Cruising (1980)

Director:

William Friedkin

Writers:

William Friedkin (written by)
Gerald Walker (novel)

Release Date:

15 February 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Al Pacino is Cruising for a killer.

Plot:

A police detective goes undercover in the sleazy and underground gay subculture of New York City to catch a serial killer who is murdering numerous gay men with S&M tactics.

Plot Keywords:

Gay | S&M | Police | Undercover | Subculture

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Steve Burns
Paul Sorvino	...	Capt. Edelson
Karen Allen	...	Nancy
Richard Cox	...	Stuart Richards
Don Scardino	...	Ted Bailey
Joe Spinell	...	Patrolman DiSimone
Jay Acovone	...	Skip Lee
Randy Jurgensen	...	Det. Lefransky
Barton Heyman	...	Dr. Rifkin
Gene Davis	...	DaVinci
Arnaldo Santana	...	Loren Lukas
Larry Atlas	...	Eric Rossman
Allan Miller	...	Chief of Detectives
Sonny Grosso	...	Det. Blasio
Ed O'Neill	...	Det. Schreiber (as Edward O'Neil)
Michael Aronin	...	Det. Davis
James Remar	...	Gregory
William Russ	...	Paul Gaines
Mike Starr	...	Patrolman Desher
Steve Inwood	...	Martino
Keith Prentice	...	Joey
Leland Starnes	...	Jack Richards
Robert Pope	...	DaVinci's Friend
Leo Burmester	...	Water Sport
Bruce Levine	...	Dancer
Charles Dunlap	...	Three Card Monte
Powers Boothe	...	Hankie Salesman
James Sutorius	...	Jack (voice)
Richard Jamieson	...	Spotter
Jimmie Ray Weeks	...	Seller (as James Ray Weeks)
David Winnie Hayes	...	Bouncer
Carmine Stippo	...	Bartender (as Carmine Stipo)
James Hayden	...	Cockpit Coke Man (scenes deleted)
Todd Winters	...	Tugboat Mate
Robert Carnegie
Sylvia Gassel		(as Sylvia Gassell)
Dennis Shea
Henry Judd Baker	...	Tough Cop
Larry Silvestri
Kevin Johnson
Lawrence Lust
Louie Grenier
Penny Gumeny
Burr DeBenning
Ray Vitte
Mike Barbera
Joseph Catucci
Robert Dugan		(as Robert Duggan)
Dan Sturkie
Linda Gary
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kirsten Baker	...	Jogger (uncredited)
Christian Daugherty	...	Hustler #2 (uncredited)
Mark Stern	...	Cockpit Patron (uncredited)
Tieg Thomas	...	Bartender (uncredited)

Directed by
William Friedkin

Writing credits
William Friedkin		(written by)
Gerald Walker		(novel)

Produced by
Burtt Harris	....	associate producer
Jerry Weintraub	....	producer

Original Music by
Jack Nitzsche

Cinematography by
James A. Contner		(director of photography) (as James Contner)

Film Editing by
Bud S. Smith		(as Bud Smith)
M. Scott Smith		(re-issue)

Casting by
Louis DiGiaimo		(as Louis Digiaimo)

Production Design by
Bruce Weintraub

Art Direction by
Edward Pisoni

Set Decoration by
Robert Drumheller

Costume Design by
Robert De Mora		(as Robert deMora)

Makeup Department
Bob Grimaldi	....	hair stylist (as Robert Grimaldi)
Robert Norin	....	special makeup effects artist
Allen Weisinger	....	makeup artist (as Allan Weisninger)

Production Management
Burtt Harris	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alan Hopkins	....	first assistant director
Robert E. Warren	....	second assistant director (as Robert Warren)

Art Department
Gene Anderson	....	assistant property master
Barry Bedig	....	property master
Stan Graham	....	scenic artist (as Stanley Graham)
Carlos Quiles Jr.	....	construction coordinator
Jimmy Raitt	....	property master (as James Raitt)
Bruno Robotti	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Charles L. Campbell	....	supervising sound editor
Louis L. Edemann	....	sound editor
Richard C. Franklin	....	assistant sound editor (as Rick Franklin)
Athan Gigakos	....	adr mixer: Sound Shop (as Athan Gigiakos)
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recordist
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recordist (as Christopher Jenkins)
Robert Knudson	....	sound re-recordist
Kim H. Ornitz	....	sound mixer (as Kim Ornitz)
David Pettijohn	....	sound editor (as David A. Pettijohn)
Bruce Richardson	....	sound editor
Norman B. Schwartz	....	dialogue editor (as Norman Schwartz)
John A. Amicarella	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Regina Mullen	....	adr assistant (uncredited)
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Enrique Bravo	....	camera operator
Gene Engels	....	gaffer
Billy Miller	....	key grip (as William Miller)
Gary Muller	....	assistant camera
Hank Muller	....	assistant camera (as Hank Muller Jr.)
Josh Weiner	....	still photographer
Scott Rathner	....	additional second assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michael Dennison	....	wardrobe supervisor
Robert Dean Jackson	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Dean Jackson)

