The Last Waltz (1978)

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writer:

Mardik Martin (treatment)

Release Date:

26 April 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Tagline:

It Started as a Concert. It Became a Celebration. [original theatrical]

Plot:

A film account and presentation of the final concert of The Band.

Plot Keywords:

Band | Interview | Concert Film | Final Concert | Guitar

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

The Band	...	Themselves
Rick Danko	...	Himself - Bass & Violin & Vocal (as The Band)
Robbie Robertson	...	Himself - The Band: Lead Guitar & Vocal
Richard Manuel	...	Himself - Piano / Keyboards / Drums / Vocal (as The Band)
Levon Helm	...	Himself - Drums / Mandolin / Vocal (as The Band)
Garth Hudson	...	Himself - Organ / Accordion / Saxophone / Synthesizers (as The Band)
Eric Clapton	...	Himself - Performer
Neil Diamond	...	Himself - Performer
Bob Dylan	...	Himself - Performer
Joni Mitchell	...	Herself - Performer
Neil Young	...	Himself - Performer
Emmylou Harris	...	Herself - Performer
Ringo Starr	...	Himself - Performer
Paul Butterfield	...	Himself - Performer
Dr. John	...	Himself - Performer
Van Morrison	...	Himself - Performer
Ronnie Hawkins	...	Himself - Performer
The Staple Singers	...	Themselves - Performer (as The Staples)
Muddy Waters	...	Himself - Performer
Ron Wood	...	Himself - Performer
Michael McClure	...	Himself - Performer (as Michael Mc Clure)
Lawrence Ferlinghetti	...	Himself - Performer
Martin Scorsese	...	Himself - Interviewer
Jim Gordon	...	Himself - Performer
Tom Malone	...	Himself - Performer
Howard Johnson	...	Himself - Performer
Jerry Hey	...	Himself - Performer (as Jerry Hay)
Richard Cooper	...	Himself - Performer
Charlie Keagle	...	Himself - Performer
Larry Packer	...	Himself - Performer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Margolin	...	Himself - Playing Guitar with Muddy Waters
Bill Graham	...	Himself - At Edge of Stage (uncredited)
Robert Charles Guidry	...	Himself (uncredited)
Pinetop Perkins	...	Himself - Playing Piano with Muddy Waters (uncredited)
Carl Radle	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Martin Scorsese

Writing credits
Mardik Martin		(treatment)

Produced by
L.A. Johnson	....	line producer: concert
Frank Marshall	....	line producer: studio & documentary
Steven Prince	....	associate producer
Robbie Robertson	....	producer
Jonathan T. Taplin	....	executive producer (as Jonathan Taplin)
Joel Chernoff	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Michael Chapman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jan Roblee
Yeu-Bun Yee

Production Design by
Boris Leven

Set Decoration by
Anthony Mondell

Makeup Department
Jim Gillespie	....	makeup department head (uncredited)

Production Management
Mel Dellar	....	unit production manager (as Melvin D. Dellar)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jerry Grandey	....	first assistant director
Linda McMurray	....	second assistant director (as Linda Mc Murray)
James Quinn	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Jay Drevers	....	construction coordinator: FM Productions

