Swoon (1992)

Director:

Tom Kalin

Writers:

Hilton Als (collaborating writer)
Tom Kalin (writer)

Release Date:

25 September 1992 (UK)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Was it a crime of passion? Or a passion for crime?

Plot:

The true story of gay lovers, Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold Jr. who kidnapped and murdered a child in the early 1920s for kicks...

Plot Keywords:

1920s | Dry Hump | Homosexual | Murderer Duo | Dead Children

Awards:

6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Daniel Schlachet	...	Richard Loeb
Craig Chester	...	Nathan Leopold Jr.
Ron Vawter	...	State's Attorney Crowe
Michael Kirby	...	Detective Savage
Michael Stumm	...	Doctor Bowman
Valda Z. Drabla	...	Germaine Reinhardt
Natalie Stanford	...	Susan Lurie
Isabela Araujo	...	Venus in Furs Diva
Jill 'Spanky' Buchanan	...	Venus in Furs Diva
Nashom Benjamin	...	Venus in Furs Diva / Mona Foot (as Mona Foot)
Trash	...	Venus in Furs Diva
Trasharama	...	Venus in Furs Diva
Nashom Wooden	...	Venus in Furs Diva
Peter Bowen	...	Factory Workman
Ryan Landry	...	Ivory
Chris Hoover	...	Elektra Luxe (as Christopher Hoover)
Paul Connor	...	Bobby Franks
Brent Charleton	...	Irving Hartman
Christopher Cangelosi	...	Little Boy in Park
Dick Callaghan	...	Country Workman / Newsreel Voiceover
Craig Paull	...	Country Workman / Phrenology Head
Carlos Rodríguez	...	Country Workman (as Carlos Rodriguez)
Emmitt Thrower	...	Country Workman
Eric J. Wiggins III	...	Country Workman
Ken Howarth	...	Sven Englund (Chauffeur)
Barry Liebowitz	...	Mr. Franks
Judith Boxley	...	Mrs. Franks
Julian Marynczak	...	Workman in Marsh
Daniel Haughey	...	Ornithologist
John Rowan	...	Man with Newspaper
Stanley Taub	...	Mr. Loeb
Robert Austin	...	Allan Loeb
Barbara Bleier	...	Mrs. Loeb
Ed Altman	...	Mike Leopold
John A. Mudd	...	Detective Sbarbaro
Robert Sullivan	...	Night Desk Officer
Verne F. Hoyt	...	Night Cop
Pepe Vives	...	Night Detective
Jimmy Cummings	...	Interrogation Cop (as James Cummings)
Malcolm A. Beers Jr.	...	Mr. Leopold
Adina Porter	...	Stenographer
Robert Read	...	Clarence Darrow
Paul Schmidt	...	Judge Caverly
Richard Elovich	...	Doctor Hulbert
Christie MacFadyen	...	Reporter
Robert McKanna	...	Reporter
Bobby Reed	...	Reporter
Mark Simpson	...	Bailiff
Jim Crawford	...	Prison Barber
Glenn Backes	...	James Day
Ray Wasik	...	Mean Prison Guard
Jean Claude Monfort	...	Clinic Doctor
Michael Nesline	...	Clinic Doctor
Richard R. Upton	...	Clinic Doctor
William Walters	...	Clinic Doctor
Burt Wright	...	Warden
Paul Rubin	...	Father Weir
Gary Lamadore	...	Interrogation Cop
Richard Schechner	...	Radio Announcer
Phil Stanton	...	Gene Lovitz
Dean C. Blanco	...	Courtroom Extra
Catarina Borelli	...	Courtroom Extra
Barry Cassidy	...	Courtroom Extra
David Cheever	...	Courtroom Extra
James Crafford	...	Courtroom Extra
Steven Flum	...	Courtroom Extra
Lou Galiardo	...	Courtroom Extra
Carl M. George	...	Courtroom Extra
Debra Goodman	...	Courtroom Extra
Joseph Harding	...	Courtroom Extra
Anna Köhler	...	Courtroom Extra (as Anna Kohler)
Heidi Kriz	...	Courtroom Extra
Scott K. Macarthur	...	Courtroom Extra
John McGee	...	Courtroom Extra
Dana Nasrallah	...	Courtroom Extra
Jerome F. Richards	...	Courtroom Extra
Hobson Sturtevant	...	Courtroom Extra
Elizabeth Towson	...	Courtroom Extra
Oscar Aleman	...	Press Conference Extra
Emanuel Baetich	...	Press Conference Extra
Robert M. Beck	...	Press Conference Extra (as Robert Beck)
Mike Diaz	...	Press Conference Extra
Maddy Lederman	...	Press Conference Extra
Tanya Taylor	...	Press Conference Extra
Michael Becker	...	Phrenology Head
Zoe Bissell	...	Phrenology Head
Gregg Bordowitz	...	Phrenology Head
Patricia Fabricant	...	Phrenology Head
Todd Haynes	...	Phrenology Head
Andrea Kislan	...	Phrenology Head
Pamela Koffler	...	Phrenology Head
Nina Port	...	Phrenology Head
Emily Sherman	...	Phrenology Head
Lauren Zalaznick	...	Phrenology Head
Robert Funes	...	Prisoner
Timothy McCoy	...	Prisoner
Owen H. Ranft	...	Prisoner
Elion Sacker	...	Prisoner
Robert Vazquez	...	Prisoner
Alex Vean	...	Prisoner
Addison Cook	...	Prison Guard
Douglas Leland	...	Prison Guard
John Ventimiglia	...	Prison Guard
Douglas Crimp	...	Prison Mugshot
Phelim Dolan	...	Prison Mugshot
James Lyons	...	Prison Mugshot (as Jim Lyons)
Joe Ziolokowski	...	Prison Mugshot
George Osterhan	...	Additional Voiceover (voice)
Lulu Rubin	...	Additional Voiceover (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nathan Leopold	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Richard Loeb	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Tom Kalin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Hilton Als		collaborating writer
Tom Kalin		writer

