The Omen (1976)

Director:

Richard Donner

Writer:

David Seltzer (written by)

Release Date:

25 June 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

OUR FINAL WARNING.

Plot:

An American ambassador learns to his horror that his son is actually the literal Antichrist.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Ambassador | Stillborn Child | Hospital | Death

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Robert Thorn
Lee Remick	...	Katherine Thorn
David Warner	...	Jennings
Billie Whitelaw	...	Mrs. Baylock
Harvey Stephens	...	Damien
Patrick Troughton	...	Father Brennan
Martin Benson	...	Father Spiletto
Robert Rietty	...	Monk
Tommy Duggan	...	Priest
John Stride	...	The Psychiatrist
Anthony Nicholls	...	Dr. Becker
Holly Palance	...	Nanny
Roy Boyd	...	Reporter
Freda Dowie	...	Nun
Sheila Raynor	...	Mrs. Horton
Robert MacLeod	...	Horton
Bruce Boa	...	Thorn's Aide
Don Fellows	...	Thorn's Second Aide
Patrick McAlinney	...	Photographer
Dawn Perllman	...	Chambermaid
Nancy Mannigham	...	Nurse (as Nancy Manningham)
Miki Iveria	...	First Nun
Betty McDowall	...	American Secretary
Nicholas Campbell	...	Marine
Burnell Tucker	...	Secret Service Man
Ronald Leigh-Hunt	...	Gentleman at Rugby Match
Guglielmo Spoletini	...	Italian Taxi Driver
Ya'ackov Banai	...	Arab (as Yakov Banai)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harvey Bernhard	...	Man walking across street (uncredited)
Leo McKern	...	Carl Bugenhagen (uncredited)
Bill Reimbold	...	General (uncredited)
Christine Spooner	...	Funeral mourner (uncredited)
Damian John Spooner	...	Boy at top of slide (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Donner

Writing credits
David Seltzer		(written by)

Produced by
Harvey Bernhard	....	producer
Mace Neufeld	....	executive producer
Charles Orme	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Gilbert Taylor		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Stuart Baird

Casting by
Maude Spector

Art Direction by
Carmen Dillon

Makeup Department
Stuart Freeborn	....	chief makeup artist
Patricia McDermott	....	hairdresser (as Pat McDermott)

Production Management
Claude Hudson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steve Lanning	....	second assistant director
David Tomblin	....	assistant director
Stuart Baird	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
George Ball	....	property master
Tessa Davies	....	set dresser
Reg Richards	....	construction manager
George Richardson	....	assistant art director
John Chisholm	....	property master (uncredited)
Tom Jung	....	poster artist (uncredited)
Tom Jung	....	poster designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gordon Everett	....	sound recordist
Christopher Lancaster	....	dialogue editor (as Chris Lancaster)
Doug E. Turner	....	dubbing mixer (as Doug Turner)
Les Wiggins	....	dubbing editor
Charlie McFadden	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John Richardson	....	special effects
George Gibbs	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Roy Field	....	optical effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Alf Joint	....	stunt coordinator
Vic Armstrong	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alf Joint	....	stunt double: Lee Remick (uncredited)
Wendy Leech	....	stunt double: Holly Palance (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Gerry Anstiss	....	camera operator
Bob Penn	....	stillsman (as Robert Penn)
Ron Taberer	....	chief electrician
Peter Bloor	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tiny Nicholls	....	wardrobe supervisor (as G.W. Nicholls)

Editorial Department
Chris Ridsdale	....	assistant editor
Mark Nakamine	....	colorist (digital color correction) (uncredited)

Music Department
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Lionel Newman	....	conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
Carolee Danz	....	assistant to producer
Jeanne Ferber	....	production assistant/secretary
Judy Friesen	....	special assistant to director
Bernard Hanson	....	location manager
Robert Munger	....	religious adviser to producers
Elaine Schreyeck	....	continuity
Don Williams	....	religious adviser to producers (as Rev. Don Williams Ph.D)
Ben Woodgate	....	dogs owned and trained by
Joan Woodgate	....	dogs owned and trained by

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Productions (made by) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Productions Limited)
• Mace Neufeld Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1976) (USA) (theatrical) (released by) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)
• CBS/Fox Video (1984) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Fox Films (1976) (Finland) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (Brazil) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (Canada) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (198?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Encore Entertainment (1996) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• FS Film (2001) (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• FS Film (2006) (Finland) (DVD) (6-disc Omen: Ultimate Collector's Edition)
• Fox Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Fox Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Hollydan Works (1999) (Yugoslavia) (DVD)
• Magnetic Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1998) (2000) (2003) (Finland) (TV)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1979) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• R-Video (1980s) (Finland) (video)
• TV3 (1989) (Finland) (TV)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Ford Motor Company  automobiles furnished by courtesy of
• Music Centre, The  music recorded at (as the Music Centre, England)
• National Screen Service  titles (as National Screen Service Limited, London)
• De Lane Lea  re-recorded at (as De Lane Lea, London)
• Officers and Men of U.S. Marine Barracks, London, England, The  group cast members (as The Officers and Men of U.S. Marine Barracks, London, England)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

111 min | Germany:107 min (cut version)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | Latin | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:MA (25th anniversary special edition) | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:R | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1976) | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R (certificate #24560) | West Germany:16 | New Zealand:(Banned) (video release, 1989-1991) | New Zealand:R16 (1992 re-rating) | New Zealand:R18 (original rating) | Iceland:16 | UK:X (original rating) | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2006) | UK:18 (video rating) (1987) (1999) | Sweden:15 | Spain:18 | South Korea:15 | Canada:R (video rating) | Portugal:M/16 | UK:15 (tv rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Brazil:16 | Argentina:13 (re-rating) | Argentina:18 (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating: 30th anniversary edition) (2006) | UK:15 (video rating: special features, additional material) (2008) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1992) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2001)

Filming Locations:

All Saints Church, Fulham, London, England, UK

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

One of the films included in "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and how they got that way)" by Harry Medved and Randy Lowell.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The guide wire can be seen on the pole that falls from the church.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Father Spiletto:[voiceover] The child is dead. He breathed for a moment. Then he breathed no more. The child is dead. Dead. The child is dead.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in What a Girl Wants (2003)

Soundtrack:

The Piper Dreams

Classic Satanic schlock.

'The Omen' scared the bejesus out of me as a kid. Watching it again all these years later much of its impact has worn off, and yes, it has dated quite badly, but it's still a wonderfully entertaining movie, probably second only to Polanski's 'Rosemary's Baby' in the Satanic/apocalyptic genre. It definitely wipes the floor with recent pretenders like 'Lost Souls' and 'End Of Days'.

One of the reasons it still works is that the actors take the (sometimes silly) material so seriously. And when you have actors of the calibre of Gregory Peck and David Warner it certainly helps. Peck is utterly convincing as the Ambassador who doesn't want to believe the shocking facts staring him in the face, and Warner, who often found himself in second rate b-grade rubbish, obviously relished his role as the inquisitive reporter who helps convince Peck that things are not as normal as they seem. Along with Peckinpah's 'Cross Of Iron', one of his best roles. Lee Remick is strong as Damien's worried mother, Billie Whitelaw chilling as the mysterious governess, and Patrick Troughton ('Dr Who' #2) is very good as a dying priest who knows the truth about the Thorn's son.

Forget the sequels, 'The Omen' is classic Satanic schlock, and still has more than a few scares left in it. Essential viewing for fans of 70s horror.