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Jere Huggins	....	assistant film editor
Ned Humphreys	....	assistant film editor
Larry Rovetti	....	color timer

Music Department
The Cripples	....	music performer
Willy DeVille	....	music performer
Bill Evans	....	music engineer
The Germs	....	music performer (as Germs - G.I.)
Egberto Gismonti	....	music performer
John Hiatt	....	music performer
Mutiny	....	music performer
Rough Trade	....	music performer
Madelynn von Ritz	....	music performer (as Madelynn Von Ritz)

Other crew
George Davis	....	secretary to producer
Carmine Foresta	....	location manager
Sidney Gecker	....	script supervisor
Sonny Grosso	....	technical advisor
Edward Iacobelli	....	teamster captain
Mark Johnson	....	production executive
Randy Jurgensen	....	technical advisor
Toni St. Clair Lilly	....	secretary to the director
Jennifer Ogden	....	production office coordinator
Lucille Smith	....	auditor (as Lucille Cannon)
Michael Weintraub	....	production assistant
Darryl Peck	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• CiP - Europaische Treuhand AG (in association with)
• Lorimar Film Entertainment (presented by) (as Lorimar)

Distributors

• United Artists (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Adams Filmi (1980) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Cineplex (1980) (UK) (theatrical)
• Neue Constantin Film (1980) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1980) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• CBS / Fox Video (1984) (USA) (VHS) (For Lorimar Distribution)
• CBS/Fox Video (1984) (Belgium) (video)
• Warner Bros. (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Concorde Film (1980) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• CBS / Fox Video (1984) (Greece) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• MGM/CBS Home Video (1981) (USA) (video)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Production Payments  production services
• Reeltime Creative  trailer music
• Sound Shop  sound recording facilities
• Talent Payments  production services

Also Known As:

"William Friedkin's Cruising" - USA (closing credits title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA | West Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Australia:R | France:-16 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Portugal:M/18 | Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Finland:(Banned) (cut) (1981-2000) | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1980-2000) | UK:18 (cut) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2007) | West Germany:18 (f) (original rating) | Peru:18 | South Korea:18 | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

140 Claremont Avenue, Manhattan, New York, USA

Company:

CiP - Europaische Treuhand AG

Trivia:

In an effort to make the scenes of gay "leather bars" as real as possible, actual gay bars for men were used in the film that existed in New York City at that time. These locations are in the lower west neighborhoods in the meat packing district of Manhattan, most of which remain open to this day. Movie extras in full black leather and chaps, including other provocative sexual attire, were actual gay patrons of the bar recruited for the scenes a few days before filming began. The extras were instructed to act as they would normally act in gay bars, but to tone down sexually-oriented activities because of the likelihood these acts would give the film an "X" rating.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The medical examiner discusses the serrations in the wounds of a murder victim but the killer did not use a serrated knife on him.

Quotes:

Loren Lukas:Where you from?
Stuart Richards:Mars.
Loren Lukas:Terrific, I never made it with a Martian before.

Movie Connections:

References Golden Boys of the S.S. (1976)

Soundtrack:

Hypnotize

a question of taste

This is a FRIEDKIN movie. Consequently, it is soulless, dark and physical. There are no heroes, the range goes from unclear/mixed up/tortured souls/loonies to the dephts of hell. It is also highly interpretative, you can not expect a logical script and a "I did it" smile or a "walk towards the sun" type of ending. So, it's a question of taste if you like his movies or not. I DO. I very much doubt that Pacino or Sorvino regret making this film. It is riveting. For one, characters are not even gray, they are a mystery. Sorvino's character, for instance is so blank, that you even wonder if he cares about anything, including Burns' fate. Pacino's character is pretty ambitious, but other than that he is completely controversial. Although he shows some kind of goodness (towards his neighbor, for instance), the ending even kinda questions that (was it because he had sexual intentions with the guy or that he just wanted to do some good?). Also, he sometimes feels overwhelmed by the undercover job ("I don't know if I can do this") but then he starts to adapt. One of the possible ideas of this movie is: you dance with the devil and then you start to like it. In any case, it leaves conclusions to the viewer. The atmosphere and especially the music are truly amazing and original. 9/10