Marathon Man – 1976
A thriller
Director
John Schlesinger

Writer
William Goldman (screenplay)
William Goldman (novel)

Producer(s)
Sidney Beckerman producer
Robert Evans producer
George Justin associate producer

Cast
Dustin Hoffman – Thomas Babington ‘Babe’ Levy
Laurence Olivier – Dr. Christian ‘The White Angel’ Szell – Christopher Hess
Roy Scheider – Henry David ‘Doc’ Levy
William Devane – Peter Janeway
Marthe Keller – Elsa Opel
Fritz Weaver – Professor Biesenthal
Richard Bright – Karl
Marc Lawrence – Erhard
Allen Joseph – Babe’s Father
Tito Goya – Melendez
Ben Dova – Klaus Szell, Christian’s brother
Lou Gilbert – Rosenbaum
Jacques Marin – LeClerc
James Wing Woo – Chen
Nicole Deslauriers – Nicole
Lotte Palfi Andor – Old Lady on 47th Street (as Lotta Andor-Palfi)
Lionel Pina – Street Gang
Church – Street Gang
Tricoche – Street Gang
Jaime Tirelli – Street Gang
Wilfredo Hernández – Street Gang (as Wilfredo Hernandez)
Harry Goz – Jewelry Salesman
Michael Vale – Jewelry Salesman
Fred Stuthman – Jewelry Salesman
Lee Steele – Jewelry Salesmen
William Martel – Bank Guard
Glenn Robards – Plainclotheman
Ric Carrott – Plainclothesman
Alma Beltran – Laundress
Daniel Núñez – Guard in Uruguay (as Daniel Nunez)
Tony Pena – Guard in Uruguay
Chuy Franco – Guard in Uruguay
Billy Kearns – Tourist Couple
Sally Wilson – Tourist Couple
Tom Ellis – TV Announcer
Bryant Fraser – Young Photographer
George Dega – Hotel Valet
Gene Bori – French Doctor
Annette Claudier – Nurse
Roger Etienne – Headwaiter
Raymond Serra – Truck Driver (as Ray Serra)
John Garson – Bystander
Charlott Thyssen – Bystander
Estelle Omens – Bystander
Madge Kennedy – Lady in Bank
Jeff Palladini – Young Babe
Scott Price – Young Doc
Abebe Bikila – Himself, marathon runner (archive footage) (uncredited)
S.C. Dacy – Innocent Bystander (uncredited)
Shawn McAllister – Mechanic (uncredited)
Louis Tanno – (uncredited)

Review by Theo Robertson

Marathon Man (1976)

Classic Thriller,
MARATHON MAN starts off with a blackly comical scene of a fatal car crash and just gets better. William Goldman is a legendary screenwriter and seeing his script play out it’s easy to see why. It’s not often we’re treated to a screenplay this intelligent anymore. But the best thing about MARATHON MAN is Laurence Olivier. Sir Larry is nowhere near regarded as highly as a film actor than he was as a stage actor but here he gives an unforgettable performance as a Nazi war criminal. It would have been very easy for Olivier to play the part as a parody but he’s unbelievably convincing as both a mass murderer and a doctor. This is one performance in which Olivier deserved an Oscar nod

Marathon Man (1976)

Review by Wayne Malin

Well done but far too grim and violent,
Thomas ‘Babe’ Levy (Dustin Hoffman) gets unwittingly involved with a gang of vicious people…especially Dr. Christian Szell (Laurence Olivier). It seems his brother Henry ‘Doc’ (Roy Scheider) works for a secret agency and, not knowing it, targeted his brother for danger.

That synopsis may sound a little confused but then the movie is too! This movie has a lot of admirers and I can see why. It’s grim, negative and strong. However, for me, this is far too depressing and the violence is really overdone. There’s strangulation, stabbings and shootings all done with blood gushing out in every direction. There was even a graphic torture scene with Olivier using dental torture on Hoffman. Director John Schlesinger saw it with a preview audience and noticed quite a few people walking out during that section. He realized it was too strong and stopped the movie cold so he had it cut completely. Violence aside, the plot is confusing and there are plot holes galore. There’s some truly terrible dialogue too. Also Marthe Keller and William Devane are terrible in small roles.

The only thing that makes this bearable are the acting and directing. Hoffman and Olivier are both just great in their roles and Scheider is strong in a small part. The directing by Schlesinger is great too (no surprise there). But the grimness, violence and plot holes really wore me down on this one. I can only give it a 6.

“Is it safe?”