Last Embrace (1979)

Harry breaks down and loses his job after his wife is assassinated - could it be his turn next ?

Director:

Jonathan Demme

Writers:

Murray Teigh Bloom (novel), David Shaber (screenplay)

Stars:

Roy Scheider, Janet Margolin, John Glover

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roy Scheider	...	Harry Hannan
Janet Margolin	...	Ellie Fabian
John Glover	...	Richard Peabody
Sam Levene	...	Sam Urdell
Charles Napier	...	Dave Quittle
Christopher Walken	...	Eckart
Jacqueline Brookes	...	Dr. Coopersmith
David Margulies	...	Rabbi Josh Drexel
Andrew Duncan	...	Bernie Meckler
Marcia Rodd	...	Adrian
Gary Goetzman	...	Tour Guide (as Gary Getzman)
Lou Gilbert	...	Rabbi Jacobs
Mandy Patinkin	...	First Commuter
Max Wright	...	Second Commuter
Sandy McLeod	...	Dorothy Hannan

Storyline

When his wife is killed in a restaurant shoot-out, intelligence man Harry Hannan has a breakdown and finds that his department don't want him back. Someone's trying to kill him and it could be them, though a cryptic Jewish death-threat suggests there's something else going on. His only ally seems to be mousy Ellie Fabian who has managed to move into his New York apartment.

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Plot Keywords:

bathtub | agent | obsession | paranoia | murder | 

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Taglines:

They murdered his wife. His friends deserted him. His associates betrayed him. He thinks someone is trying to kill him. He's dead right.

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Genres:

Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 May 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Det sjette offer

Filming Locations:

Niagara Falls, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Taylor-Wigutow Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Sam translates the Hebrew name "Zvi Migdal" as "big tower". While "migdal" does mean "tower", the word "zvi" means "deer". And it would more properly be called Migdal Zvi, not Zvi Migdal.

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Quotes

Sam Urdell: This was the prime whorehouse of the East Side. A moment of reverence, please: fifty years ago, this was the very place I lost my cherry.

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Connections

References Psycho (1960)

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Soundtracks

"THE FORTIES"
Music by Miklós Rózsa (as Miklos Rozsa)
Arranged by Joe Reisman

User Reviews

Surprisingly Good,Cultish Hitchcockian Thriller

A very decent effort from director Jonathan Demme before he went on to better things,LAST EMBRACE is inevitably compared to the works of Alfred Hitchcock,with many scenes derivative from many of the master's most famous works(VERTIGO,THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH,STRANGERS ON A TRAIN,etc.),but this is actually an effective suspenser in it's own right,with an intriguing plot,good performances and an exciting finale.Roy Scheider plays a Secret Agent just released from care after suffering a breakdown after his wife was killed in a shootout in a restaurant.After finding a woman(Janet Margolin)who has moved into his flat,he begins to suspect someone is trying to kill him after sinister messages in Amharic keep turning up.

The film would've been more superior with more humour and better pacing,but nevertheless this isn't at all a bad Hitch imitation,with the bird imagery(a motif Hitchcock used frequently in his films)and a fine musical score by Miklos Rozsa(who had himself worked with Hitchcock on SPELLBOUND)adding to the atmosphere.The performances are fine,especially Ms Margolin,an undervalued and lovely actress who never quite made it to the top,making her character quite pitiable despite her actions.Her early death at the age of 50 in 1993 was indeed a sad loss for a film performer who deserved better.

LAST EMBRACE was made shortly before Hitchcock's death in 1980;one wonders did he ever see this film? If so,I think he would have quite enjoyed the homage on view,not great,but fairly respectful and entertaining.