Scarface (1983)

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writer:

Oliver Stone (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

9 December 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

He was Tony Montana. The world will remember him by another name...SCARFACE.

Plot:

In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug empire while succumbing to greed. (Cartel not Mafia)

Plot Keywords:

Cuban | Refugee | Miami | Friend | Drugs

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Tony Montana
Steven Bauer	...	Manny Ribera
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Elvira Hancock
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio	...	Gina Montana
Robert Loggia	...	Frank Lopez
Miriam Colon	...	Mama Montana
F. Murray Abraham	...	Omar Suarez
Paul Shenar	...	Alejandro Sosa
Harris Yulin	...	Mel Bernstein
Ángel Salazar	...	Chi Chi
Arnaldo Santana	...	Ernie
Pepe Serna	...	Angel
Michael P. Moran	...	Nick The Pig
Al Israel	...	Hector The Toad
Dennis Holahan	...	Jerry The Banker
Mark Margolis	...	Alberto The Shadow
Michael Alldredge	...	Sheffield
Ted Beniades	...	Seidelbaum
Richard Belzer	...	M.C. at Babylon Club
Paul Espel	...	Luis
John Brandon	...	Immigration Officer #3
Tony Perez	...	Immigration Officer #2
Garnett Smith	...	Immigration Officer #1
Loren Almaguer	...	Dr. Munoz
Gil Barreto	...	Cuban Refugee
Heather Benna	...	Gutierrez Child
Sue Bowser	...	Miriam (as Dawnell Bowers)
Tina Leigh Cameron	...	Saleslady
Victor Campos	...	Ronnie Echevierra
Robert Hammer Cannerday	...	Marielito
Rene Carrasco	...	Shooter
Albert Carrier	...	Pedro Quinn
John Carter	...	Vic Phillips
Richard Caselnova	...	Driver
Gary Cervantes	...	Shooter #1
Carlos Cestero	...	Matos
Johnny Contardo	...	Miguel Echevierra
Roberto Contreras	...	Rebenga
Caesar Cordova	...	Taco stand cook
Gregory Cruz	...	Shooter #2 (as Gregory N. Cruz)
Dante D'Andre	...	General Strasser (as Dante D'André)
Richard Delmonte	...	Fernando
Wayne Doba	...	Octavio The Clown
Michel François	...	Maitre d'
Ben Frommer	...	Male Patron
Edward R. Frommer	...	Taco Stand Customer
John Gamble	...	Helicopter Pilot
Troy Isaacs	...	Cuban Refugee
Ronald G. Joseph	...	Car Salesman (as Ronald Joseph)
Mario Machado	...	Interviewer
Joe Marmo	...	Nacho 'El Gordo'
Ray Martel	...	Nacho's Bodyguard
John McCann	...	Bank Spokesman
Richard Mendez	...	Gina's Killer
Victor Millan	...	Ariel Bleyer
Santos Morales	...	Waldo
Mike Moroff	...	Gaspar's Bodyguard
Angela Nisi	...	Gutierrez Child
Manuel Padilla Jr.	...	Kid #2
Tony Pann	...	Driver
Ilka Tanya Payan	...	Mrs. Gutierrez (as Ilka Payan)
Barbra Perez	...	Marta
Michael Rougas	...	Monsignor
Anthony Saenz	...	Cuban Refugee
Geno Silva	...	The Skull
Arnold Tafolla	...	Kid #1
Charles A. Tamburro	...	Helicopter Pilot (as Chuck Tamburo)
Jim Towers	...	Cuban Refugee
Robert Vandenberg	...	Gaspar Gomez (as Robert Van den Berg)
Bob Yanez	...	Cuban Man
Angela Aames	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Nancy Lee Andrews	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Dona Baldwin	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Rosa Lee Benton	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Cynthia Burr	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Lana Clarkson	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Karen Criswell	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Margo Kelly	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Ava Lazar	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Emilia Crow	...	Woman at Babylon Club (as Emilia Lesniak)
Marii Mak	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Shelley Taylor Morgan	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Catharine Richardson	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Pat Simmons	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Terri Taylor	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Charlie Adiano	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Lisa Katz	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Jeanette Linne	...	Woman at Babylon Club (as Jeanette Linné)
Margaret Michaels	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Rhonda Sandberg	...	Woman at Babylon Club
Katt Shea	...	Woman at Babylon Club (as Kathy Shea)
Marcia Wolf	...	Woman at Babylon Club
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fidel Castro	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Barclay DeVeau	...	Ambassador's Daughter (uncredited)
Charles Durning	...	Immigration Officer (voice) (uncredited)
Dennis Franz	...	Immigration Officer (voice) (uncredited)
Gregg Henry	...	Charles Goodson (uncredited)
Richard Jasen	...	Little Boy at Pool (uncredited)
Henry Kingi	...	Colombian hitman (uncredited)
Brett Ratner	...	Boy lying on raft in pool (uncredited)
Marcus Shirock	...	Boy at pool (uncredited) (unconfirmed)