Produced by
Tom Kalin	....	co-producer
James Schamus	....	executive producer
Christine Vachon	....	producer
Peter Wentworth	....	associate producer
Lauren Zalaznick	....	executive producer
Lauren Zalaznick	....	line producer

Original Music by
James Bennett

Cinematography by
Ellen Kuras

Film Editing by
Tom Kalin

Casting by
Daniel Haughey

Production Design by
Thérèse DePrez

Art Direction by
Stacey Jones

Costume Design by
Jessica Haston

Makeup Department
Jim Crawford	....	hair stylist: Indorato Artists
Jim Crawford	....	makeup artist: Indorato Artists
Jonathan Gross	....	assistant hair stylist
Nina Port	....	assistant hair stylist
Leonard Zagami	....	assistant hair stylist

Production Management
David Buckingham	....	production manager
Matthew David Hensley	....	unit manager (as Matt Hensley)
Chris Hoover	....	production manager (as Christopher Hoover)
Julie Lindner	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Isabela Araujo	....	second assistant director
Daniel Haughey	....	second assistant director
Christine Vachon	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Michael Barry	....	re-recording engineer
Laurel Bridges	....	boom operator
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist (as Marko Costanzo)
Neil Danziger	....	sound recordist
Susan Demskey	....	sound editor
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer: New York
Tom Paul	....	sound recordist
Hans ten Broeke	....	synclavier engineer
Julie Wilde	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
John Ballieci	....	best boy
Daniel Beeman	....	key grip (as Daniel Beaman)
Lisa Bonaccorso	....	electrician
Addison Cook	....	best boy
Frank Dellario	....	best boy (as Frank Dollario)
Valda Drabia	....	still photographer
Stephen Earley	....	assistant camera (as Steven Early)
Israel Fernandez	....	property photographer
Edwin M. Figueroa	....	key grip (as Edwin Figueroa)
Tanya Hamilton	....	third grip
Melissa Kern	....	third grip
Kurt Lennig	....	gaffer
Julian Marynczak	....	second grip
Ian McCausland	....	assistant camera
Paul Meehan	....	key grip
Rocco Palmieri	....	second grip
Gerri Peterson	....	clapper loader
Thavisouk Phrasavath	....	clapper loader
John Rowan	....	still photographer
Ruth Sergel	....	clapper loader
James White	....	still photographer
Val Williamson	....	gaffer

