Avalanche Express (1979)

User Rating:

4.5/10   

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

Colin Forbes (novel)
Abraham Polonsky (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 October 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

The Fast Track For All-Star Adventure.

Plot:

When a senior Russian official, Gen. Marenkov, decides to defect to the west, CIA agent Harry Wargrave is sent to lead the team to get him out...

Plot Keywords:

Russian | Train | Europe | Avalanche | CIA Agent

Cast

Lee Marvin	...	Col. Harry Wargrave
Robert Shaw	...	General Marenkov
Linda Evans	...	Elsa Lang
Maximilian Schell	...	Nikolai Bunin
Joe Namath	...	Leroy
Horst Buchholz	...	Scholten (as Horst Bucholz)
Mike Connors	...	Haller
Claudio Cassinelli	...	Molinari
Kristina Nel	...	Helga Mann
David Hess	...	Geiger
Günter Meisner	...	Muehler (as Günter Meissner)
Sylva Langova	...	Olga (as Sylvia Langova)
Cyril Shaps	...	Sedov
Vladek Sheybal	...	Zannbin (as Vladets Shebal)
Arthur Brauss	...	Neckerman

Runtime:

Ireland:88 min | UK:85 min | USA:88 min

Country:

USA | Ireland

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1979) | Finland:K-16 (1989) | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | UK:PG | USA:PG

Company:

Lorimar Productions (Ireland) Ltd.

Trivia:

Lee Marvin who stars in the movie is mentioned in the novel the movie is based on.

A Big Disapointment

I am a big Robert Shaw fan. I was very sad when I heard that he died at a very young age of 52. So when I learned that he made two films before he died, I looked foward to seeing them, so I could spend some more time with that great acting talent. The first "Force 10 From Navarone" was a fun adventure film with Shaw still at the top of his game the second was "Avalanche Express"

It came out some 14 months after he died, and I went quickley to my local movie theater to see it. Imagine my disapointment when I first heard him speak and realised that majestic voice was dubbed. It hurt alot that I would not hear that wonderful voice for the next 88 minutes. The voice didn't sound anything remotely like him.

As for the film itself, what can I say about a film where Joe Namath givves the best acting performance. As the other review says, if you love watching bad movies this is the film for you. The biggest laugh is at the end where the Robert Shaw character is singing a sad Russian song (Another sadness as I wouldn't hear Shaw's own wondeful singing voice_ and then the film cuts to an exterior shot of the airplane and while the "Shaw" voice is still sing he is joined by the croaking silver tomes of Lee Marvin. Who could ever forget his rendition of "Wandering Star"in "Paint Your Wagon". What was to be a pogniant moment was turned in to a laughfest instead. I left the theater wishing I followed the ushers advice as saw Meteor instead.