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White Nights ()

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A Russian American ballet dancer's airplane is forced to land in USSR, where he's "repatriated". He stays with an American man married to a Russian. Will the American help him flee USSR?
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
  • Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.
  • See more »
Reviews:

Photos and Videos

62 photos | 2 videos

Cast verified as complete

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Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko
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Raymond Greenwood
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Colonel Chaiko
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Galina Ivanova
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Anne Wyatt
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Darya Greenwood
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Wynn Scott
Stefan Gryff ...
Captain Kirigin
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Chuck Malarek
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Ambassador Smith
Florence Faure ...
Ballerina (Death)
David Savile ...
Pilot
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Co-Pilot
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Flight Engineer
Hilary Drake ...
Stewardess I
Megumi Shimanuki ...
Stewardess II
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Dr. Asher
Maria Werlander ...
Child Ballerina
Galina Pomerantzeva ...
Dvornik
Sergei Rusakov ...
KGB 1 (as Sergei Rousakov)
Aleksandr Naumov ...
KGB 2 (as Alexander Naumov)
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French Girlfriend
Marc Sinden ...
Charles
Josephine Buchan ...
Caroline
Helene Denbey ...
Bess
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Journalist in Opera House (as Susannah Morley)
Elisa Tornqviet ...
Journalist at Consulat (as Elisa Tornqvist)
Jiri Stanislav ...
Chaiko's Driver (Leningrad)
Eduard Ochagavya ...
KGB Agent (as Edward Ochagavia)
Marc Michalsky ...
KGB Agent
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Helicopter Pilot (as Michael Petrovich)
Andreas Markos ...
Escamilla
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Helen Kelly ...
Woman in Spandex Pants (uncredited)
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Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
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Russian Boarder Guard (uncredited)

Directed by

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Taylor Hackford

Written by

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James Goldman ... (screenplay by) and
Eric Hughes ... (screenplay by)
 
James Goldman ... (story by)
 
Nancy Dowd ... () (uncredited)

Produced by

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Bill Borden ... associate producer
William S. Gilmore ... producer (produced by)
Taylor Hackford ... producer (produced by)

Music by

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Michel Colombier ... (music score)

Cinematography by

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David Watkin ... director of photography

Editing by

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Fredric Steinkamp
William Steinkamp

Editorial Department

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Peter Culverwell ... assistant editor: UK
Deveril Goodman ... associate film editor
Valerie Lesser ... assistant editor: UK
Rick Meyer ... assistant editor
Paul Steinkamp ... apprentice editor
Dennis Michelson ... assistant editor (uncredited)

Casting By

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Nancy Klopper
Jeremy Zimmermann

Production Design by

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Philip Harrison

Art Direction by

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Richard Dawking
Malcolm Middleton
Austen Spriggs

Set Decoration by

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Joanne Woollard ... (as Joan Wollard)

Costume Design by

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Evangeline Harrison

Makeup Department

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Madeleine Masters ... makeup artist (as Madeline Masters)
Barry Richardson ... hair stylist
Neville Smallwood ... makeup artist

Production Management

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Stuart Benjamin ... executive supervisor: New Visions
Anja Harjula ... production manager: Finland
Denis Holt ... executive in charge of production
Juhani Jotuni ... unit manager: Finland
Nuno Martins ... assistant production manager
Maria do Carmo Moser ... production manager: Portugal
Neville C. Thompson ... production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Tony Aherne ... third assistant director
Ray Corbett ... assistant director
José de Sá Caetano ... assistant director: Portugal (as José Sá Caetano)
Matti Ollila ... assistant director: Finland
Kieron Phipps ... second assistant director

Art Department

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John Alvin ... poster artist
George Ball ... property master
Peter Benson ... stand-by props
Les Butterfield ... stand-by carpenter
Dave Coldham ... HOD plasterer
Dean Coldham ... plaster crew
Stan Cook ... chargehand dressing prop
Bill Fisher ... stand-by painter
Denis Hopperton ... stand-by props (as Dennis Hopperton)
Harold Michelson ... visual continuity
Andrew Nightingale ... stand-by stagehand
Syd Nightingale ... construction manager
Stuart Rose ... assistant art director
Mel Sansom ... stand-by rigger
Drew Struzan ... poster artist
Peter Walpole ... production buyer
Simon Wilkinson ... dressing propman
Timna Woollard ... specialist artist
Emma Harrison ... scenic artist (uncredited)
Chris Hopkins ... Poster Artist (uncredited)
Peter Mann ... constructor (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Don Digirolamo ... sound recording mixer
Doreen A. Dixon ... supervising adr editor
Robert Glass ... sound recording mixer (as Bob Glass)
Joseph Holsen ... sound editor (as Joseph H. Holsen)
Dushko Indjic ... boom operator
Jay Kamen ... adr editor
Robert Knudson ... sound recording mixer (as Buzz Knudson)
Tom McCarthy Jr. ... supervising sound editor
Trevor Rutherford ... playback
Don S. Walden ... sound editor
Clive Winter ... sound mixer
Vanessa Theme Ament ... foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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Terence J. Cox ... special effects assistant (as Terry Cox)
Martin Gutteridge ... special effects aerial unit
Jeff Hawke ... performer: crash sequence/aerial unit
Garth Inns ... special effects
Tom Vaughn ... assistant: performer crash sequence/aerial unit
Ian Wingrove ... special effects aerial unit
Brian Warner ... special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Roy Moores ... front projection