Sound Department
Ed Anderson	....	chief technical engineer
Rick Ash	....	sound recording engineer
Andy Bloch	....	sound recording engineer
Neil Brody	....	sound recording engineer
Steve Gagné	....	sound: FM Productions (as Steve Gagne)
Bill Henderson	....	sound re-recording engineer
Stephen Katz	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby (as Steve Katz)
Tim Kramer	....	sound recording engineer
Paul Laune	....	sound effects editor
Jerry L. Levinson	....	assistant sound effects editor
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Elliot Mazer	....	sound recording engineer
Richard Oswald	....	sound effects editor (as Richard L. Oswald)
Art Rochester	....	sound recording engineer
Nelson Stoll	....	production sound mixer
Stuart Taylor	....	sound recording engineer
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jeremy Zatkin	....	sound recording engineer
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)
Jack Snyder	....	sound engineer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Dion Hatch	....	roto artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Delton Bass	....	lighting: FM Productions
Hans Baumgartner	....	first assistant camera
Dustin Blauvelt	....	first assistant camera
Gary Boren	....	first assistant camera
Bobby Byrne	....	additional director of photography
Ray De La Motte	....	camera operator (as Ray J. De La Motte)
Sean Doyle	....	camera operator
Cary Griffith	....	key grip (as Cary E. Griffith)
Tim Griffith	....	chief set electrician
Lawrence Gruenberg	....	first assistant camera
László Kovács	....	additional director of photography (as Laszlo Kovacs)
Bill Krattiger	....	gaffer (as William E. Kratiger)
Paul Marbury	....	assistant camera
Joe R. Marquette Jr.	....	camera operator (as Joe Marquette)
David Myers	....	additional director of photography
Hiro Narita	....	additional director of photography
Walter Nichols	....	gaffer
Steve Peterson	....	first assistant camera (as W. Steven Peterson)
Tony Rivetti	....	first assistant camera (as Anthony Rivetti)
Tibor Sands	....	first assistant camera
Fred Schuler	....	camera operator
George Stephenson	....	first assistant camera (as George Stevenson)
Ed Stewart	....	lighting: FM Productions
Don Stott	....	chief set electrician (as Don C. Stott)
Ted T. Sugura	....	first assistant camera (as Ted Sugiura)
John Toll	....	first assistant camera
Ron Vargas	....	first assistant camera (as Ronald Vargas)
Michael W. Watkins	....	additional director of photography (as Michael Watkins)
Vilmos Zsigmond	....	additional director of photography
Eric D. Andersen	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Selwyn Eddy	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Karen Hoenig	....	assistant editor (as Karen V. Hoenig)
Eric A. Sears	....	assistant editor (as Eric Sears)

Music Department
Baker Bigsby	....	music engineer/mixer
Richard Cooper	....	musician: horn
Rick Danko	....	composer: song "Life Is a Carnival"
Rob Fraboni	....	soundtrack production
Jim Gordon	....	musician: horn
Levon Helm	....	composer: song "Life Is a Carnival"
Jerry Hey	....	musician: horn (as Jerry Hay)
Howard Johnson	....	musician: horn
Charlie Keagle	....	musician: horn
Tom Malone	....	musician: horn
Sonny Olivera	....	music coordinator (as Sonny J. Olivera)
Larry Packer	....	musician: electric violin
Robert H. Raff	....	music editor
John Simon	....	music producer: concert music
Kenneth Wannberg	....	music editor (as Ken Wannberg)

Other crew
Zohn Artman	....	public relations: FM Productions
Peter Barsotti	....	production coordinator: FM Productions
Rock Brynner	....	road manager
Neil Canton	....	production assistant
Gerry Caskey	....	equipment manager (as Jerry Kasky)
Sandy Castle	....	road manager
Cliff Crumpler	....	equipment manager
Jeanne Field	....	assistant production coordinator
Dave Furano	....	administrative executive: FM Productions
Jamie C. Glauber	....	assistant: Mr. Scorsese
Bill Graham	....	concert producer
Barry Imhoff	....	guest coordinator
Barry Imhoff	....	logistics
Clayton Johnson	....	stage manager: FM Productions
Paul Kimatian	....	assistant production coordinator
Peter Knoop	....	production assistant
Sylvia Lovegren	....	production secretary
Gregory Malozzi	....	production coordinator: FM Productions
Mardik Martin	....	creative consultant
Ava Megna	....	assistant to producer
Dayle Michelle	....	production assistant
Dan Perri	....	title designer
Taylor Phelps	....	road manager
Ron Rapiel	....	production assistant
Hannah Scheel	....	script supervisor (as Hannah G. Scheel)
Danny Scher	....	administrative executive: FM Productions
Sally Stringer	....	script supervisor
Queenie Taylor	....	advertising: FM Productions
Susan Winslow	....	production assistant

