Logan's Run (1976)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writers:

William F. Nolan (novel) &
George Clayton Johnson (novel) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 June 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Welcome to the 23rd Century

Plot:

An idyllic sci-fi future has one major drawback: life must end at 30.

Plot Keywords:

Runner | Sanctuary | Domed City | Sandman | Escape

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Michael York	...	Logan
Richard Jordan	...	Francis
Jenny Agutter	...	Jessica 6
Roscoe Lee Browne	...	Box
Farrah Fawcett	...	Holly (as Farrah Fawcett-Majors)
Michael Anderson Jr.	...	Doc
Peter Ustinov	...	Old Man
Randolph Roberts	...	2nd Sanctuary Man
Lara Lindsay	...	The Woman Runner
Gary Morgan	...	Billy
Michelle Stacy	...	Mary 2
Laura Hippe	...	Woman Customer
David Westberg	...	Sandman
Camilla Carr	...	Sanctuary Woman
Greg Lewis	...	Cub (as Gregg Lewis)
Ashley Cox	...	Timid Girl
Bill Couch	...	Sandman
Glenn R. Wilder	...	Great Hall Runner (as Glen Wilder)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Denny Arnold	...	1st Runner (scenes deleted)
Joe L. Blevins	...	Last Day character (uncredited)
Roger Borden	...	Sandman Daniel (uncredited)
Dick DeCoit	...	(uncredited)
Chuck Gaylord	...	Cub (uncredited)
Mitchell Gaylord	...	Cub (uncredited)
Johnny Haymer	...	(uncredited)
Richard Kelton	...	Sanctuary Man (voice) (uncredited)
Jessie Kirby	...	Confused City Dweller (uncredited)
Greg Michaels	...	3rd Sanctuary Man / Ambush Man (uncredited)
Bob Neill	...	1st Sanctuary Man (uncredited)
Candice Rialson	...	1st Screamer in Logan's apartment (uncredited)
Johnny Timko	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Anderson

Writing credits
William F. Nolan		novel "Logan's Run" &
George Clayton Johnson		novel "Logan's Run" and
T.S. Eliot		book "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats"
David Zelag Goodman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Hugh Benson	....	associate producer
Saul David	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Ernest Laszlo		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Bob Wyman

Casting by
Jack Baur

Production Design by
Dale Hennesy		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Dale Hennesy

Set Decoration by
Robert De Vestel

Costume Design by
Bill Thomas

Makeup Department
Judith A. Cory	....	hair stylist (as Judy Alexander Corey)
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Byron Roberts	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alan Brimfeld	....	second assistant director (as Alan H. Brimfield)
Win Phelps	....	second assistant director
David Silver	....	assistant director
John Slosser	....	second second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Jack M. Marino	....	property master
Charles Sertin	....	property assistant
William Cruse	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jerry Jost	....	sound
William L. McCaughey	....	sound (as William McCaughey)
John Riordan	....	sound editor (as John P. Riordan)
Aaron Rochin	....	sound
Harry W. Tetrick	....	sound
Stephen Katz	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Glen Robinson	....	special effects
Jay King	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Terry W. King	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Wayne Rose	....	special effects (uncredited)
Matthew Yuricich	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special visual effects designer
Jim Liles	....	optical supervisor
Frank Van der Veer	....	additional visuals
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte painter

Stunts
Bill Couch	....	stunt coordinator
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunt coordinator (as Glen Wilder)
Phil Adams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Craig R. Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)
May Boss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dottie Catching	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Couch Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paula Crist	....	stunts (uncredited)
Pepper Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paula Dell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Angelo De Meo	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wayne Dillard	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Donna Garrett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Gaylord	....	stunts (uncredited)
Barbara Graham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunts (uncredited)
Whitey Hughes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rosemary Johnston	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dawn Landing	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carole Navarro	....	stunts (uncredited)
Beth Nufer	....	stunts (uncredited)
Regina Parton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alex Plasschaert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fluir Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walter Robles	....	stunts (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lori Thomas	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mike Washlake	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sunny Woods	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Ziker	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Martin Kashuk	....	key grip (as Martin G. Kashuk)
Don Stott	....	chief set electrician
Ron Anderson	....	electrician (uncredited)
Doug Byers	....	electrician (uncredited)
Scott Hamilton	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Mike Redding	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Gary Stark	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Richard Butz	....	wardrobe (as Dick Butz)
Edna Taylor	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Freeman A. Davies	....	associate film editor (as Freeman Davies Jr.)
Chuck Ellison	....	assistant film editor (as Charles G. Ellison)

