Somewhere in Time (1980)

Director:

Jeannot Szwarc

Writers:

Richard Matheson (screenplay)
Richard Matheson (novel)

Release Date:

3 October 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Some day in the past, he will find her.

Plot:

A Chicago playwright uses self-hypnosis to find the actress whose vintage portrait hangs in a grand hotel.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Hotel | Playwright | College Student | Hypnosis

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Christopher Reeve	...	Richard Collier
Jane Seymour	...	Elise McKenna
Christopher Plummer	...	William Fawcett Robinson
Teresa Wright	...	Laura Roberts
Bill Erwin	...	Arthur Biehl
George Voskovec	...	Dr. Gerald Finney
Susan French	...	Older Elise
John Alvin	...	Arthur's Father
Eddra Gale	...	Genevieve
Audrey Bennett	...	Richard's Date
William H. Macy	...	Critic (as W.H. Macy)
Laurence Coven	...	Critic
Susan Bugg	...	Penelope
Christy Michaels	...	Beverly
Ali Marie Matheson	...	Student (as Ali Matheson)
George Wendt	...	Student
Steve Boomer	...	Hippie
Pat Billingsley	...	Professor (as Patrick Billingsley)
Ted Liss	...	Agent
Francis X. Keefe	...	Desk Clerk
Taylor Williams	...	Maitre D'
Noreen Walker	...	Librarian
Evans Ghiselli	...	Coin Shop Proprietor
Barbara Giovannini	...	Tourist in Hall of History
Don Franklin	...	Tourist in Hall of History
David Hull	...	Hotel Manager
Paul Cook	...	Doctor (as Paul M. Cook)
Victoria Michaels	...	Maude
William P. O'Hagan	...	Rollo
Maud Strand	...	Marie
Bo Clausen	...	Man in Elevator, in 1912
James P. Dunnigan	...	Second Man in Elevator, in 1912
Sean Hayden	...	Young Arthur, in 1912
Hal Frank	...	Stage Manager, in 1912
Hayden Jones	...	Man with Stage Manager, in 1912 (credit only)
Val Bettin	...	Director, in 1912
Bruce Jarchow	...	Bones, in 1912
Ed Meekin	...	Fisher, in 1912
Erin Tomcheff	...	Miss Hammond, in 1912
J.J. Butler	...	Prompter, in 1912
Chukuma	...	Bearded Stagehand, in 1912
Michael Woods	...	Dinner Guest, in 1912
Jerry Kaufherr	...	Maitre D', in 1912
Don Melvoin	...	Diamond Jim, in 1912
Ann K. Irish	...	Teacher, in 1912
JoBe Cerny	...	2nd Day Desk Clerk, in 1912 (as Jo Be Cerny)
Richard Matheson	...	Astonished Man - in 1912
Audrie Neenan	...	Maid in Play (1912)
Tim Kazurinsky	...	Photographer, in 1912
Robert Swan	...	Stagehand with Note, in 1912 (as Bob Swan)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stan Adams	...	Man In Library (uncredited)
Sandra Bogan	...	Woman at Hotel (uncredited)
Shamey Cramer	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Steven Earl-Edwards	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Jeannot Szwarc

Writing credits
Richard Matheson		(screenplay)
Richard Matheson		(novel "Bid Time Return")

Produced by
Steve Bickel	....	associate producer
Stephen Deutsch	....	producer
Ray Stark	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Isidore Mankofsky		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jeff Gourson

Casting by
Jennifer Shull

Production Design by
Seymour Klate

Set Decoration by
Mary Ann Biddle

Costume Design by
Jean-Pierre Dorléac		(as Jean-Pierre Dorleac)

Makeup Department
Sandra Henderson	....	hair stylist
Gregg Mitchell	....	hair stylist
Paul Sanchez	....	makeup artist
Jack Wilson	....	makeup artist
Jim Gillespie	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Britt Lomond	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Burt Bluestein	....	first assistant director
Lorraine Senna	....	second assistant director
Don Wilkerson	....	dga trainee (uncredited)