Animation Department
Johan Edström	....	animator

Casting Department
Isabela Araujo	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tobie Giddio	....	wardrobe assistant
Elizabeth Gulczynski	....	assistant costume designer (as Lizzy Gulczynski)
Brenda Zagarinsky	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Karim Ainouz	....	additional editing assistant
Isabela Araujo	....	assistant editor
Eddie Nichols	....	additional editing assistant
Bill Scott	....	color timer
James Nichols Jr.	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Patricia Sztaba	....	negative matcher (uncredited)
Stan Sztaba	....	negative matcher (uncredited)

Music Department
Peter Golub	....	conductor

Other crew
Vivek Bald	....	intern
Vivek Bald	....	production assistant
Craig Bierman	....	video services coordinator
Ado Born	....	intern
Ado Born	....	production assistant
George Camarda	....	script supervisor (as George Kamarda)
Michael A. Coca	....	intern
Michael A. Coca	....	production assistant
Moreno DiMarco	....	intern
Moreno DiMarco	....	production assistant
Danny Fass	....	intern
Danny Fass	....	production assistant
Julie Hermelin	....	intern
Julie Hermelin	....	production assistant
Darryl Houston	....	intern
Darryl Houston	....	production assistant
Matthew Johnstone	....	assistant to producer
Joe Kelly	....	location manager
Melissa Kern	....	intern
Melissa Kern	....	production assistant
Rosanna Lewis	....	intern
Rosanna Lewis	....	production assistant
Ligia Lima	....	intern
Ligia Lima	....	production assistant
Bonita Makuch	....	intern
Bonita Makuch	....	production assistant
Eddie Nichols	....	intern
Eddie Nichols	....	production assistant
Norman Ryan	....	intern
Norman Ryan	....	production assistant
Alexandra Sarazin	....	assistant to producer
Emily Sherman	....	script supervisor
Patrick Snee	....	intern
Patrick Snee	....	production assistant
Neil Spisak	....	creative consultant
Sylvette Steward	....	intern
Sylvette Steward	....	production assistant
Margaret Sundell	....	intern
Margaret Sundell	....	production assistant
Jim Volpe	....	intern
Jim Volpe	....	production assistant
W. Wilder Knight II	....	legal counsel
Jaime Wolf	....	legal counsel
John O'Hagan	....	intern (uncredited)
Derek Yip	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Isabela Araujo	....	special thanks
Wouter Barendrecht	....	special thanks
Peter Bowen	....	special thanks
Roberta Brangam	....	special thanks
Adam Brightman	....	special thanks
Bernie Brightman	....	special thanks: Stash Records
Christopher Cox	....	this film remembers
Bonnie Croskey	....	special thanks
Jim Denault	....	special thanks
Barry Ellsworth	....	special thanks
Harlan Emil	....	special thanks
Michael Englert	....	special thanks
Gran Fury	....	special thanks
Bob Gober	....	special thanks
Debra Goodman	....	special thanks (as Deb Goodman)
Brian Greenbaum	....	special thanks
Tim Highsted	....	special thanks
Sam Katz	....	special thanks
Ellen Kuras	....	special thanks
Chris Lewon	....	special thanks
John Lindell	....	special thanks
Elise MacAdam	....	special thanks
Michael Nesline	....	special thanks
Craig Owens	....	this film remembers
Craig Paull	....	special thanks
Annie Philbin	....	special thanks
John Pierson	....	special thanks
Papa Romero	....	special thanks
Vito Russo	....	this film remembers
Bill Sherwood	....	this film remembers
Charles Stevens	....	special thanks
Daniel Swee	....	special thanks
Marie-Françoise Vachon	....	special thanks (as Marie Francoise Vachon)
Michael Vachon	....	special thanks
Pepe Vives	....	special thanks
Jaime Wolf	....	special thanks
Veronica Young	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• American Playhouse (in association with)