Directed by
Brian De Palma

Writing credits
Armitage Trail		(novel) uncredited
Ben Hecht		(1932 screenplay) uncredited and
Howard Hawks		(1932 screenplay) uncredited
Oliver Stone		(screenplay)

Produced by
Martin Bregman	....	producer
Peter Saphier	....	co-producer
Louis A. Stroller	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Giorgio Moroder

Cinematography by
John A. Alonzo

Film Editing by
Gerald B. Greenberg		(as Jerry Greenberg)
David Ray

Casting by
Alixe Gordin

Art Direction by
Edward Richardson		(as Ed Richardson)

Set Decoration by
Bruce Weintraub

Costume Design by
Patricia Norris

Makeup Department
Stephen Abrums	....	makeup artist (as Steve Abrums)
Janice D. Brandow	....	hair stylist (as Janice Brandow)
Barbara Guedel	....	makeup artist
Toni-Ann Walker	....	hair stylist (as Toni Walker)

Production Management
Raymond Hartwick	....	unit production manager (as Ray Hartwick)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Dreyfuss	....	second unit director (as David Hans Dreyfuss)
James Herbert	....	additional second assistant director
Joe Napolitano	....	first assistant director
Chris Soldo	....	second assistant director
Robert Yannetti	....	dga trainee
Jerry Ziesmer	....	first assistant director
Lewis Gould	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Jim Allen	....	assistant art director
Casey Hallenbeck	....	set dresser
Geoff Hubbard	....	set designer
Peter Ivy	....	carpenter foreman
Peter Lamppu	....	carpenter foreman
Daniel Loren May	....	lead man (as Dan May)
Clarence Lynn Price	....	construction coordinator (as Lynn Price)
Blake Russell	....	set designer
Carlos Salinas	....	carpenter foreman
Ferdinando Scarfiotti	....	visual consultant
Steven Schwartz	....	set designer (as Steve Schwartz)
Edmund Villa	....	assistant property master (as Ed Villa)
Will Waters	....	set dresser
'Dangerous' Bob Widin	....	assistant property master (as Bob Widin)
John Zemansky	....	property master
Ronald S. Baratie	....	greensman (uncredited)
Robert Misetich	....	painter (uncredited)
John Sweeney	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Andy Aaron	....	sound effects recordist
Edward Beyer	....	supervising sound editor
Donald L. Bolger	....	boom operator (as Don Bolger)
Charles J. Bond	....	sound recordist (as Charles Bond)
James Briley	....	assistant sound editor
Randall Coleman	....	assistant sound editor
Dave Concors	....	technical sound consultant
Bob Cornett	....	sound editor (as Robert H. Cornett)
Marissa De Guzman	....	assistant sound editor (as Marissa DeGuzman)
Jay Dranch	....	sound editor
Harriet Fidlow	....	dialogue loop editor
Leslie Gaulin	....	assistant sound editor (as Leslie Troy Gaulin)
Lou Graf	....	sound editor
Steve Hodge	....	sound consultant
Michael Jacobi	....	sound editor
Michael Kirchberger	....	sound editor
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	assistant sound editor
C. Darin Knight	....	sound mixer (as Charles Darin Knight)
Robert Knudson	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Buzz Knudsen)
Kevin Lee	....	sound editor
Hal Levinsohn	....	dialogue editor
Joan Metzger	....	assistant sound editor
Barbara Minor	....	assistant sound editor
Yvette Nabel	....	assistant sound editor
Wende Phifer Mate	....	assistant sound editor (as Wende Phifer-Mate)
Mark Rathaus	....	sound editor
Brian Reeves	....	sound consultant
Dave Rideau	....	sound consultant
Louise Rubacky	....	assistant sound editor (as Weezie Rubacky)
Maurice Schell	....	sound editor
Ahmad Shirazi	....	assistant sound editor (as Maddy Shirazi)
Ann Stein	....	assistant sound editor
Brunilda Torres	....	assistant sound editor
Paul Trejo	....	sound editor
Arthur Weiss	....	assistant sound editor
Alfonso Calvo	....	sound dubbing mixer (uncredited)
Michael Colomby	....	sound re-recording mixer: restoration (uncredited)
Randal A. Goya	....	foley mixer (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	adr crowd (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Stan Parks	....	special effects
Ken Pepiot	....	special effects
George Zamora	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Bill Hansard	....	rear projection

