F.I.S.T (1978)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Joe Eszterhas (story)
Joe Eszterhas (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 August 1978 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A love story between a man, a country, the people he led and the woman he loved.

Plot:

Johnny Kovak joins the Teamsters trade-union in a local chapter in the 1930s and works his way up in the organization...

Plot Keywords:

Trade Union | 1930s | Entire Title Is Capitalized Acronym | Acronym In Title | Labor

Cast

Sylvester Stallone	...	Johnny Kovak
Rod Steiger	...	Senator Madison
Peter Boyle	...	Max Graham
Melinda Dillon	...	Anna Zarinkas
David Huffman	...	Abe Belkin
Kevin Conway	...	Vince Doyle
Tony Lo Bianco	...	Babe Milano
Cassie Yates	...	Molly
Peter Donat	...	Arthur St. Clair
John Lehne	...	Mr. Gant
Henry Wilcoxon	...	Win Talbot
Richard Herd	...	Mike Monahan
Tony Mockus Jr.	...	Tom Higgins (as Tony Mockus)
Ken Kercheval	...	Bernie Marr
Elena Karam	...	Mrs. Zerinkas
Joe Tornatore	...	Angel
James Karen	...	Andrews
Stuart Gillard	...	Phil Talbot
Brian Dennehy	...	Frank Vasko
Sam Chew Jr.	...	Peter Jacobs (as Sam Chew)
Robert Lipton	...	Dave Roberts
John Bleifer	...	Mishka
Frank McRae	...	Lincoln Dombrowsky
Rozsika Halmos	...	Mrs. Kovak
Earl Montgomery	...	Russell Langley
Harry Basch	...	Network Announcer
Nada Rowand	...	Mrs. Vasko
Chuck Gradi	...	Jugovich aka Jugs
Alphonse Skerl	...	Priest (as Father Alphonse Skerl)
Reid Cruickshanks	...	McGuinn
Sidney Clute	...	Company Negotiator
M. Patrick Hughes	...	Jocko
Bill Zuckert	...	Delegate Bob
Martin Braddock	...	Attorney Negotiations
Barry Atwater	...	Milano's Attorney
Sandy Ward	...	The Man
Andy Romano	...	Man #1
Frank Whiteman	...	Gunman #3
Hugo Bolba	...	Zigi
Ron Delagardelle	...	Samuels
Robert Courtleigh	...	Congressman
Judson Pratt	...	Kovak's Attorney
David Greene	...	Senator
Jim Murphy	...	TV Reporter
René Le Vant	...	Newspaper Reporter
Tony Mendia	...	Michael Kovak
Anthony Kiedis	...	Kevin Kovak (as Cole Dammett)
Deonne Fator	...	Vasko's Daughter
Richard Dioguardi	...	Man #2
Tony Crupi	...	Gunman #1
Herman Poppe	...	Gunman #2
Frank Bongiorno	...	Italian Waiter
Antonio Canino	...	Maitre D
Michael Twaine	...	FBI Man #1 (as Michael Twain)
Walt Davis	...	FBI Man #2
Sam Woods	...	Another Delegate
James Jeter	...	Mike Quinn
Jack Slate	...	Bob Wilson
George Barrow	...	Trucker #1
Norman Rice	...	Trucker #2
Ed Call	...	Trucker #3
Russell Shannon	...	Abe's Man
Fil Formicola	...	The Man's Assistant
Brass Adams	...	Attorney
Eric Carlson	...	Worker
John R. Setard	...	Another Worker
John Bisenius	...	Radio Patrolman
Vincent Williams	...	Glove Factory Foreman
Joseph W. Schuver	...	Gas Station Attendant
Carl Vander Meulen	...	Police Captain
Charles McCarthy	...	Accordionist (as Charles R. McCarthy)
Ethel Kohler	...	Accordionist's Wife
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Bicksler	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
Luther Fear	...	Local union boss (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Jewison

Writing credits
Joe Eszterhas		(story)
Joe Eszterhas		(screenplay) and
Sylvester Stallone		(screenplay)

Produced by
Gene Corman	....	executive producer
Norman Jewison	....	producer
Patrick J. Palmer	....	associate producer (as Patrick Palmer)

Original Music by
Bill Conti

Cinematography by
László Kovács

Film Editing by
Graeme Clifford

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Production Design by
Richard Macdonald

Art Direction by
Angelo P. Graham		(as Angelo Graham)

Set Decoration by
George R. Nelson

Costume Design by
Anthea Sylbert

Makeup Department
Michael Germain	....	makeup artist (as Mike Germain)
Jean Burt Reilly	....	hair stylist
Michael Westmore	....	makeup artist (as Mike Westmore)