Thanks
Lisa Altamirano	....	special thanks: featured dancer (as Lisa Mariea Altamirano)
David A. Braun	....	special thanks
Bob Cato	....	special thanks
Michael DeTemple	....	special thanks (as Michael De Temple)
Douglas Dilge	....	special thanks: The Film League Inc. (as Doug Dilg)
Marshall Gelfand	....	special thanks
Henry Glover	....	special thanks
Steven Gok	....	special thanks: featured dancer
Lance Grode	....	special thanks
Albert Grossman	....	special thanks
Connie Hayes	....	special thanks
Blaine Novak	....	special thanks: The Film League Inc.
Bob Oppenheim	....	special thanks
Mo Ostin	....	special thanks
Sara Owen	....	special thanks
Thomas Rarick	....	special thanks: Berkeley Promenade Orchestra
Tom Rashford	....	special thanks
Ken Regan	....	special thanks
Bill Rose	....	special thanks
Tom Ross	....	special thanks
Amy Sayres	....	special thanks: The Film League Inc.
Thelma Schoonmaker	....	special thanks
Russell Schwartz	....	special thanks: The Film League Inc.
Barry Siegel	....	special thanks
Paul Wasserman	....	special thanks
Mary Wilkinson	....	special thanks: The Film League Inc.

Production Companies

• FM Productions
• Last Waltz Inc.

Distributors

• Chapel Distribution (2002) (Australia) (theatrical) (new 35mm print re-issue)
• United Artists (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (2002) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Arista Records  "Sip the Wine" performed by Rick Danko courtesy of (as Arista Records Inc.)
• Enactron Truck  recorded by
• Filmways/Heider Recording  recorded by
• Goldwyn Studios  re-recorded by
• Lee Filters USA  color filters (as Lee Filters Ltd.)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios  production facilities
• Modern Film Effects  optical effects
• Norman's Rare Guitars  special thanks
• Panavision  camera equipment provided by
• Pattim Services  lighting equipment
• The Film League Inc.  special thanks
• Village Recorder, The  special thanks (as Village Recorder)
• Warner Bros. Records  soundtrack released by (as Warner Bros. Records and Tapes)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Middle English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:PG | Sweden:Btl | Finland:S (cut) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Netherlands:AL | UK:U | South Korea:12 | USA:PG (Approved No. 25097) | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

FM Productions

Trivia:

The infamous cocaine drop hanging from Neil Young's left nostril was airbrushed out by Martin Scorsese.

Goofs:

Continuity: During Garth Hudson's solo in the song "Stagefright", the entire song cuts forward approximately 25 seconds.

Quotes:

Richard Manuel:[describing how The Band got its name] Well, we were The Hawks.
Robbie Robertson:And everything was fine, we were sailing along, and all of a sudden, one day The Hawks meant something else altogether.
Richard Manuel:And it was right in the middle of that whole psychedelia. Chocolate Subway, Marshmallow Overcoat. Those kind of names, you know?
Robbie Robertson:When we were working with Bob Dylan and we moved to Woodstock, everybody referred to us as the band. He called us the band, our friends called us the band, our neighbors called us the band.
Richard Manuel:We started out with The Crackers. We tried to call ourselves The Honkies. Everybody kind of backed off from that. It was too straight. So we decided just to call ourselves The Band.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Robbie Robertson: Going Home (1995) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Caravan

Take a load off, Annie.

Either I'm getting older or the world's getting younger, but when a rock concert documentary film airs on TCM, there should be some sort of pause for a reality check. In a salute to WALTZ'S director Martin Scorsese, the film aired on TCM over the New Year's weekend. I hadn't seen it or thought about it in 25 years. And all I can say is that it hasn't lost any of its power. (And this from someone who's never been to a live rock concert.) The stars of the film- the all-purpose backup and touring band called 'The Band-' give a simple but enlightening insight to the mechanics of their 16 years on the road and how their Thanksgiving Day final concert in San Francisco turned into a revival-like celebration. Even though I grew up on jazz music more so than rock, I can fully appreciate The Band's intense, immense music background- influenced by everything from blues to country to folk music. As for the concert itself you have the likes of Neil Young, Ron Wood, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, and Dr. John (who gives a standout, honky-tonk performance of "Such A Night,") kickin' it on stage before it's all over. And if these live performances weren't enough, there are additional performances done on a sound stage with artists that weren't part of the live show woven into the 117-minute film: a fabulous folk/gospel jam session of the song "The Weight" teamed with the Staples Singers (lead by Mavis Staples, who sounds very Gladys Knight-like) and about thirty minutes later shifting gears into the lovely folk ballad "Evangeline," replete with fiddle, mandolin, and acoustic guitar from Emmylou Harris. Also cool is Muddy Waters bluesing on "Ain't that a Man," and the finale with all the artists of "I Shall Be Released." You just might be.