The Lady in Red (1979)

Director:

Lewis Teague

Writer:

John Sayles (written by)

Release Date:

July 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

She's made of bullets, sin & bathtub gin!

Plot:

1930's gangster era film about Dillinger and his last girl. Written by John Sayles. |

Plot Keywords:

1930s | Gangster | Female Nudity | Murder | On The Run

Cast

Pamela Sue Martin	...	Polly Franklin
Robert Conrad	...	John Dillinger
Louise Fletcher	...	Anna Sage
Robert Hogan	...	Jake Lingle
Laurie Heineman	...	Rose Shimkus
Glenn Withrow	...	Eddie
Rod Gist	...	Pinetop
Peter Hobbs	...	Pops Geissler
Christopher Lloyd	...	Frognose
Dick Miller	...	Patek
Nancy Parsons	...	Tiny Alice (as Nancy Anne Parsons)
Alan Vint	...	Melvin Purvis
Milt Kogan	...	Preacher
Chip Fields	...	Satin
Buck Young	...	Hennessey
Phillip R. Allen	...	Elliot Ness
Ilene Kristen	...	Wynona
Joseph X. Flaherty	...	Frank
Terri Taylor	...	Mae
Peter Miller	...	Fritz
Mary Woronov	...	Woman Bankrobber
Jay Rasumny	...	Bill
Michael Cavanaugh	...	Undercover Cop
Arnie Moore	...	Trucker
John Guitz	...	Momo
Saul Krugman	...	Judge
Blackie Dammett	...	Immigration Officer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Forster	...	Turk (uncredited)
Kitten Natividad	...	Partygoer (uncredited)

Directed by
Lewis Teague

Writing credits
John Sayles		(written by)

Produced by
Julie Corman	....	producer
Steven Kovacs	....	co-producer
Steven Kovacs	....	co-producer
Roger Corman	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
James Horner

Cinematography by
Daniel Lacambre		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Larry Bock
Ron Medico
Lewis Teague

Casting by
Susan Arnold

Production Design by
Jac McAnelly

Art Direction by
Phil Thomas Jr.		(as Philip Thomas)

Set Decoration by
Keith Hein

Costume Design by
Danny Morgan
Pat Tonnema

Makeup Department
Dino Ganziano	....	hairdresser
Bari Roulette	....	makeup artist: Miss Martin (as Bari-Ellen Roulette)
Gigi Williams	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Costa Mantis	....	production manager: second unit
Caren Singer	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrick Crowley	....	second unit director (as Pat Crowley)
Frank Martinez	....	second assistant director
Gerald T. Olson	....	first assistant director
John Isabeau	....	trainee assistant director (uncredited)
Costa Mantis	....	first assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Art Department
Eric Butler	....	props
Bob Ziembicki	....	props
Lynda Burbank	....	set dresser (uncredited)
J. Rae Fox	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rhonda Baer	....	boom operator
Anthony Santa Croce	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Bill Balles	....	special effects

Stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunt coordinator (as Bruce Barbour)
Norman Blankenship	....	stunts
Mickey Caruso	....	stunts
David S. Cass Sr.	....	stunts (as Dave Cass)
Dottie Catching	....	stunts
Roger Creed	....	stunts
Vince Deadrick Sr.	....	stunts (as Vincent Deadrick Sr.)
Diamond Farnsworth	....	stunts (as Hill Farnsworth)
Kay Kimler	....	stunts
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt coordinator (as Conrad Palmisano)
Mary Peters	....	stunts
Diane Peterson	....	stunts
Rick Seaman	....	stunts
C.D. Smith	....	stunts
Jerry Summers	....	stunts
Rock A. Walker	....	stunts
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt double: Nancy Parsons
Jesse Wayne	....	stunts
Harry Wowchuk	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Elliott	....	assistant camera
Robert K. Feldmann	....	key grip (as Robert Feldman)
Steven Finestone	....	assistant camera
Wiley Fox	....	gaffer
Ron Quilici	....	still photographer
Peter Smokler	....	director of photography: second unit

Casting Department
Paul Ventura	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Danny Morgan	....	costumer: men
Pat Tonnema	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
Mark Helfrich	....	assistant editor
Bill Williams	....	assistant editor

Music Department
James Horner	....	music adaptor
Miles Kreuger	....	music consultant
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer

Other crew
Laurie Cohn	....	script supervisor (as Laurie M. Cohn)
Carol Culver	....	choreographer
Barbara Martinelli	....	script supervisor: second unit
Lucia Schultz	....	production coordinator
Charles Skouras III	....	location manager
Alan Toomayan	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• New World Pictures

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Les Films Jacques Leitienne (1983) (France) (theatrical)
• New World-Mutual (1979) (Canada) (theatrical)
• New Concorde Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• New Concorde Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Shout! Factory (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Vestron Video

Other Companies

• J's Fine Art & Provision Co.  sound effects
• Ryder Sound Services  re-recording
• Jack Rabin & Associates  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

"Guns, Sin and Bathtub Gin" - USA (reissue title)
"Touch Me and Die" - USA (reissue title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:-12 | Norway:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New World Pictures

Trivia:

The set for the whorehouse was laced with Christmas lights on the ceiling.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: The restroom scene where Frognose pulls up his suspenders the straps snap and the sound don't match.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Polly Franklin:In the heart of little old New York, You'll find a thoroughfare. It's the part of little old New York That runs into Times Square. A crazy quilt that "Wall Street Jack" built, If you've got a little time to spare, I want to take you there. Come and meet those dancing feet, On the avenue I'm taking you to, Forty-Second Street.

Movie Connections:

References King Kong (1933)

Soundtrack:

Ain't She Sweet

Fun, Thrills, and Wholesale Cheese

Clearly a product of the Corman School, Sayles's first major screenplay shows that he already knew how to tell a great story from an interesting angle, something he has never forgotten how to do.

Director Teague keeps the pace rattling along, and hammers the message home fast (he was an occasional assistant to Sam Fuller, of course).

The plot's quite straightforward, and all the better so - this packs something of the punch of the 30's classic gangster films, but with distinctly 70's sensibilities to violence.

Where the film becomes more interesting than your average low-budget 'gangster-exploiter', however, is in the telling of the story through her eyes, rather than his (a distinctly 70's approach). Yet it's wonderfully ambiguous, on reflection, as to whether the film champions her willingness to break away and start acting for herself (she's a great strong character), or whether she just goes from one woman in peril situation to the other (which is the plot, basically).

I've probably over-analyzed it already, but if you've got a spare hour and a half on your hands, give it a chance. A classic of its kind.