The 'Human' Factor (1975)

After his family is brutally murdered for an unknown reason, a computer engineer sets out to find those responsible.

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Peter Powell (original screenplay), Thomas Hunter (original screenplay)

Stars:

George Kennedy, John Mills, Raf Vallone

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Kennedy	...	John Kinsdale
John Mills	...	Mike McAllister
Raf Vallone	...	Dr. Lupo
Barry Sullivan	...	Edmonds
Rita Tushingham	...	Janice
Shane Rimmer	...	CIA Man
Thomas Hunter	...	Taylor (as Tom Hunter)
Frank Avianca	...	Kamal
Haydée Politoff	...	Pidgeon
Arthur Franz	...	Gen. Fuller
Fiamma Verges	...	Ann Kinsdale
Danny Huston	...	Mark Kinsdale (as Danny Houston)
Richard Harrison	...	Jeffrey Kinsdale (as Ricky Harrison)
Hillary Lief	...	Linda Kinsdale
Michael Mandeville	...	Phillips

Storyline

After his family is brutally murdered for an unknown reason, a computer engineer sets out to find those responsible.

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Plot Keywords:

murder of family | shooting a woman | manhunt | poliziottesco | british poliziottesco | 

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Taglines:

Every 24 Hours an American Family Will Be Killed by Radical Assassins...if the CIA, FBI and Police Can't Stop It...The Human Factor Will!

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Do not confuse this movie with another one, with the same title, even the French one, The Human Factor (1979), by Otto Preminger. Both last features of those directors.

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Goofs

In the final scene when Kinsdale shoots the fleeing terrorist in the back, after his Colt 1911 runs out of ammunition, the slide does lock back, and he continues to pull the trigger with the gun making a clicking sound, as if it is a double action. The 1911 is a single action and will not make that sound.

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Quotes

Mike McAllister: He's found his killers. He doesn't want them in jail. And neither the machine nor I can predict exactly what his next move is going to be!

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Connections

Referenced in Adjust Your Tracking (2013)

User Reviews

Dmytryk's last stand

This is the last film made by the famous director Ed Dmytryk before his death. However, he must have been failing more than in health, as his creative juices seem largely to have dried up for this one. I hate to say this, because two of my old pals were involved in the production: George Davis ('in charge of production') and Roy Parkinson, Production Manager. George and Roy liked to work together whenever possible, and I can just imagine that George raised a sizeable portion of the budget for this project. He died just after Christmas in 1999, and most of the films he worked on in his long career are not listed on IMDb. Production accountants often get no screen credits, although they are the custodians of all the producers' darkest secrets, and I learned a few from George! As for Roy, it appears that he is still alive aged 95, and I hope his charming wife Lana is too. George and Roy were two of the most honest and decent men I ever knew, and this seems a fitting occasion to pay tribute to both of them. There was one occasion in particular when I had to consult with them about a most important and difficult decision involving the jobs of many people, and their support helped me to make it and eased me through a crisis of conscience caused by an act of financial corruption by the Boulting Brothers. George Davis and Roy Parkinson came from a generation when loyalty and values still existed and were widely held, though such qualities are today a vanishing commodity in a world ruled by greed. George Kennedy was a curious choice for a lead actor in this action movie, as he was already a bit old and getting overweight. Of course, he is good, but he would have been better 10 years earlier. And this is in any case really a sixties movie made in the seventies. Much of the casting is of well known names from an earlier era who are either given very little to do so that their talents are wasted (such as Rita Tushingham and John Mills) or who look shockingly past their sell-by date, such as Raf Vallone looking like a ghost of himself. The script is weak, and Dmytryk does little to save it. This is one of those films where in the story vengeance is seen to be done, and there's none of that 'they should have a fair trial' stuff, so this is a particularly gritty suspense film. I only wish it had been a better one.

Details

Country:

UK Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 June 1976 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Human Factor

Filming Locations:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eton

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1