Production Management
Larry DeWaay	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Win Phelps	....	second assistant director
L. Andrew Stone	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Eugene Acker	....	construction painter (as Gene Acker)
Sam Gordon	....	property master
Roger Irvin	....	construction coordinator
Thomas L. Roysden	....	assistant set decorator
Bill Iiams	....	general foreman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Peter Horrocks	....	dubbing editor
Gordon K. McCallum	....	dubbing mixer
Kenneth Schwarz	....	boom operator (as Ken Schwarz)
Les Wiggins	....	dubbing editor
Charles M. Wilborn	....	production sound mixer (as Chuck Wilborn)
Nicolas Le Messurier	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John Burke	....	special effects

Stunts
Jimmy Casino	....	stunts
Bennie E. Dobbins	....	stunts (as Bennie Dobbins)
Dick Durock	....	stunts
Hill Farnsworth	....	stunts
Jerry Gatlin	....	stunts
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunts (as Orwin Harvey)
Loren Janes	....	stunts
Max Kleven	....	stunt coordinator
Walt La Rue	....	stunts
Dar Robinson	....	stunts
Bill Shannon	....	stunts
Bob Terhune	....	stunts
Greg Walker	....	stunts (as William Greg Walker)
Rock A. Walker	....	stunts (as Rock Walker)
Jack Williams	....	stunts
Henry Wills	....	stunts
Jerry Wills	....	stunts
Fred Carson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nick Dimitri	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richmond L. Aguilar	....	gaffer (as Rich Aguilar)
Romeo De Santis Jr.	....	best boy (as Romeo De Santis)
Neil Leifer	....	special photography
Leonard Lookabaugh	....	key grip (as Len Lookabaugh)
Morgan Renard	....	still photographer
Robert M. Stevens	....	camera operator (as Bob Stevens)
Joseph E. Thibo	....	camera technician (as Joe Thibo)
Stephen Wever	....	still photographer (as Steve Wever)

Casting Department
Tom Carnahan	....	extras casting: Iowa
Carolyn Doty	....	extras casting: Iowa

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Thalia Phillips	....	costumer: women
G. Tony Scarano	....	costumer: men (as Tony Scarano)

Editorial Department
Terry Busby	....	assistant editor
Antony Gibbs	....	supervising editor
Brian Mann	....	assistant editor
David A. Simmons	....	assistant editor (as David Simmons)
Chris Blunden	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Peter T. Myers	....	orchestrator (as Peter Myers)
Joe Tuley	....	music editor
Dan Wallin	....	music scoring mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Craig Pinkard	....	transportation captain
James Thornsberry	....	transportation coordinator (as Jim Thornsberry)
Joseph Smallwood	....	transportation coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Tom Andresen	....	location manager: Iowa
Joan Arnold	....	production coordinator
Wendell Baggett	....	assistant auditor
Dow Griffith	....	location manager: Los Angeles
Tony Meyer	....	special equipment
Charles Milhaupt	....	production assistant
Ted Mossman	....	second propman
Stuart Neumann	....	location manager: Washington D.C.
Julia Pascal	....	personal assistant to director
Dan Perri	....	title designer
John Rothwell	....	unit publicist
Carol Schreder	....	researcher
Chris Soldo	....	production assistant (as Christopher Soldo)
Ann Straley	....	production assistant
Carl Vander Meulen	....	police security
Ruth West	....	production auditor
Marshall J. Wolins	....	script supervisor (as Marshall Wolins)
Bill Iiams	....	general foreman (uncredited)

Thanks
Governor Robert Ray	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Chateau Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• United Artists Films (1978) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1978) (France) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (video)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1987) (Finland) (TV) (TV2)

Other Companies

• Independent Casting  extra casting: Los Angeles

Runtime:

145 min | UK:131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | Norway:16 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Attercliffe, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, UK

Company:

Chateau Productions

Trivia:

This movie is loosely based on Jimmy Hoffa's life.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Neues aus der Anstalt: (#2.2)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

A glimpse of what Sly could have been

This is a real hidden gem of a film. Thought provoking, intelligent and times indignant, without resorting to sentimentality.

Contrast this,with the commercially lucrative but artistically meaningless "Crash, Bang, Wallop" movies that Stallone became synonymous with in the 1980s.

Stallone can act when he wants to, and FIST amply demonstrates this wasted potential.

Based (very loosely) on the life of the Teamsters boss, Jimmy Hoffa, FIST charts the rise and fall of a Trade Union leader. A cautionary tale of how noble causes can be sullied by ambition and hubris.

I highly recommend it, if only to convince others that Stallone occasionally turned in a credible performance without the promise of a big pay day.