Midnight Express

Midnight Express (1978)

Timing: 2:1 (121 min)

7.51/10
1640

7.827/10
18606

7.5/10
86733

All about film

Video 1

Photo 35

Actors and characters

Release date

1978-08-31

Country

United Kingdom, United States

Production

Columbia Pictures, Casablanca Filmworks

Genre

Drama, Crime

Budget

$2 300 000

Revenue

$35 000 000

Website

http://alanparker.com/film/midnight-express/

Director

Alan Parker

Actors

Brad Davis, Irene Miracle, Bo Hopkins, Paolo Bonacelli, Paul L. Smith, Randy Quaid, Norbert Weisser, John Hurt, Mike Kellin, Franco Diogene
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Alan Marshall, David Puttnam, Peter Guber

Operator

Michael Seresin

Composer

Giorgio Moroder

Artist

Audition

Editing

Gerry Hambling
All team (21)

• Despite the film being presented as based on a true story, Billy Hayes stated that the events in the picture appear exaggerated and partially fictional compared to his actual imprisonment in an Istanbul prison over 20 years ago.
• John Travolta and Richard Gere both auditioned for the role of Billy Hayes.
• Brad Davis, the film's lead actor, wrote in his book that he experienced drug problems during the film's promotion.
• Although the film is set in Turkey, it was shot in Valletta, Malta.
• Filming was moved to Malta after Turkish authorities denied permission.
• Turkish officials were deeply offended by the way their country was portrayed in the film, and they made this very public.
• In one of the opening scenes at the airport, you can spot a long-haired man in dark clothing walking away from the camera. It is clear that this man is none other than director Alan Parker.
• The film was shot in 53 days.
• The scene in which Brad Davis's character bites the tongue off one of the prisoners was so unpleasant for the entire film crew that they all left the set during its filming, leaving Alan Parker with only two actors. In fact, Davis had to hold a pig's tongue in his mouth.
• Oliver Stone's original script envisioned detailing Billy Hayes's escape through the mountains, but the project's modest budget did not allow for these scenes to be filmed.