Stunts

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Peter Brayham ... stunt coordinator
Helen Caldwell ... stunt personnel
Steve Crawley ... stunt personnel
Peter Diamond ... stunt personnel
Romo Gorrara ... stunt personnel
Robert Harman ... stunt personnel (as Bob Harmon)
Dave Holland ... stunt personnel
Malcolm Weaver ... stunt personnel

Camera and Electrical Department

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Alan Barry ... best boy
Bob Bridges ... video operator
Kevin Brookner ... video assist
Murray Close ... still photographer
Mike Connors ... focus puller (as Michael Connors)
Freddie Cooper ... camera operator
Maurice Gillett ... chief lighting technician (as Maurice Gillette)
Ray Hall ... camera grip
John Harris ... additional photographer
Frank M. Holgate ... aerial photographer: aerial unit (as Frank Holgate)
Dean Kennedy ... electrician
Clay Lacy ... pilot: camera plane, aerial unit
Pat Miller ... electrician
Shane O'Neill ... clapper loader
Gregory J. Schmidt ... aerial camera assistant: aerial unit (as Greg Schmidt)
Kenneth J. Withers ... additional photographer (as Ken Withers)
Brian Ellis ... focus puller: additional camera (uncredited)

Casting Department

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Noel Davis ... casting: Europe
Paula Gilmore ... location casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Ron Beck ... wardrobe supervisor
Ken Crouch ... wardrobe assistant
Janet Tebrooke ... wardrobe mistress

Location Management

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Peter Elford ... location manager
Bernard Hanson ... location manager (as Bernard Hansen)
Nuno Martins ... location manager

Music Department

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Jules Chaikin ... music contractor (as Jules Chaiken)
Doug Morris ... music guidance
Phil Ramone ... music supervisor
John Richards ... music recordist
Tony Smith ... music guidance
Curt Sobel ... supervising music editor
Michael Boddicker ... musician: synthesizer (uncredited)
Tom Boyd ... musician: oboe (uncredited)
Orion Crawford ... song transcriber (uncredited)
Sandy De Crescent ... music contractor (uncredited)
George Doering ... musician (uncredited)
Richard Garcia ... music supervisor (uncredited)
Mark Graham ... music librarian (uncredited)
Craig Huxley ... musician: Blaster Beam, Synth, Piano (uncredited)
Marni Sanders ... music copyist (uncredited)
Steve Schaeffer ... musician: percussion (uncredited)
Steven L. Smith ... music preparation (uncredited)
Mirek Stiles ... assistant music engineer (uncredited)
James Thatcher ... musician: French horn (uncredited)
Joe Zimmerman ... music preparation (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Lissa Ruben ... continuity

Transportation Department

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J.J. Sullivan ... captain: 747 (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Alan Arnold ... publicist
Andrea Asimow ... consultant
Mikhail Baryshnikov ... additional choreographer
Allen Burry ... publicist
Juliet Clarke ... assistant to producer
Jeff Conroy ... production assistant: USA (as Jeffrey Conroy)
Mo Coppitters ... production coordinator
James W. Gavin ... aerial unit director (as Jim Gavin) / pilot: 747, crash sequence
Jeff Hawke ... aerial coordinator
Gregory Hines ... tap improvography
Johanna Kärävä ... production coordinator: Finland
Ron Lambert ... supervising lab timer
Jerri Lauridsen ... assistant: Mr. Hackford
Dan Perri ... title designer
Roland Petit ... choreographer: "La jeune homme et la mort"
Carrie Stein ... production associate: USA
Twyla Tharp ... choreographer
Dianne Twiddy ... assistant accountant
Tom Vaugh ... co-pilot: 747, crash sequence
Rebecca West ... publicity secretary
Gerald C. Wheatley ... chief accountant
Sandra Seacat ... acting coach: Isabella Rossellini (uncredited) / acting coach: Mikhail Baryshnikov (uncredited)

Thanks

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Jerry Benjamin ... in loving memory of
Mary E. Hackford ... in loving memory of

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

An expatriate Russian dancer is on a plane forced to land on Soviet territory. He is taken to an apartment in which a black American, who has married a Russian woman, lives with her. He is to become a dancer for the Kirov Academy of Ballet again, but he wishes to escape, but can he trust the American? Written by John Vogel

Plot Keywords
Taglines A whole new motion picture experience is on the horizon. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Soleil de nuit (France)
  • White Nights - Die Nacht Der Entscheidung (Germany)
  • Die Nacht der Entscheidung (Germany)
  • Noches de sol (Spain)
  • Nits de sol (Spain, Catalan title)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 136 min
Official Sites
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $20,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend United States $477,539, 24 Nov 1985

Did You Know?

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Trivia Mikhail Baryshnikov reportedly was insistent with the producers that gramatically-correct Russian be spoken in this movie instead of the often nonsensical hybrid often used in American movies. Baryshinkov also did a scene where he spoke French. In real life, it was his second language. See more »
Goofs Contrary to the title of the film, White Nights describes the continuous daylight in regions along the Arctic Circle, the moments at the end of the film show the characters engulfed in complete darkness outside the consulate. This would not have happened in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) between May and August. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in The Holcroft Covenant/Bring on the Night/Target (1985). See more »
Soundtracks Separate Lives See more »
Quotes Pilot: [over the P.A] Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? This is the Captain speaking. We have developed electrical problems, and we have to land immediately. There is a Soviet military airfield about 75 miles from here...
Anne Wyatt: [half asleep] Where are we? Are we landing?
[Kolya runs to the lavatory to destroy his identity papers]
Anne Wyatt: Where are you going?
Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko: What do you mean? We're landing in Russia!
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