The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

Director:

Nicolas Roeg

Writers:

Paul Mayersberg
Walter Tevis (novel)

Release Date:

26 May 1976 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Drama

Tagline:

You have to believe it to see it

Plot:

Thomas Jerome Newton is a humanoid alien who comes to Earth to get water for his dying planet. He starts...

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Water | Dying Planet | Urinating In Fear | Red Pubic Hair

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

David Bowie	...	Thomas Jerome Newton
Rip Torn	...	Nathan Bryce
Candy Clark	...	Mary-Lou
Buck Henry	...	Oliver Farnsworth
Bernie Casey	...	Peters
Jackson D. Kane	...	Professor Canutti
Rick Riccardo	...	Trevor
Tony Mascia	...	Arthur
Linda Hutton	...	Elaine
Hilary Holland	...	Jill
Adrienne Larussa	...	Helen
Lilybelle Crawford	...	Jewelery Store Owner
Richard Breeding	...	Receptionist
Albert Nelson	...	Waiter
Peter Prouse	...	Peters' Associate
Jim Lovell	...	Himself (Commander of Apollo 13) (as Captain James Lovell)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Claudia Jennings	...	Peters' Wife (uncredited)
Debbie Letteau	...	Professor's (Nathan Bryce's) Daughter (uncredited)
Terry Southern	...	Reporter at space launch (uncredited)

Directed by
Nicolas Roeg

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paul Mayersberg
Walter Tevis		novel

Produced by
Michael Deeley	....	producer
Si Litvinoff	....	executive producer
John Peverall	....	associate producer
Barry Spikings	....	producer

Original Music by
John Phillips
Stomu Yamashta

Cinematography by
Anthony B. Richmond

Film Editing by
Graeme Clifford

Production Design by
Brian Eatwell

Set Decoration by
Simon Wakefield		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
May Routh

Makeup Department
Ellis Burman Jr.	....	special makeup effects artist
Linda DeVetta	....	makeup artist
Martin Samuel	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Roy Stevens	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kip Gowans	....	assistant director

Art Department
Ron Downing	....	stand-by prop
Tom Raeburn	....	property master (as Tommy Raeburn)

Sound Department
Alan Bell	....	dubbing editor
Desmond Briscoe	....	electronic sound effects
Richard Daniel	....	sound maintenance
Robin Gregory	....	sound recordist
Bob Jones	....	dubbing mixer
Colin Miller	....	dubbing editor
Terry Sharratt	....	boom operator
Michael Ellis	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Harrison Ellenshaw	....	special photographic effects (as P.S. Ellenshaw)

Stunts
Richard Graydon	....	stunt coordinator (as Dickie Graydon)
Matthew Norris	....	stunt double: David Bowie (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Martin Evans	....	gaffer
Gordon Hayman	....	camera operator
Harry Jackson	....	best boy
David James	....	still photographer
Derek Suter	....	electrician
Michael Thomas	....	electrician

Casting Department
Jeanne Swain	....	casting: New Mexico
Alan Swain	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ola Hudson	....	suits of Mr.Bowie
Mike Jarvis	....	wardrobe master
Janet Tebrooke	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Rodney Glenn	....	first assistant editor: film
Melinda Rees	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Duncan Lamont	....	composer: additional music
John Phillips	....	musical director

Other crew
David Cammell	....	initial development
Gregg Champion	....	production assistant
Terence Churcher	....	location manager
Marilyn Clarke	....	production coordinator
Ronald Cook	....	production accountant
Susanna Merry	....	continuity (as Sue Merry)

Production Companies

• British Lion Film Corporation
• Cinema 5

Distributors

• Cinema 5 Distributing (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment (1980) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Rialto Pictures (2011) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MTC Video (1987) (Greece) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV) (1988) (Finland) (TV)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• StudioCanal (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Thorn EMI Video (1980s) (Finland) (video)

Special Effects

• Camera Effects (special photographic effects)

Other Companies

• C.T.S. Studios  original music recorded at (as C.T.S. Studios, London)
• Houtsnede Maatschappij N.V.  copyright holder
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Production Systems Inc.  location facilities

Also Known As:

Runtime:

139 min | Sweden:119 min (cut version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:R | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-16 (1989) | Norway:18 (1976) | New Zealand:R18 | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | UK:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

Alamogordo, New Mexico, USA

Company:

British Lion Film Corporation

Trivia:

Originally intended as a vehicle for Peter O'Toole.

Goofs:

Continuity: Newton only touches the plate once and there's only one plate of cookies, but when they were in the air, we can see two completely different lifting moments.

Quotes:

Mary-Lou:What are they like, your children?
Thomas Jerome Newton:They're like children. Exactly like children...

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Brows Held High: The Man Who Fell to Earth (#1.12)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Rhumba Boogie

Bowie At His Best

So, you thought Alan Yentob's "Cracked Actor" or perhaps D.A. Pennebaker's "Ziggy Stardust: Motion Picture" was the perfect pictorial rendering of David Bowie and his life in the '70s?

Oh no!

It's in this, Nicolas Roeg's 1976 master-piece, the real Bowie reveals himself. The rock star's perfect in his interpretation of Thomas Jerome Newton, alien castaway turned resigned and bored capitalist super-star. Mainly because this was were Bowie were at in the mid-'70s. It's not acting. It's Bowie's mere presence. He was an earthling just as alien as his character.

"The Man Who Sold The World" is a rather depressing, and strange, tale of a man who comes to our planet to raise money to help his own world dying from drought. All he really want is to get home to his wife and kids on that doomed planet. But instead he falls for the mortal sins (sex, drugs, music, television).

The film's beautiful, sad, scary and somewhat pretentious. It's sci-fi when it's human.