While this film was a low-budget Israeli-filmed drama that did not become a box office hit on its release in 1978, it has a legacy of launching several major Hollywood careers. This started when Walter Hill watched the movie because he wanted to see if her performance in this film (after she'd emerged on film radar for her work in "Annie Hall") was good enough for her be cast in the role of Ellen Ripley in the upcoming film ALIEN. While watching the film, Hill became very impressed with Michael Beck's work as the lead, and decided to make him the lead in another project that was about to starting filming: THE WARRIORS. And while F. Murray Abraham wasn't part of those projects, he also was noticed by producers and talent agents from his work in "Madman" and that moved his career forward greatly (he would win an Oscar for "Amadeus" only 5 years after filming his role here).