"Salem's Lot" (1979) TV series

Director:

Tobe Hooper

Writers:

Stephen King (novel)
Paul Monash (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 November 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The ultimate in terror!

Plot:

Vampires are invading a small New England town. It's up to a novelist and a young horror fan to save it.

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Haunted House | Writer | Historical Fiction | Delivery

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination

Cast

David Soul	...	Ben Mears
James Mason	...	Richard K. Straker
Lance Kerwin	...	Mark Petrie
Bonnie Bedelia	...	Susan Norton
Lew Ayres	...	Jason Burke
Julie Cobb	...	Bonnie Sawyer
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Gordon 'Weasel' Phillips (as Elisha Cook)
George Dzundza	...	Cully Sawyer
Ed Flanders	...	Dr. Bill Norton
Clarissa Kaye-Mason	...	Majorie Glick (as Clarissa Kaye)
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Mike Ryerson
Barney McFadden	...	Ned Tibbets
Kenneth McMillan	...	Constable Parkins Gillespie
Fred Willard	...	Larry Crockett
Marie Windsor	...	Eva Miller
Barbara Babcock	...	June Petrie
Bonnie Bartlett	...	Ann Norton
Joshua Bryant	...	Ted Petrie
James Gallery	...	Father Donald Callahan
Robert Lussier	...	Deputy Constable Nolly Gardner
Brad Savage	...	Danny Glick
Ronnie Scribner	...	Ralphie Glick
Ned Wilson	...	Henry Glick
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Reggie Nalder	...	Kurt Barlow (1979) (1979) (uncredited)
Ernest Phillips	...	Royal Snow (uncredited)

Directed by
Tobe Hooper

Writing credits
Stephen King		(novel)
Paul Monash		(screenplay)

Produced by
Anna Cottle	....	associate producer
Richard Kobritz	....	producer
Stirling Silliphant	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Harry Sukman

Cinematography by
Jules Brenner		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Tom Pryor
Carroll Sax

Casting by
Vivian McRae

Production Design by
Mort Rabinowitz

Set Decoration by
Jerry Adams

Makeup Department
Bette Iverson	....	hair stylist
Ben Lane	....	makeup artist
Jack H. Young	....	special makeup effects

Production Management
Norman A. Cook	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lloyd Allen	....	first assistant director
John N. Whittle	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Mike Miner	....	property manager

Sound Department
Ron Clark	....	sound editor
Brian L. McCarty	....	boom operator
Richard Raguse	....	production sound
Jerry Jacobson	....	adr editor (uncredited)
David A. Whittaker	....	first assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Frank Torro	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Bud Heller	....	key grip
Ron Vargas	....	camera operator
Lawrence White	....	production grip
Paul Jacobsen	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Phyllis Garr	....	wardrobe
Barry Kellogg	....	costumer
Barry Kellogg	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Jay Alfred Smith	....	music editor (as Jay Smith)
Harry Sukman	....	conductor

Other crew
Morton Greenspoon	....	special eye contacts (as Dr. Morton Greenspoon)
Gene Kraft	....	title designer
Barry Wexler	....	crab dolly operator

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Television

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1979) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Succéfilm AB (Sweden) (theatrical)
• On Line Cinema (USA) (VHS) (as "Blood Thirst")
• Scanvideo (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (1989) (Japan) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (DVD) (also as "Salem's Lot: The Movie")
• Warner Home Video (USA) (VHS) (also as "Salem's Lot: The Movie")
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc) (also as "Salem's Lot: The Movie")

Also Known As:

"Salem's Lot: The Movie" - USA (cable TV title (cut version))

Runtime:

112 min | Argentina:115 min | Germany:103 min | UK:107 min (theatrical version) | USA:184 min (uncut version) | USA:183 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Iceland:16 | France:-12 (theatrical) | Italy:VM18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1995) (mini-series version) | UK:18 (original rating) (theatrical version) | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Eureka, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Television

Trivia:

The town sign featured in the film indicates that the population of Salem's Lot is 2,013.

Goofs:

Continuity: When they meet in the park, Susan tells Ben she is an art teacher at Holly Elementary, but when he meets her at school, the sign says "Holly Jr. High School."

Quotes:

Straker:The master wants you. Throw away your cross, face the master. Your faith against his faith... Could you do that? Is your faith enough?... Then do it... Throw away the cross. Face the master. Faith against faith.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

This is one of a handful of truly scary films

I was fourteen years old when this film was released, and it was really a shocker for its time. Although I can see the points raised by detractors of this film, nevertheless, it is, in my opinion, one of the most truly terrifying movies I have ever seen. The scenes in which first Ralphie and then Danny Glick appear in windows at night, scratching to be let in, were utterly horrifying, as were the scenes with Mike Ryerson in Jason Burke's guest bedroom ("Looooook at me ... I will see you sleep like the dead, teacher") and Marjorie Glick in the mortuary. Along with the original "Halloween," this is a film that really, really scared me, and I feel that a key element was the lack of gore (which is probably a disappointment to younger viewers used to explicit splatter). The nonverbal dialogue of expressions and actions, the music, and the significantly occurring silences resulted in the suspense which makes a film truly frightening in my opinion.

Having said this, I do feel that the book was much, much better than the movie, and I would recommend it as one of the best vampire stories ever written (sorry, Anne Rice, but it's true). But let's be fair and realistic. It's a rare film that excels the book on which it was based. Not one of Stephen King's wonderfully (and horribly) imaginative works has EVER been committed to film in a way that has equaled the written work. Never, ever, EVER. That is something that will just never happen. If it were possible, then nobody would bother to read his books, he would become a screenwriter, and that would be a real loss for the horror genre.