Art Department
Tom Bartholomew	....	construction
Earl F. Betts	....	construction (as Earl Betts)
Christopher Burian-Mohr	....	set designer (as Chris Burian-Mohr)
Martin Emert	....	set dresser
Edward G. Fitzgerald	....	set dresser (as Ed Fitzgerald)
Andy Hawkes	....	construction
Douglas M. Keenan	....	assistant property master (as Douglas Keenan)
Richard Mazzotti	....	set dresser
Jerry Moss	....	property master (as Gerald Moss)
Bob Nohles	....	construction coordinator (as Bobby Nohles)
Donnie R. Puga	....	construction (as Donnie Puga)
Phil Read	....	construction
Bob Shaw	....	construction (as Robert Shaw)
Doug Sofio	....	construction
Dwight Solander	....	construction
Emidgio Sosa-Chavez	....	set dresser
John Stewart	....	construction
Robert D. Stout	....	set dresser (as Bob Stout)
John Verna	....	set dresser
Woody Woodworth	....	construction

Sound Department
George Fredrick	....	sound editor
Roger Heman Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Roger Heman)
Charlie King	....	sound (as Charles L. King III)
James Leckett	....	sound recordist
Earl Madery	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Earl M. Madery)
Vince Melandri	....	loop dialogue editor
Rex Slinkard	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Rex A. Slinkard)
Roger Sword	....	sound effects editor (as Roger A. Sword)
John Unsinn	....	boom operator
Dan Wallin	....	sound recording mixer

Special Effects by
Jack Faggard	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Norman Ash	....	electrician
Alfred Budniak	....	electrician
Sal Camacho	....	second assistant camera
Joe Collins	....	key grip
Donald Dahlquist	....	electrician
Bertis Fancher	....	grip (as Bert Fancher)
Jim Haboush	....	grip (as James Haboush)
Rod Helzer	....	grip
Jake Jarrell	....	gaffer
Mike Mandel	....	grip
Bill Masten	....	first assistant camera (as William Masten)
Chris O'Neil	....	electrician
Michael Orefice	....	electrician
Don Piel	....	camera operator (as Donald J. Piel)
Philip Sloan	....	electrician (as Phillip Sloane)
Brian Smith	....	grip
Fred White	....	electrician
Melinda Wickman	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Christopher Burian-Mohr	....	costumer
Dan Chichester	....	costumer: men (as Daniel Chichester)
Greg Hall	....	costumer: men
Grace Kuhn	....	costumer: women
Opal Vils	....	costumer: women
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Rick Fields	....	assistant editor (as Richard Fields)
Jim Henry	....	color timer

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor (as Ken Hall)
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer

Transportation Department
Tom Battaglia	....	transportation captain
Russ Buckens	....	transportation
Rocky D'Amico	....	transportation
Steve Hellerstein	....	transportation captain
Rick Hill	....	transportation
Lawren McDonald	....	transportation

Other crew
Charles Ajar	....	projectionist
Don Antonacchio	....	assistant stylist
Susan Bender	....	assistant location auditor
Ulla Bourne	....	script supervisor
Valerie J. Bresee	....	assistant to producer
Dan Dewey	....	location coordinator
Dan Dewey	....	production assistant
John Hammond	....	craft service
Susan Joy Harris	....	secretary to director (as Susan J. Harris)
Willie Kupahu	....	location auditor (as Willy Kupahu)
Susan Pile	....	unit publicist
Virginia Siman	....	first aid
Allison Caine	....	additional voice talent (uncredited)

Thanks
John Hulett	....	thanks
Daniel Musser	....	thanks
Lucie Salenger	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Rastar Pictures (as Rastar)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Esselte Video (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1999) (Finland) (TV)
• Universal Home Video (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Universal Title  titles and opticals
• Belwin Mills Publishing  'Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Op. 43, Variation XVIII' courtesy of
• Staff of the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan, The  thanks
• People of Mackinac Island, Michigan, The  special thanks
• Illinois Film Commission  special thanks (as The Illinois Film Commission)
• People of Chicago, Illinois  special thanks
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | France:U | Brazil:Livre | Sweden:11 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:PG (certificate #25953) | Japan:G (2009) | Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Finland:K-12

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Rastar Pictures

Trivia:

The film was made and released about five years after its source novel "Bid Time Return" by Richard Matheson was first published in 1975. The book won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1976. Matheson also wrote the film's screenplay. Editions of the novel published since the film was made have adopted the film's "Somewhere in Time" title. The film's original working title was the book's title, "Bid Time Return". That title is derived from a line from Act III, Scene 2 in William Shakespeare's play "Richard II". It reads: "O call back yesterday, bid time return."

