F.I.S.T (1978)

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:

Senator | Trade Union | 1930s | Investigation | Revenge

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
Jimmy Murphy	...	TV Reporter (as Jim Murphy)
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)
Fritz Ford	...	Cop (uncredited)
Bruce McGill	...	Hitman (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)
Graham V. Hartstone	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
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
Diamond Farnsworth	....	stunts (as Hill Farnsworth)
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)
T.G. Finkbinder	....	extra (uncredited)

Thanks
Robert Ray	....	thanks (as Governor Robert Ray)

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)
• United Artists (1978) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1983) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1986) (Greece) (VHS)
• Emerald (2012) (Argentina) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Magnetic Video (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• Soul Media (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Soul Media (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (video)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1987) (Finland) (TV) (TV2)

Other Companies

• Independent Casting  extra casting: Los Angeles

Also Known As:

Runtime:

145 min | UK:130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hungarian | Lithuanian | Latin | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | Norway:16 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 | Australia:PG | Argentina:18 (original rating) | Argentina:13 (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Attercliffe, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, UK

Company:

Chateau Productions

Trivia:

F.I.S.T stands for the "Federation of Inter State Truckers".

Quotes:

Babe Milano:Nobody's 100%... Nobody.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Master Ninja II (#4.24)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Rockin' Robin

"F.I.S.T." - The highpoint of Sylvester Stallone's career. A triumph. An under-rated classic and masterpiece. This is Sly's greatest film!

First of all, I just want to applaud Mr. Sylvester Stallone for appearing in this under-rated Hollywood classic "F.I.S.T." (1978) which is the kind of film that either Marlon Brando or Rock Hudson would have appeared in back in the day. Here we have Sly in a very serious role, a 2.5 hour epic about a factory worker who wishes better working conditions for his fellow factory men, and ultimately forms a union and becomes a very powerful Jimmy Hoffa-like figure of it.

This film in a way reminded me of Sly's "Rocky" co-star Burt Young's 1989 classic "Last Exit to Brooklyn." I wish Hollywood could have given Sly more of a chance to make more films like this in his career, instead of trash like "Tango and Cash" or "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot." This was a great script with a talented director at the helm (Norman Jewison). The fact that Sly had the support of Rod Steiger, Karl Malden, Peter Boyle, Melinda Dillon, and Brian Dennehy in the cast...this is the kind of cast you reserve for someone with the talent of Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, or Robert De Niro, but Sly actually got his shot at an epic masterpiece with "F.I.S.T."

Now, don't get me wrong here. Sly's Academy Award winning "Rocky" (1976) is a great film, but it is also a very commercial film that can easily be viewed by the masses. "Copland" also explored a serious subject matter, but it too was also a commercial film (If you think about it...). "F.I.S.T." to this day is Sly's only serious film that can actually rival that of Marlon Brando's "On the Waterfront." Growing up watching his 80's action films like "Cobra," "Rocky III," "Rocky IV," "Rambo: First Blood Part II," and "Rambo III," who knew Sly had it in him all along? Contrary to popular belief, Sly actually had "two shots" at greatness. One was the Academy Award winning "Rocky." The other is this under-rated epic classic "F.I.S.T." This film needs to be seen to be believed. This film without a doubt is Sylvester Stallone's greatest film of his long and illustrious Hollywood career. Way to go, Sly! :)

And looking over the credits, I just realized that Anthony Kiedis (the lead singer of "Red Hot Chili Peppers") had a brief scene as Sly's son sharing a family meal at the dinner table. This film is literally filled with great talent! :D If you blink, you will literally miss him...