interesting as we see a world where, surprise surprise, the poor people are left to make do while those better off can still enjoy the finer things while they remain. It is not an earth shattering view of the future but it is a convincing one and I enjoyed being in this story and seeing this world played out. Personally I bought it but it may help that I mistrust corporations anyway and believe that the poor will be the first to get shafted when anything bad happens, simply because they have less to work with.

The narrative is not the strongest though and in terms of it being a detective story it could have been better. Some viewers have complained about the lack of action, which I think is a pretty unfair accusation since it wasn't trying to be that type of film. The main characters are interesting. Thorn is a man of authority but he is just like everyone else, out to get what he can and takes advantage of others the first chance he gets. His relationship with Roth is not fully explained but it worked anyway and provided a touch of humanity. It helps that both actors did good jobs of it as well. Heston normally plays the gruff hero but here at least he allows the corruption within man's heart to come out. Robinson has less of a character but his performance is assured and is touching for reasons internal and external to the film. Support is not so good but it is less important in the smaller roles; Cotton is a nice find though.

Overall this is a famous film that is good but not without its faults. The narrative is reasonably interesting and carries the film all the way to a nice (but too well-known) conclusion but it is in the general vision of the future of a world where the people are struggling to get by with resources running low. A smart sci-fi that is well worth seeing.