Goofs:

Continuity: The hotel register that Richard finds in the attic in 1980 is different than the register he signs at the hotel in 1912. Notice the signatures and placement of "Chicago" - completely different.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[various snippets in crowd chatter]
Richard Collier:I got some news. There was an agent in the house tonight, and he said he thinks this play might be good enough for Broadway.
[cheers from crowd]
Richard Collier:Fingers crossed, who knows? Come on, let's all have some cake.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Episode #7.87" (2009)

Soundtrack:

You Made Me Love You

One of the most achingly beautiful movies ever

Somewhere in Time is a movie any sensitive person with a heart will love, I guarantee you. From the opening at the theater to the unbelievably moving final scene, I have never seen a film so passionately and yet so innocently depict the power of absolute, all-encompassing, unconditional love.

The story is so simple, yet therein lies the beauty. Richard Collier, a man with no love in what otherwise seems like a nice enough life, becomes enchanted at the sight of Elise McKenna's painting and with only the power of his heart travels back to her time. Once there, he looks for Elise, and finds her. Elise is confused and does not immediately respond because of her manager W.F. Robinson, but she quickly returns Richard's love. I will not say anymore, other than that the ending made me feel so warm and yet made me want to cry. You will be hard pressed to find a movie lighter on plot, and there are many questions left unanswered, but that's perfect because Somewhere in Time is very surreal, and dreamlike even. The emphasis is not on watching events, but on simply feeling love, and this is as close as anyone has ever come to making a movie out of pure emotion.

Jane Seymour looks radiant while on screen but this is Christopher Reeve's movie. Reeve, after amazing everyone with his talent, good looks, and charisma in one of the biggest blockbusters ever, could have become one of Hollywood's all-time great leading men. Instead, a series of horrible decisions about what roles to take and not take made it so that he had to do TV movies to pay the bills by the late 1980s. To this day, to 99% of the public he is the paralyzed Superman and nothing more. But this is the one movie that shows what should have been. He very convincingly depicts Richard first as goofy kid, then as empty older man, then as someone simply awestruck by love and determined to let nothing stop him from getting the breathtaking Elise. Then, in the final scenes, he portrays his anguish so remarkably it is wrenching to watch.

Also deserving of special mention is Christopher Plummer, who seems to be an extraordinary actor on the basis of the two films I've seen him in (the other is The Insider). A lesser actor would have made Robinson into a mustache-twirling villain, and brought the whole production down to the level of a soap opera. Plummer, however, with his nuanced performance, makes us hate Robinson, but also makes us his feel his pain. Through his subtle mannerisms, we see that Robinson himself deeply longs for Elise's love, but has probably never been loved and never will be loved by anybody. We thus realize how incredibly lucky Richard is. I personally saw Robinson as perhaps someone whose father never loved him and whose mother died when he was very young, and he has spent his whole life wanting to truly take care of someone like Elise but it is as if he has been rendered incapable. He is still contemptible for the things he does to Richard, but he is also a tragic figure, and the script has nothing to do with that-it's all Christopher Plummer.

John Barry's score is also among the most enchanting in movie history, in my opinion. I have never heard a score which so wonderfully conjured up feelings of timeless love. Jeannot Szwarc may not be a well known or otherwise accomplished director, but he does this one perfectly. This movie in the wrong hands could so easily come across as corny and trite, but instead it is such an absorbing masterpiece. Every element in this movie is just perfect, and it should be universally considered one of the greatest love stories of all time (if not the greatest, like I think it is).

As it is most people have never heard of it, but it is nice to know that a small devoted following gives it the recognition it deserves. I hope it continues to win people's hearts for generations to come.