The Domino Principle (1977)

A Vietnam War veteran, imprisoned for murder, is offered his freedom if he accepts to undertake a contract killing for a shady organization.

Director:

Stanley Kramer

Writers:

Adam Kennedy (novel), Adam Kennedy (screenplay)

Stars:

Gene Hackman, Candice Bergen, Richard Widmark

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Hackman	...	Tucker
Candice Bergen	...	Ellie
Richard Widmark	...	Tagge
Mickey Rooney	...	Spiventa
Edward Albert	...	Ross Pine
Eli Wallach	...	General Reser
Ken Swofford	...	Ditcher
Neva Patterson	...	Gaddis
Jay Novello	...	Captain Ruiz
Joseph V. Perry	...	Bowkemp (as Joseph Perry)
Ted Gehring	...	Schnaible
Claire Brennen	...	Ruby (as Claire Brennan)
George Fisher	...	Henemyer
Bob Herron	...	Brookshire
Denver Mattson	...	Murdock

Storyline

Tucker is a chronic underachiever and a loser. A Vietnam war veteran who just can't seem to keep out of trouble, in the years since his discharge. The only thing he got out of the war was his skill with a rifle. Now, serving a long stretch in prison for murder, he has hit rock-bottom. But one day a man in a three-piece suit visits him in prison, a man he has never seen before, and informs him that he can walk out of prison a free man if he will shoot someone for them, no questions asked.

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Plot Keywords:

vietnam war veteran | deep state | prison | sea | exploding helicopter | 

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Taglines:

Trust no one. No one.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Prison scenes were planned to be filmed at Stateville Prison near Chicago, but the warden rejected filming there for security reasons.

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Goofs

The bread truck carrying Tucker and Spiventa is shown driving across the Golden Gate Bridge in the southbound direction from Marin County to San Francisco. The very next scene, however, in which the prisoners are escorted out of the truck, clearly takes place under the roadway back on the Marin side of the bridge.

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Quotes

Tucker: Tell me one thing
Tagge: Go ahead
Tucker: Is it over?
Tagge: I don't know. The bigger the stink, the more there is to cover up. And the man who worries the most is the man who gave the original order. If he panics, the domino starts to fall.

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Alternate Versions

West German theatrical version was cut by approx. 17 minutes. Strangely, the East German version was uncut.

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Connections

Referenced in Nocturna (1979)

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Soundtracks

No Puedo Olvidar
Lyrics by Orlando Peres
Music by Billy Goldenberg

User Reviews

Could have been worse, but not very good

"The Domino Principle" has all but been forgotten today. Seeing it, it becomes clear why it hasn't become a cult movie to any degree. I will admit that it's not a terrible movie; in fact, it has some positive attributes. Gene Hackman is, as usual, solid. And Candice Bergen, who has been criticized many times for her bad performances in this time of her life, actually gives a decent performance. The movie also starts off fairly well, with quite a bit of mystery that slowly unpeels. But the movie ultimately unfolds TOO slowly. It takes forever for Hackman to get out of prison, and takes much longer for Hackman to understand what the mysterious organization wants from him. And we never really learn who the target is, and why he is targeted! I never would have guessed a famous filmmaker like Stanley Kramer was behind this movie, not just for its unusually slow pace but also for the fact that aside from some bad language and some violence, the movie feels exactly like a made-for-TV effort.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 June 1977 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

The Domino Principle

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Associated General Films, Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1