The Deer Hunter - crew, film crew
The entire team, the film crew of the film "The Deer Hunter"
The Deer Hunter (1978)
Timing:
3:3 (183 min)
7.977/10
4198
4198
7.85/10
59838
59838
8.1/10
385000
385000
Film crew
Director
Producer
Michael Deeley
Producer
Barry Spikings
Producer
John Peverall
Producer
Casting
Cis Corman
Casting
Editor
Peter Zinner
Editor
Art Direction
Ron Hobbs
Art Direction
Kim Swados
Art Direction
Stunts
Troy Melton
Stunts
Stunt Coordinator
Makeup Artist
Edwin Butterworth
Makeup Artist
Dick Smith
Makeup Artist
Del Acevedo
Makeup Artist
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Richard Portman
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Aaron Rochin
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
William L. McCaughey
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Frank M. Reale
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Original Music Composer
Stanley Myers
Original Music Composer
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Fred Schuler
Camera Operator
Nick McLean
Camera Operator
Enrique Bravo
Camera Operator
Costume Supervisor
Eric Seelig
Costume Supervisor
Script Supervisor
June Samson
Script Supervisor
Hairstylist
Mary Keats
Hairstylist
Still Photographer
Wynn Hammer
Still Photographer
Greer Cavagnaro
Still Photographer
Katrina Franken
Still Photographer
Dieter Ludwig
Still Photographer
Production Manager
Claude Binyon Jr.
Production Manager
Boom Operator
Donald L. Bolger
Boom Operator
Screenplay
Deric Washburn
Screenplay
Construction Coordinator
George Stokes
Construction Coordinator
Mickey Woods
Construction Coordinator
Transportation Coordinator
Frank 'Cat' Ballou
Transportation Coordinator
Arthur Dunne
Transportation Coordinator
Location Manager
Frank Ernst
Location Manager
M.R. Boonyalak Sukawasdi
Location Manager
Leadman
Harold McConnell
Leadman
Story
Deric Washburn
Story
Quinn K. Redeker
Story
Louis Garfinkle
Story
Gaffer
Rick Martens
Gaffer
Greensman
Gus Basso
Greensman
Unit Publicist
Robert Werden
Unit Publicist
Sound Editor
James Fritch
Sound Editor
Teri E. Dorman
Sound Editor
Dolby Consultant
Stephen Katz
Dolby Consultant
Assistant Camera
Keith Kelsay
Assistant Camera
Supervising Sound Effects Editor
James J. Klinger
Supervising Sound Effects Editor
Theme Song Performance
John Williams
Theme Song Performance
What's left behind the scenes
- Roy Scheider was originally slated to play the role of Michael Vronsky in the film. The actor was approved by the studio but withdrew from the project for personal reasons. The studio was furious and replaced him with Robert De Niro. Later, Scheider admitted that he considered this his most regrettable career mistake.
- During the film's screening at the 1979 Berlin Film Festival, the Soviet delegation demonstratively left the cinema. Delegations from East Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Cuba, and several other countries followed suit. Subsequently, the Soviet press sharply criticized the film for the topic of Russian emigration it raised, as well as for its depiction of Vietnamese partisans as cruel sadists.
- It is believed that a number of deaths in the United States in the 1980s were caused by the famous 'Russian roulette' scene in the film. The 'Russian roulette' episode gained widespread notoriety. However, there is no convincing evidence that such cases actually occurred during the Vietnam War.
- Chuck Espregren (Axel) is not a professional actor, but a steel mill worker from Pennsylvania. His colorful figure so impressed Michael Cimino that he was invited to the film without an audition and was the second actor to be cast after De Niro.
- The film was shot entirely on location. No scenes were filmed in a studio.
- By the start of filming, John Cazale was already incurably ill and felt extremely weak. Each shooting day was a struggle for him. For this reason, all scenes with his participation were filmed first. Director Michael Cimino knew about the actor's terrible diagnosis, but the studio executives did not. When the secret became known, the film's leaders began to consider options for replacing the actor. When Meryl Streep learned of these intentions, she stated that she would leave the set along with Cazale. One of the arguments for dispensing with the actor's services was the increase in insurance payments for him. As a result, Cazale's insurance was fully paid for personally by Robert De Niro. Cazale died shortly after filming was completed. He never saw the finished film.
