Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

Director:

Don Siegel

Writers:

J. Campbell Bruce (book)
Richard Tuggle (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 June 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

No one has ever escaped from Alcatraz... And no one ever will!

Plot:

A dramatization of the one possibly successful escape from the notorious prison.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Escape | Alcatraz | Convict | Island

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Frank Morris
Patrick McGoohan	...	Warden
Roberts Blossom	...	Doc
Jack Thibeau	...	Clarence Anglin
Fred Ward	...	John Anglin
Paul Benjamin	...	English
Larry Hankin	...	Charley Butts
Bruce M. Fischer	...	Wolf
Frank Ronzio	...	Litmus
Fred Stuthman	...	Johnson
David Cryer	...	Wagner
Madison Arnold	...	Zimmerman
Blair Burrows	...	Fight Guard
Bob Balhatchet	...	Medical Technical Assistant
Matthew Locricchio	...	Exam Guard (as Matthew J. Locricchio)
Don Michaelian	...	Beck
Ray K. Goman	...	Cellblock Captain
Jason Ronard	...	Bobs
Ed Vasgersian	...	Cranston
Ron Vernan	...	Stone
Regina Baff	...	Lucy (as Regie Baff)
Hank Brandt	...	Associate Warden
Candace Bowen	...	English's Daughter
Joe Miksak	...	Police Sgt. (as Joseph Miksak)
Stephen Bradley	...	Exam Guard
Garry Goodrow	...	Weston
Ross Reynolds	...	Helicopter Pilot
Al Dunlap	...	Visitors' Guard
Denis Berkfeldt	...	Guard
Jim Haynie	...	Guard
Tony Dario	...	Guard
Fritz Manes	...	Guard
Dana Derfus	...	Guard
Don Cummins	...	Guard
Gordon Handforth	...	Guard
John Scanlon	...	Guard
Don Watters	...	Guard
Dan Leegant	...	Guard
Joe Knowland	...	Guard (as Joseph Knowland)
James Collier	...	Guard
R.J. Ganzert	...	Guard
Robert Hirschfeld	...	Guard
Lloyd Nelson	...	Guard
George Orrison	...	Guard
Gary F. Warren	...	Guard
Joseph Whipp	...	Guard (as Joe Whipp)
Terry Wills	...	Guard
John Garabedian	...	Guard
Dale Alvarez	...	Inmate
Sheldon Feldner	...	Inmate
Danny Glover	...	Inmate
Carl Lumbly	...	Inmate
Patrick Valentino	...	Inmate
Gilbert Thomas Jr.	...	Inmate
Eugene Jackson	...	Inmate (as Eugene W. Jackson)

Directed by
Don Siegel		(as Donald Siegel)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
J. Campbell Bruce		book
Richard Tuggle		screenplay

Produced by
Robert Daley	....	executive producer
Fritz Manes	....	associate producer
Don Siegel	....	producer (as Donald Siegel)

Original Music by
Jerry Fielding

Cinematography by
Bruce Surtees

Film Editing by
Ferris Webster

Casting by
Marion Dougherty
Wallis Nicita

Production Design by
Allen E. Smith		(as Allen Smith)

Set Decoration by
Edward J. McDonald

Makeup Department
Joe McKinney	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jack Terry	....	unit production manager
Lindsley Parsons Jr.	....	executive production manager: Paramount (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Luigi Alfano	....	assistant director
Richard Graves	....	second assistant director
Mark Johnson	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Larry Clark Bird	....	property master (as Larry Bird)
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator
John Chapot	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Dale Haugo	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Tom Ivanjack	....	painter (uncredited)
Tom Ivanjack	....	set painter (uncredited)
Steven Kerlagon	....	set painter (uncredited)
Ralph Votaw	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bub Asman	....	sound effects editor
Bert Hallberg	....	sound mixer
Alan Robert Murray	....	sound effects editor
John T. Reitz	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects
David Domeyer	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Bergdahl	....	camera operator
Larry Flynn	....	best boy
Ron Grover	....	still photographer
Charles Holmes	....	gaffer (as Chuck Holmes)
Dennis Matsuda	....	camera assistant
Pat McGinnis	....	camera assistant (as Pat McGinness)
Rick Neff	....	camera operator
Gordon Paschal	....	camera assistant
Charles Saldana	....	key grip
Billy Walsh	....	camera assistant
Lawrence G. Yates	....	second grip
Kirk Bales	....	dolly grip (uncredited)
Bruce D. Spellman	....	second grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Glenn Wright	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Tim Board	....	assistant editor
Joel Cox	....	assistant editor

Music Department
June Edgerton	....	music editor
Gilbert Thomas Jr.	....	composer: song "D Block Blues"
Lennie Niehaus	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
H. William Miller	....	transportation co-captain (as Bill Miller)
Ray Mullen	....	transportation co-captain
John Reade	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Eudie Charnes	....	secretary to unit production manager
Betty Endo	....	secretary to producer
Don Henry	....	auditor
Gary Kalkin	....	unit publicist
Lloyd Nelson	....	script supervisor
Iris O'Reilly	....	secretary to the director
Carol Rydall	....	associate to Mr. Siegel
Carol Rydall	....	dialogue coach

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)
• Malpaso Company, The (as A Malpaso Company/Siegel Film)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CIC (1979) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• Cine Plus Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1981) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Paramount Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount (2006) (France) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Iceland:14 | UK:AA (1979) (cut) | Spain:13 | West Germany:12 (f) | New Zealand:PG | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1980) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The television show, "MythBusters" (2003) proved that this escape worked (or was at least plausible). They recreated the entire escape right down to using the same materials to which the cons had access. They even used the same type of raincoats from which the boat was made. They successfully crossed the bay and reached the shore in exactly the spot that the cons were supposed to have reached.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: On the boat ride over to the prison from San Francisco a radar unit can be seen spinning on top of the boat. That type of radar transponder wasn't developed until the mid 1970s. According to the information on screen, this took place in 1960.

Quotes:

Litmus: I'm Litmus. Like Litmus paper. When it gets cold, my face gets blue. And when it's hot, my face gets red.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Making of 'Tremors' (1998) (V)

Soundtrack:

D Block Blues

Interesting and underrated.

Some people complain that this movie is "boring." It's true it is very quiet and low-key, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. It has a distinct realistic feel to it, and it manages to be extremely suspenseful without using over-the-top action or an overblown soundtrack. There were several moments that actually had me on the edge of my seat.

Fans of Eastwood and McGoohan, who both give fantastic performances, should love this. Fans of prison movies should love this. Fans of suspense movies in general should love this. It is a top-notch movie with good performances all around, and I'd highly recommend it.

10/10 stars. Pure, solid entertainment.