Logan's Run (1976)

An idyllic sci-fi future has one major drawback: life must end at the age of 30.

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writers:

David Zelag Goodman (screenplay by), William F. Nolan (based on the novel "Logan's Run")

Stars:

Michael York, Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael York	...	Logan
Richard Jordan	...	Francis
Jenny Agutter	...	Jessica
Roscoe Lee Browne	...	Box
Farrah Fawcett	...	Holly (as Farrah Fawcett-Majors)
Michael Anderson Jr.	...	Doc
Peter Ustinov	...	Old Man
Randolph Roberts	...	2nd Sanctuary Man
Lara Lindsay	...	The Woman Runner
Gary Morgan	...	Billy
Michelle Stacy	...	Mary 2
Laura Hippe	...	Woman Customer
David Westberg	...	Sandman
Camilla Carr	...	Sanctuary Woman
Greg Lewis	...	Cub (as Gregg Lewis)

Storyline

It's 2274 and on the surface, it all seems to be an idyllic society. Living in a city within an enclosed dome, there is little or no work for humans to perform and inhabitants are free to pursue all of the pleasures of life. There is one catch however: your life is limited and when you reach 30, it is terminated in a quasi-religious ceremony known as Carousel. Some, known as runners, do try to escape their fate when the time comes and it's the job of Sandmen to track them down and kill them. Logan is such a man and with several years before his own termination date, thinks nothing of the job he does. Soon after meeting a young woman, Jessica-6, he is ordered to become a runner himself and infiltrate a community outside the dome known as Sanctuary and to destroy it. Pursued by his friend Francis, also a Sandman, Logan and Jessica find their way to the outside. There they discover a beautiful, virtually uninhabited world. Logan realizes that he must return to the dome to tell them what ...

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Plot Keywords:

biosphere | dystopia | nursery | ageism | amnesia | 

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Taglines:

Imagine a world where each and every day is the best day of your life...until you turn 30.

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 June 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Logan's Run

Filming Locations:

Dallas Market Center: World Trade Center: Hall of Nations, 2050 N Stemmons Fwy, Dallas, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$25,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints) (as Dolby System Noise Reduction-High Fidelity) 4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The cats in Peter Ustinov's scene actually lived on the set. To ease the boredom, Ustinov made cat drawings for Jenny Agutter. One was called "Cat-tastrophe," and featured a squished cat. Another was of a zombie feline, titled "Cat-atonic."

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Goofs

When Logan shoots at Box in the ice cavern, he hits him twice, first low and then in the chest. However, his gun is pointed at the chest spot when the leg hit effect is fired, and vice versa.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Logan: [tapping on a glass window of maternity room] Wake up.
Francis: Logan, you are here. I couldn't believe it when they told me. What are you doing?
Logan: [indicates baby] Logan 6. Well it's not everyday that they authorize a new sandman. I tell you Francis,
[indicating baby]
Logan: that's him.
Francis: Well maybe, maybe not. What does it matter? Anyway, he isn't yours anymore.
Logan: [continues tapping lightly on the glass]
Francis: All right, you want me to wake him?
[bangs loudly on the glass with his baton]
[...]

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Alternate Versions

US network airings remove all but a split-second shot of Box's frozen victims, rendering the sequence unintelligible.

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Connections

Version of Logan's Run

User Reviews

Amusing and outlandish Sci-Fi about a domed city whose inhabitants are obligated to die at 30

Popular and lavish Sci-Fi with some nice effects sequences with imaginative sets about a futuristic society where young people are allowed to live an unending pleasure until the age of thirty (though Michael York, Richard Jordan and Michael Anderson Jr. were all over 30 when they made the film) that are compelled to die , adapted from a novel by William F Nolan and George Clayton Jackson . 2274 some type of holocaust has decimated the earth, and the survivors sealed themselves into a computer-controlled bubble . To maintain the population balance, the computers that run the city have decreed that all people have to die at 30. This system is enforced by "sandmen" (Michael York , Richard Jordan) : black-clad cop operatives who terminate hunting "runners" ,those who try to live beyond 30. Logan, a sandman, whose job is to hunt fugitives , is sent on an assignment to find "sanctuary," which is a code- word used by the master computer to describe what it thinks is a place to which runners have been getting away. Then Logan nearing the limit searches desperately for a way to avoid mandatory extermination . As a day outside the bubble Logan along with Jessica (Jenny Agutter) discover new emotions .

This classic Sci-fi contains suspense , thrills , action , breathtaking production design and is pretty entertaining though with some feeble stereotypes . Impressive big-budgeted production by Saul David enhanced immeasurably by an enjoyable cast as Michael York , Jenny Agutter , Farrah Fawcett and special mention to great Peter Ustinov . Roscoe Lee Browne both voiced and performed Box the robot on-set. The unwieldy costume made it impossible for Browne to right himself if he fell over. Colorful and spectacular cinematography in Todd-Ao 35 by Ernest Laszlo . Rousing and evocative musical score by the maestro Jerry Goldsmith . Jerry uses a full orchestra with no electronic instruments when the action is outside of the city. When inside the city, his orchestra consists solely of strings, piano, and electronic instruments , the music at the beginning of the film during the credits does add the electronic instruments with the full orchestra though. Dated but effective miniatures about a domed city near Washington, D.C. It earned a special Academy Award for visual effects by Glen Robinson . The motion picture is originally directed by Michael Anderson . Rating : PG (Parents guide) for some nudism and violence. Good but overlong and some corny moments, worthwhile watching . Followed by a brief TV series with Gregory Harrison , Heather Menzies and Donald Moffat