Stunts
M. James Arnett	....	stunts (as Jim Arnett)
Bobby Bass	....	stunts
Clay Boss	....	stunts
Janet Brady	....	stunts
Jophery C. Brown	....	stunt coordinator (as Jophery Brown)
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunts
Cheré Bryson	....	stunts (as Chere Bryson)
David Burton	....	stunts
David Cadiente	....	stunts (as Dave Cadiente)
Steven Chambers	....	stunts (as Steve Chambers)
Gary Combs	....	stunts
Gilbert B. Combs	....	stunts (as Gil Combs)
Steve M. Davison	....	stunts (as Steve Davison)
Tim A. Davison	....	stunts (as Tim Davison)
Mike De Luna	....	stunts
Justin De Rosa	....	stunts (as Justin DeRosa)
Eddy Donno	....	stunts
Tom Elliott	....	stunt double: Al Pacino
David R. Ellis	....	stunts (as David Ellis)
Eurlyne Epper	....	stunts
Gary Epper	....	stunts
Leonard P. Geer	....	stunts (as Lenny Geer)
Alan Gibbs	....	stunts
James M. Halty	....	stunts
Freddie Hice	....	stunts (as Fred Hice)
Billy Hank Hooker	....	stunts (as Bill Hooker)
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunts
Hugh Hooker	....	stunts
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunts (as Thomas J. Huff)
Gary Hymes	....	stunts
Al Jones	....	stunts
Donna Keegan	....	stunts
Ed Lang	....	stunts
Buck McDancer	....	stunts
Gary McLarty	....	stunts
John Meier	....	stunts
Alan Oliney	....	stunts
Ron Oliney	....	stunts
Brad Orrison	....	stunts
Chuck Picerni Jr.	....	stunts
Don Pulford	....	stunts (as Donald Pulford)
J.N. Roberts	....	stunts
Mario Roberts	....	stunts
Sandy Robertson	....	stunts
Thomas Rosales Jr.	....	stunts
Michael Runyard	....	stunts (as Mike Runyard)
Sharon Schaffer	....	stunts
Spike Silver	....	stunts
Eddie Smith	....	stunts
Peter Stader	....	stunts (as Peter T. Stader)
Tom Steele	....	stunts
Ron Stein	....	stunts
Charles A. Tamburro	....	stunts
Keith Tellez	....	stunts
Jack Verbois	....	stunts
Danny Weselis	....	stunts
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunts (as Glen Wilder)
Scott Wilder	....	stunts
Dick Ziker	....	stunts
Tom Bahr	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Henry Kingi	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Sidney Ray Baldwin	....	still photographer (as Sidney Baldwin)
Michael Barrett	....	electrician
Michael A. Chavez	....	assistant camera (as Michael Chavez)
Michael Ferris	....	camera operator
James W. Finnerty	....	grip: New York
Donald Glenn	....	best boy grip (as Don Glenn)
Bud Heller	....	key grip
Susan C. Ingram	....	assistant camera (as Susan Ingram)
Horace Jordan	....	assistant camera (as Horace Jordan Jr.)
Thomas Laughridge	....	camera operator (as Tom Laughridge)
Bob Mundell	....	best boy
Dutch Presley	....	best boy
Kevin Presley	....	electrician
Donald Schmitz	....	grip (as Don Schmitz)
Clyde Smith	....	dolly grip
Stuart A. Spohn	....	gaffer (as Stuart Spohn)
John Toll	....	camera operator
Mario Zavala	....	assistant camera