- Before filming the wedding scene, the director and producers asked Russian emigrants involved in the crowd scenes to prepare and bring "wedding gifts" to the set. The idea was to save money and time on creating props. In addition, the directors believed that such "gifts" would look more natural and authentic to the Russian community. After filming, someone in the crew noticed that the prop boxes seemed suspiciously heavy. Those who opened them were astonished to discover that they contained genuine wedding gifts – from Chinese trinkets to silver cutlery.
- The wedding scene of Steve and Angela was filmed at the St. Theodosius of Chernigov Cathedral in Cleveland. The cathedral is the oldest Orthodox church in the state of Ohio. The church was consecrated in 1896. At the time of its founding, most of the parishioners were Rusyns, and on the site of the present church stood a small parish building. In 1911, the laying of the stone church took place. Russian Emperor Nicholas II was one of the donors to its construction. After the filming of "The Deer Hunter," the cathedral gained worldwide fame.
- The wedding scene in the church was filmed over 5 days. A real priest and a church choir, which performed more than 50 chants, were involved in the filming.
- Michael Cimino and Derick Washburn wrote the film's script in 6 months.
- Robert De Niro and John Savage performed all the stunts themselves. It took 15 takes to film the ten-meter fall over 3 days. In the take that made it into the film, the assistants pulled on a rope and nearly killed Savage and De Niro. Both of them are seen shouting to people in the helicopter to be careful.
- The part of the film where the main characters are captured by the Viet Cong was filmed in Thailand, in the province of Kanchanaburi on the River Kwai.
- When the friends return from deer hunting, they sing Bobby Bare's song "Drop Kick Me Jesus" in the bar, which was written in 1976, after the Vietnam War had already ended. The film's action takes place in 1967.
- Michael returns from Vietnam with the rank of staff sergeant and numerous awards on his chest. In reality, he would never have been able to reach this rank and receive so many medals in just one year of service. Furthermore, he has 6 patches on his sleeve, each of which represents 3 years of service.
- The deer that Michael kills on the hunt and the deer tied to the hood of the Cadillac when the friends return to town belong to different species.
- As Angela tries on her wedding dress in front of the mirror, a microphone is visible in the reflection above her head.
- Michael returns from Vietnam in uniform and with a beard. According to the uniform regulations in effect for U.S. military personnel, as outlined in Army Regulation AR 670-1, he would not have been allowed to wear it without a proper haircut and a clean-shaven beard.
- Nick, who was AWOL, shot himself on the last day of American presence in Saigon. Yet, Michael somehow managed to deliver his friend's body across the entire city to the American compound, get him out of the city, load him onto a plane, and return him home for burial. In the actual chaos that prevailed, it would likely have been impossible to do all of this.
- Before Nick's funeral, a supermarket appears in the frame, displaying the exact same price tags as at the beginning of the film, even though they should have changed after a year and a half.
- Before filming the wedding scene, the director and producers asked Russian emigrants involved in the crowd scenes to prepare and bring “wedding gifts” to the set. The idea was to save money and time on creating props. Furthermore, the directors believed that such “gifts” would look more natural and authentic to the Russian community. After filming, someone in the crew noticed that the prop boxes seemed suspiciously heavy. Those who opened them were astonished to discover that they contained genuine wedding gifts – from Chinese trinkets to silver cutlery.
- The wedding scene for Steve and Angela was filmed at the St. Theodosius of Chernigov Cathedral in Cleveland. The cathedral is the oldest Orthodox church in the state of Ohio. The church was consecrated in 1896. At the time of its founding, most of the parishioners were Rusyns, and a small parish building stood on the site of the present church. The foundation for a stone church was laid in 1911. Russian Emperor Nicholas II was one of the donors to its construction. After the filming of “The Deer Hunter,” the cathedral gained worldwide fame.
- When the friends return from deer hunting, they sing Bobby Bare’s song “Drop Kick Me Jesus” in a bar, which was written in 1976, after the Vietnam War had ended. The film is set in 1967.
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