IMDb > Marathon Man (1976)
Marathon Man
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Marathon Man (1976) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 19 | slideshow) Videos (see all 2 NEW)
Marathon Man (1976) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)
Marathon Man (1976) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   16,806 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Schlesinger
Writers:
William Goldman (screenplay)
William Goldman (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for Marathon Man on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
8 lokakuu 1976 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Thriller more
Plot:
A graduate history student is unwittingly caught in the middle of an international conspiracy involving stolen diamonds, an exiled Nazi war criminal, and a rogue government agent. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 9 nominations more
User Comments:
Solid (and Depressing) Thriller more (117 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
125 min
Country:
USA
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono | Stereo

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Producer Robert Evans was set upon getting Laurence Olivier to play the part of Szell. However, because Olivier at the time was riddled with cancer, he was uninsurable so Paramount refused to use him. In desperation, Evans called his friends Merle Oberon and David Niven to arrange a meeting with the House of Lords (the upper body of the UK's parliament). There, he urged them to put pressure on Lloyds of London to insure Britain's greatest living actor. The ploy succeeded and a frail Olivier started working on the film. In the end, not only did he net an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but his cancer also went into remission. Olivier lived on for another 13 years. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: After Doc flees the Opera, when we him in the Grecian temple, dolly tracks are clearly visible on the floor. As the camera dollies in, we lose sight of them but Doc obviously high-steps over the tracks. more
Quotes:
Old Lady on 47th Street: [recognizing Szell across 47th Street] Szell!... Szell!... Szell! more
Soundtrack:
Le Tram more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
9 out of 13 people found the following comment useful.
Solid (and Depressing) Thriller, 2 marraskuu 2006
8/10
Author: dr_foreman

1970s movies are so cynical, aren't they? Dark, depressing, and often grainy-looking and washed out. "Marathon Man" fits that description. It's good, of course - very good - but it's not exactly a good time. Know what I mean?

William Goldman, one of Hollywood's few celebrity screenwriters, wrote both the original novel and the script for this film version. I find him a bit overrated, but here he does a good job of elevating hack-level thriller material into a sort of art form. The beginning of the film is particularly well-written and intriguing, since it's full of creepy and cryptic events that are not immediately explained. But, alas, I find the ultimate explanation of these events to be rather prosaic and disappointing.

So, I think the movie's strengths lie in the acting and directing, more so than the story. Olivier and Scheider give particularly great performances, and Marthe Keller comes across as appropriately sweet and sexy (her big "secret," though, should be really easy for anyone to guess!) I'm a little less enamored of Dustin Hoffman, whose character is inexplicably nicknamed "Babe." He's just way too old to be a typical graduate student (almost forty years old, to be precise), and he simply doesn't have much charisma to me. Usually I like normal-looking, non-glamorous actors, but somehow Hoffman doesn't float my boat.

Still, it's hard not to sympathize with the poor guy while he's being pursued, beaten, tortured etc. The "dental horror" scene is still quite effective, though it's rather short; I was more impressed by the subsequent chase through the dark streets of NYC. (The city, by the way, looks like a hellish, crime-infested, debris-strewn pit in this movie - like it does in most 1970s productions!)

In the end, "Marathon Man" isn't quite another "French Connection," but it's got more than enough suspense to crush a lot of the dross that infests theaters today. It's worth watching just for the terrifying scene when the bad guys start tearing Hoffman's door off its hinges - it's good stuff.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (117 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Marathon Man (1976)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
This film is insulting skylab23
Can someone explain this scene to me JAlexa9898
Bathroom Scene TonyLaMezma
Plotlines lawhit-1
Name of the famous marathon runner..... hunterdog93
Long Summer? helenelisechat
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Live Free or Die Hard Munich Kite King of New York Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Crime section IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.