Vincent Contarino	....	electrician (uncredited)
Michael J. Schwartz	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Karl Brindle	....	extras casting
Billy Cardenas	....	extras casting
Bob Morones	....	additional casting
Judy Dennis	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Linda Henrikson	....	costumer
Gregory B. Peña	....	costumer (as Greg Pena)
G. Tony Scarano	....	costumer (as Tony Scarano)
Randi Mavestrand	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Michael Bregman	....	editing room assistant
Laura Civiello	....	assistant film editor
Phil Hetos	....	color consultant: Technicolor
Ray Hubley	....	assistant film editor
Alfred Laurence Kahn	....	editing room assistant
Lori Kornspun	....	editing room assistant
Paul Neshamkin	....	editor: title sequence
David Oakden	....	assistant film editor
Debby Paley	....	editing room assistant
Bill Pankow	....	associate film editor
Shari Smith	....	editing room assistant
Robert Yang	....	editing room assistant
Rick Derby	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)
J. Kathleen Gibson	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Arthur Barrows	....	music arranger
Jim Henrikson	....	music editor
Laurie Kanner	....	music coordinator
Sylvester Levay	....	music arranger
Giorgio Moroder	....	music arranger
Kristian Schultze	....	music arranger
Richie Zito	....	music arranger
Daniel J. Johnson	....	co-music editor (uncredited)
Daniel Walker	....	score arranger (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Dan Anglin	....	transportation coordinator (as Danny Anglin)
Richard Brehm	....	driver
Bob Cornell	....	transportation co-captain (as Bob Cornnell)
Tony Emerzian	....	driver
Frankie Hernandez	....	driver
Junior Newman	....	driver
Ted Reed	....	transportation captain
Pat Seran	....	driver
Frank Khoury	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
David Dreyfuss	....	title designer (as David Hans Dreyfuss)
Robert Easton	....	dialogue coach
Joan Eisenberg	....	unit publicist
Ron Filbert	....	production auditor
Darryl Fong	....	production assistant
Michael Fottrell	....	production assistant
Jack Garsha	....	timing consultant: Technicolor
Gary Hill	....	assistant: Brian Depalma
Joe James	....	craft service
Willie Kapahu	....	production auditor
Jan Kemper	....	script supervisor
Hal Landaker	....	video consultant
Shari Leibowitz	....	production coordinator
Lori Meeks	....	production assistant
Barbrah Messing	....	secretary
Frank Pierson	....	location manager
Judee Roberts	....	talent coordinator
Sandy Russell	....	secretary
Charles A. Tamburro	....	helicopter pilot
Mary Viviano	....	assistant: Mr. Pacino
Susan Zwerman	....	location manager
Dean Gates	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jeff Most	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Maurice Schell	....	adr loop group (uncredited)
Branko Wohlfahrt	....	armorer (uncredited)