Music Department
Harry V. Lojewski	....	music supervisor
William Saracino	....	music editor
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Leon Charles	....	dialogue coach
Lara Lindsay	....	assistant to producer
Don Morgan	....	unit publicist
Christopher Outwater	....	laser consultant
Ray Quiroz	....	script supervisor
Larry Robinson	....	assistant: L.B. Abbott
Richard Vetter	....	consultant: Todd-AO
Stefan Wenta	....	choreographer

Thanks
Diane Booker	....	thanks: executive director, Texas Film Commission
W.E. Cooper	....	thanks: president, Dallas Market Center

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1977) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1977) (USA) (TV)
• MGM Home Entertainment (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Kenworthy / Nettman Snorkel Camera, The  camera systems (as Kenworthy Snorkel Camera Systems)
• Texas Film Commission  thanks
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals
• Multiplex Co.  holograms

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Stereo (with Dolby noise reduction) (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | West Germany:12 | Italy:T | Australia:G (alternate rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | USA:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | UK:A (original rating) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The waterfalls and steps that Logan jumps into to get back into the dome are real. This is the "active pool" of the Water Gardens located in Ft. Worth, Texas. The main pool used to be 9 feet deep, but after four people drowned there in 2004 (near the spot where Logan and Jessica dove in) the pool was closed. When it reopened in 2007, the depth had been reduced to 2 feet.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Early on, when Logan fires at the male red runner standing under the archway you can see pyrotechnic special effects props in position on the paved walkway.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Logan: [tapping on a glass window of maternity room] Wake up.
Francis 7: Logan, you are here. I couldn't believe it when they told me. What are you doing?
Logan: [indicates baby] Logan 6. Well it's not everyday that they authorize a new sandman. I tell you Francis,
[indicating baby]
Logan: that's him.
Francis 7: Well maybe, maybe not. What does it matter? Anyway, he isn't yours anymore.
Logan: [continues tapping lightly on the glass]
Francis 7: All right, you want me to wake him?
[bangs loudly on the glass with his baton]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "South Park: The Wacky Molestation Adventure (#4.16)" (2000)

Dated, a bit silly, but still fun

I was twelve when Logan's Run came out and I thought that it was the best thing since sliced bread. It blew me away. So when I picked it up recently on DVD and watched it for the first time in twenty-eight years I was wondering how it would fare after all this time.

Well, not too badly. Many of the IMDb reviewers of Logan's Run hit the nail on the head when they say that this film is definitely a product of its time. Yes, the special effects are sort of laughable now (the teeny tiny maze cars zipping through the a model of the city that looks about six inches tall), but you have to judge those sorts of things in the context of the time they were made. As strange as it may seem to people who now expect Lord of the Rings-quality special effects, Logan's Run was cutting edge in its day. And a few of the special effects still stand up fairly well. The light envelope that comes down over the Carousel or the matte shots of Washington. Not great for twenty-first century film-making, but a minor miracle for 1976.

The story has more holes than a piece of swiss cheese and the acting is a bit touch and go, but that doesn't get in the way of a fairly entertaining movie. Seeing the movie all these years later I suppose the few moments of bad acting hit me more than anything else. As a kid I thought that Peter Ustinov's old man was brilliant, but now it just seems like awkward overacting. Which isn't to say that his character isn't somewhat endearing.

Michael York, a really wonderful actor, misses the mark a few times, but generally he and Jenny Agutter do a fine job.

Listen, this isn't a brilliant movie, but it does have its moments. Most science fiction movies made in the 1970s haven't endured the test of time especially well. With the purple mascara, pastel-coloured costumes and hair feathered like a great phoenix. But all in all I still found Logan's Run to be an entertaining and enjoyable trip back to the strange world of 1976.