The Changeling (1980)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Peter Medak

Writers:

Russell Hunter (story)
William Gray (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

28 March 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

"How did you die, Joseph...? Did you die in this house...? Why do you remain...?"

Plot:

A man staying at a secluded historical mansion, finds his life being haunted by the presence of a spectre.

Plot Keywords:

House | Mansion | Composer | Ghost | Research

Awards:

10 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

George C. Scott	...	John Russell
Trish Van Devere	...	Claire Norman
Melvyn Douglas	...	Sen. Joseph Carmichael
Jean Marsh	...	Joanna Russell
John Colicos	...	De Witt
Barry Morse	...	Doctor Pemberton
Madeleine Sherwood	...	Mrs. Norman (as Madeleine Thornton-Sherwood)
Helen Burns	...	Leah Harmon
Frances Hyland	...	Elizabeth Grey
Ruth Springford	...	Minnie Huxley
Eric Christmas	...	Albert Harmon
Roberta Maxwell	...	Eva Lingstrom
Bernard Behrens	...	Prof. Robert Lingstrom
James B. Douglas	...	Eugene Carmichael
J. Kenneth Campbell	...	Security guard
C.M. Campel	...	Mr. Tuttle
Voldi Way	...	Joseph Carmichael
Michelle Martin	...	Kathy Russell
Janne Mortil	...	Linda Grey
Terence Kelly	...	Sgt. Durban
Robert Monroe	...	Archives clerk
Hagan Beggs	...	Coroner
Anna Hagan	...	Secretary
Antonia Rey	...	Estancia
Sammy Smith	...	Stan (the doorman)
Paul Rothery	...	Terry Grey
Bruce MacLeod	...	Security guard
Fred Latremouille	...	Airport guard
David Peevers	...	Microfilm clerk
Sera Johnstone	...	Sarah Lingstrom
Adam Earle	...	Adam Lingstrom
Carl Boychuk	...	Music student
Bryan King	...	Music student
Susan Round	...	Music student
Nicki Steida	...	Music student
Randolph Blankinship	...	Pilot
Travis Major	...	Pilot
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Louis Zorich	...	Stewart Adler
Wayne McLaughlin	...	Orchestra member (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Medak

Writing credits
Russell Hunter		(story)
William Gray		(writer) &
Diana Maddox		(writer)

Produced by
Garth H. Drabinsky	....	producer
Mario Kassar	....	executive producer
Joel B. Michaels	....	producer
Andrew G. Vajna	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Rick Wilkins

Cinematography by
John Coquillon

Film Editing by
Lilla Pedersen

Casting by
Barbara Claman
Geri Windsor

Production Design by
Trevor Williams

Art Direction by
Reuben Freed

Set Decoration by
Keith Pepper

Costume Design by
Roberta Weiner

Makeup Department
Del Acevedo	....	makeup artist: Mr. Scott
Salli Bailey	....	hair stylist
Ken Brooke	....	makeup artist: Ms. Van Devere
Linda A. Brown	....	makeup artist (as Linda Brown)
Roberto Fernández	....	hair stylist: Ms. Van Devere
Renate Leuschner	....	hair stylist: Ms. Van Devere

Production Management
George Margellos	....	assistant production manager
James Margellos	....	production manager
Paul L. Tucker	....	production manager: second unit

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Frame	....	third assistant director (as Frederick Frame)
Fiona Jackson	....	second assistant director
Irby Smith	....	first assistant director

Art Department
John 'Frenchie' Berger	....	property master
Ken Chang	....	construction supervisor
J. Hipman Chow	....	assistant property master
Charles Dunlop	....	draftsman
Steve Shewchuk	....	assistant set decorator
James T. Woods	....	scenic artist (as James Woods)

Sound Department
Dennis Drummond	....	sound effects
Patrick Drummond	....	sound effects
Robert Grieve	....	sound effects
Austin Grimaldi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joe Grimaldi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Herb Heritage	....	boom operator
Dino Pigat	....	sound re-recording mixer
James Pilcher	....	sound mixer
Karl Scherer	....	sound mixer
Gary C. Bourgeois	....	foley mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Michael Clifford	....	special effects assistant
Gene Grigg	....	special effects coordinator
Barry Madden	....	special effects assistant
William H. Orr	....	special effects assistant (as William Orr)