Thanks
Howard Hawks	....	dedicatee
Ben Hecht	....	dedicatee
Rafael Hernandez Jr.	....	special thanks
Nick Navarro	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1984) (Spain) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (198?) (UK) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1987) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Esselte CIC Video (1985) (Belgium) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2002) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (two-disc special edition)
• Universal Pictures do Brasil (2004) (Brazil) (DVD) (reissue)

Other Companies

• Computer Opticals  optical effects
• Computer Opticals  titles
• MCA Records  soundtrack
• Michelson Food Services  catering
• Technicolor  color
• Zarem  publicity

Runtime:

170 min | 81 min (DVD version by VCA)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Belgium:KNT | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1990) | Finland:K-18 | Colombia:18 | Mexico:C | Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) | West Germany:18 (video premiere) (cut) (1985) | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 (DVD version) (re-rated) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (re-rating) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:R | Brazil:18 | Netherlands:18 (original rating) | South Korea:18 | Israel:18 | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Denmark:15 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-15 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 (re-rating) (2000) | Norway:18 (original rating) | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Taiwan:R-18 | UK:18 | USA:R (re-rating on appeal) | USA:X (original rating) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

728 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Steven Bauer is the only actual Cuban in the principal cast.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the shower/chainsaw scene, Tony fights with one of Hector's men, takes his pistol away, and shoots him. The pistol is supposed to be a semi-automatic 9mm Beretta 92, but when Tony fires a single shot, the hammer stays down, the slide never recoils, and no casing is ever ejected. The gun is clearly a single-shot prop gun.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Fidel Castro: ...al esfuerzo y al heroísmo de una revolución... ¡No los queremos! ¡No los necesitamos!
[... to the effort and heroism of a revolution... We don't want them! We don't need them!]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Friends: The One with Phoebe's Wedding (#10.12)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Turn Out the Night

The 80's and how not to live them...

Ya know when one looks at this Brian DePalma film today, I'm sure there has been allot of criticism about how dated it is. Also, about the violence. When I looked at this film on VHS when I was 20, I thought it was ulta-violent and gritty as well. But I didn't get 'it'.

A few decades go by and man, how I know how much I didn't get in this film!! This is a remake of an excellent film which was done back in the 30's/40's. How can you improve upon a classic? Ya don't. But you tell a tale that is brought up to date through the eyes of the "new immigrants" during the most greed ridden decade, the over indulgent 80's. DePalma, Stone and the gang present an ambitious, disturbing and darn right good film.

Yes....Disco was dying and New Wave/Punk were taking over but these immigrants from Cuba who had to make a new home in Florida couldn't tell the difference. It was exciting, it was what they wanted but how to get it???? To these immigrants, there was only one way to get it in Florida where they were..by having lots of money and to get the money, you had to take over running a drug empire.

Al Pacino was fantastic to me as Tony Montana, the "little train that could". What an amazing way to have your lead character look at America: to fight, kill, steal. lie, cheat all to get -- "the money, the women and the power."

That's what Tony saw as the American dream.

He wanted it, he wanted to live it and in his circle saw nothing wrong with how he went to get it. Tony Montana's command of the English language was heavily saturated with the "f" word but what did you expect, Emily Post's finishing school for him and his co-horts? Look at how they CAME to America, what they knew, what they were exposed to. This is the way Tony and his crew chose to "be all they can be in America." It was all about the power. Tony Montana would and did ANYTHING to achieve it..it all its violent, lying, stealing, crooked, thieving glory.

The part of the film that personified the 1980's to me, is the money laundering. Tony's crew bringing sacks of drug money to the bank. Did those around Tony and his crew care? At the clubs where he spent and drank? Nope. Money was money and with money, you get the power. Tony was living high off the hog. He and his pretty blond American trophy he married played well by Michelle Pfieffer.

After Tony Montana's rise to power, he finds out its really crappy up there. He's riddled with doubt, he's drug addicted, he's paranoid, he's surrounded by those who want to take him on in a bloody take-over, his trophy 80's American blonde drug addicted wife he finds out is a bore, he needs to keep atop of his empire because...he's going down. And down he goes in a horrific violent fashion, but again I ask, what do you expect?

This is the quintessential 1980's film telling you a warped tale of how some misunderstand the American Dream...to obsession. It's violent, bloody, overly so..but it drives the point disturbingly home. Not all Cubans thrown out of Cuba who landed in Florida in the 80's were anything like Tony Montana. Give me a break. But the showing of how miserable the 1980's were with its emphasis on greed and money as the only measures in the USA to "be somebody" and have power took its tool on these poor characters and their lives in America.

Makes you wonder -- has anything from then -- been learned today?