Distributors

• Fine Line Features (1992) (USA) (theatrical)
• Alta Films (Spain)
• CMV Laservision (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Strand Releasing (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• American Film Institute (AFI)  production grant
• Apparatus Productions  special thanks
• Art Matters Inc.  additional funding
• Boomer Pictures  special thanks
• Bureau  special thanks
• Bureau  titles and design (as Bureau, New York)
• Chicago Historical Society  special thanks
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)  funding
• Costume Depot  special thanks
• Freemon Film Arts  opticals (as Freeman Film Arts)
• Funding Exchange  additional funding
• Mass Media/Editland  special thanks
• National Endowment for the Arts, The  funding
• National Endowment for the Arts, The  production grant
• New York Foundation for the Arts  additional funding
• New York State Council on the Arts  funding
• Odds Costumes  special thanks (as Odds Costume Shop)
• Paul Robeson Fund, The  additional funding
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)  funding
• Testing the Limits  special thanks
• The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies  funding
• The Jerome Foundation  additional funding

Runtime:

82 min | Spain:94 min | Sweden:92 min | UK:80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:Open (rating surrendered: 1992) | USA:R (original rating: 1992)

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

American Playhouse

Trivia:

Both of the real killers of the story, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, appear in archival footage sampled in the film. These scenes, and most of the other footage in the film, was provided by the Chicago Historical Society.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Characters use telephones with Touch Tone dialing-systems and other modern devices, even though the film is set in the early 1920's. The placement of such anachronistic objects was deliberate on the part of the filmmakers.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Whether You Like It or Not: The Story of Hedwig (2003) (V)

Stylish, Yet Disturbing, Retelling of Leopold and Loeb Case

Director Tom Kalin took the Leopold and Loeb murder case of the 1920s, which already had been the basis of such films as "Rope" and "Compulsion," and filmed the sordid episode as an exercise in style with flashes of homo-erotic imagery. In his film, "Swoon," Kalin does not flinch from either the murderers' ethnic background or their sexual orientation, although the part that either aspect of their makeup may have played in the crime was not explored. Utilizing haunting black-and-white cinematography by Ellen Kuras, documentary footage from the period, and an often-melancholy score by James Bennett, Kalin fashioned a strangely fascinating look at the aimless lives of two young men with too much money and too much time.

Although the two youths are lovers in the physical sense, their partnership seems to have been born more of boredom than passion. Their lovemaking has eroticism, but it lacks fire. The pair performs more like two bored schoolboys passing a rainy afternoon pleasuring each other than like two men with deep emotional ties. Tragically, this passionless attraction spawns what appears to be an equally passionless crime. The plot to kidnap and murder a young boy seems to have been born of the same boredom that gave rise to Leopold's and Loeb's erotic desires. The two young men have no emotion either before or after the murder, although there is a flash of zeal on the killer's face during and shortly after the murder. The men's demeanor throughout the interrogation and trial suggests a complete lack of, not only remorse, but also comprehension that they have taken a human life. The duo bicker about the details of the crime as though they were trying to recall what they ate for breakfast. The men are distanced not only from the crime, but also from any semblance of humanity.

Appropriately, the sharp light and shade contrasts in the stark photography at times make the film resemble a silent horror film, because "Swoon" is a horror show at its core. These two men are like monsters that were created without souls and that lie in wait until idle thoughts prompt them to fill their empty hours with crime. The languid air that pervades the film underscores the tedium of their existence. Kalin tracks the two men to the ends of their lives and leaves the viewer with an ambivalent feeling about whether or not justice was ever served. Like "In Cold Blood," however, "Swoon" focuses on and almost celebrates the two killers, while the innocent young victim is reduced to a nearly anonymous figure. Thus, "Swoon" is often a difficult film to watch, yet, despite lingering and disturbing thoughts afterward, Kalin has fashioned an intelligent, intriguing work that merits attention.