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Midnight Express (1978) 7.6
The true story of Billy Hayes, an American college student who is caught smuggling drugs out of Turkey and thrown into prison. Director:Alan Parker |
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Brad Davis | ... | ||
| Irene Miracle | ... | ||
| Bo Hopkins | ... | ||
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Paolo Bonacelli | ... | |
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Paul L. Smith | ... |
Hamidou
(as Paul Smith)
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| Randy Quaid | ... | ||
| Norbert Weisser | ... | ||
| John Hurt | ... | ||
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Mike Kellin | ... | |
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Franco Diogene | ... | |
| Michael Ensign | ... | ||
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Gigi Ballista | ... | |
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Kevork Malikyan | ... | |
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Peter Jeffrey | ... | |
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Joe Zammit Cordina | ... | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
On October 6, 1970 while boarding an international flight out of Istanbul Airport, American Billy Hayes is caught attempting to smuggle 2 kilos of hashish out of the country, the drugs strapped to his body. He is told that he will be released if he cooperates with the authorities in identifying the person who actually sold him the hash. Billy's troubles really begin when after that assistance, he makes a run for it and is recaptured. He is initially sentenced to just over four years for possession, with no time for the more harsh crime of smuggling. The prison environment is inhospitable in every sense, with a sadistic prison guard named Hamidou ruling the prison, he who relishes the mental and physical torture he inflicts on the prisoners for whatever reason. Told to trust no one, Billy does befriend a few of the other inmates, namely fellow American Jimmy Booth (in for stealing two candlesticks from a church), a Swede named Erich, and one of the senior prisoners having already ... Written by Huggo
Taglines:
Busted for drugs and condemned to the nightmarish hell of a Turkish prison, there was only one escape [Australia Theatrical] See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Release Date:
6 October 1978 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Expreso de medianoche See more »Box Office
Budget:
$2,300,000 (estimated)Gross:
$35,000,000 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Eastmancolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
[Susan makes her way through a line at an airline checkpoint]
Susan: Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me.
[she reaches Billy in line]
Susan: Nervous?
Billy Hayes: No.
Susan: Geez, I hate flying.
Billy Hayes: It's something I ate. I think I've been poisoned.
Susan: Or you're just excited about getting home.
Billy Hayes: No, I think it's the baklavas.
[...]
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
According to his book, Brad Davis had a drug problem of his own while promoting this film. See more »Goofs
The Turkish spoken by the Turkish characters in the film is uniformly broken. The actors are obviously not Turkish; sometimes the language is so broken it is difficult for native speakers to understand what they are saying. See more »Quotes
[first lines][Susan makes her way through a line at an airline checkpoint]
Susan: Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me... Excuse me.
[she reaches Billy in line]
Susan: Nervous?
Billy Hayes: No.
Susan: Geez, I hate flying.
Billy Hayes: It's something I ate. I think I've been poisoned.
Susan: Or you're just excited about getting home.
Billy Hayes: No, I think it's the baklavas.
[...]
See more »
While this film is entertaining to watch and has its level of suspense at various points it is not a truly `true story' much of it according to the real Billy Hayes never happened and his eventual escape is very different from what is depicted in this motion picture. It also tends to demonize the nation of Turkey and presents a distorted view of its people. Is it possible to have sympathy for the main character? He was fully aware of what he was doing and knew the consequences should he be caught so sympathy is on an individual basis. You may have sympathy or may not.
A number of years ago a public service commercial narrated by actor Hal Holbrook frequently ran on Television, which told of Americans being held in foreign prisons. He spoke of one American held in a Turkish prison. Was it Billy Hayes? The commercial ends with the line `When you're busted for drugs over there you're in for the hassle of your life' That's the message this film was intended to send out irregardless if the events in it were true or fictionalized for dramatic purposes. As always purchase or rent a copy to see the uncut unedited version.