Stunts
Max Kleven	....	stunt coordinator
Alex Green	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Abram	....	grip
Rick Allen	....	best boy
David R. Anderson	....	gaffer (as Dave Anderson)
Eric Anderson	....	camera operator: second unit
Arthur Collier	....	best boy
James R. Connell	....	camera operator
Ron Gillham	....	dolly grip
Ivan Hawkes	....	electrician
Frank Heeney	....	gaffer
Phil Hersee	....	still photographer
Michael Marce	....	generator operator
Rod Parkhurst	....	camera operator
Fred Ransom	....	grip
Thom Ryan	....	first assistant camera
John W. Scott	....	grip
Brenton Spencer	....	second assistant camera
Joseph F. Valentine	....	camera operator
Ted Voigtlander	....	director of photography: second unit
Frederick Wharton	....	grip
Al White	....	key grip (as Alan White)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Maureen Hiscox	....	wardrobe
Kerry Holmes	....	wardrobe
G. Tony Scarano	....	wardrobe
Albert Wolsky	....	wardrobe: Ms. Van Devere

Editorial Department
Lou Lombardo	....	supervising editor
Paul Rubell	....	assistant editor
Mitchell Sinoway	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Howard Blake	....	music box theme
Leonard A. Engel	....	music re-recording mixer (as Len Engel)
John R. Harris	....	music editor
Kenneth Wannberg	....	music arranger
Albert Woodbury	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Scott Irvine	....	driver captain

Other crew
Raymond Bayliss	....	seance technical advisor
Tom Braidwood	....	production assistant
Melinda Coffey	....	consultant pianist
Al Ebner	....	unit publicist
Mel Epstein	....	completion services
Lynda Friendly	....	publicist: Canada
Catherine Howard	....	secretary
Rondi Johnson	....	location manager
Rod Laxton	....	craft service
Margaret Livingston	....	production secretary
Suzanne Lore	....	production coordinator
Heather McIntosh	....	location auditor
Wayne McLaughlin	....	production assistant
Sandra Palmer	....	accountant
Christine Pittel	....	assistant to producers
Kimberley Richardson	....	production assistant
Pattie Robertson	....	script supervisor
Lorraine Valentine	....	accountant
Mahoney Wasserman	....	publicist
James R. Westwell	....	production controller

Production Companies

• Chessman Park Productions
• Tiberius Film Productions

Distributors

• Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (1980) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Associated Film Distribution (AFD) (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1980) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Adams Filmi (1980) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Aster Films (1980) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Brent Walker Film Distributing (198?) (UK) (theatrical)
• Prodis (1981) (France) (theatrical) (as S. N. Prodis)
• Fil à Film (1990) (France) (VHS)
• H.O.M. Vision (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• M. Nyström (????) (Finland) (video)
• Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1984) (USA) (TV)
• T:mi Pekka Pietislä (????) (Finland) (video)
• Vestron Video (1985) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (1982) (USA) (VHS)
• Videofirma Makuuni (????) (Finland) (video)
• Viza Video (????) (France) (VHS)

Also Known As:

L'enfant du diable (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Argentina:13 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Sweden:15 | West Germany:18 (video rating) | South Africa:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | West Germany:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1980) | USA:R (certificate #25883) | Singapore:PG | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Boeing Field - 7149 Perimeter Road, Seattle, Washington, USA

Company:

Chessman Park Productions

Trivia:

French censorship certificate: -13.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the second part of the séance when the metal flute object is in the center of the table, the camera's point of view descends the staircase and walks into the room. The shadow of the camera operator is visible on the floor to the left, just after entering the room.

Quotes:

John Russell: [to Senator Carmichael] You're the beneficiary of the worst kind of murder... murder for profit!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Silent Hill 3 (2003) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Rondo in A minor for Piano, K. 511

Good film!

John Russell (George C. Scott), a widower who lost his wife and child in a roadside accident, moves into an opulent mansion and becomes aware of its tragic history; he works at the solving the mystery with the help of a new acquaintance, Claire Norman (Trish Van Devere, Scott's real-life wife).

Solid, mystery/horror/thriller is competently made and unlike lame junk like "The Amityville Horror", it actually manages to be spooky. And it does this without relying on special effects or any other sort of gimmickry. It just tells a simple ghost story that for once is refreshingly uncomplicated (of course, it helps that Scott's dialog is full of explanation).

It's a nice throwback to earlier classics like 1963's "The Haunting" and I can see why some people would hold it in high regard. In fact, I would put it the same league as Carpenter's "Halloween", another classic masterpiece of subtlety and dread.

Excellent cast of professional actors is a big plus.

One of the better scare movies ever made and worthy of re-discovery.

8/10