Avalanche Express
Avalanche Express is a 1979 Cold War adventure thriller film produced and directed by Mark Robson and starring Lee Marvin, Robert Shaw, Maximilian Schell, and Linda Evans. The plot is about the struggle over a defecting Russian general. The screenplay by Abraham Polonsky was based on a 1977 novel by Colin Forbes.
| Avalanche Express | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Mark Robson |
| Produced by | Mark Robson |
| Screenplay by | Abraham Polonsky |
| Based on | Avalanche Express 1977 novel by Colin Forbes |
| Starring | Lee Marvin Robert Shaw Linda Evans Maximilian Schell |
| Music by | Allyn Ferguson |
| Cinematography | Jack Cardiff (uncredited) |
| Edited by | Garth Craven |
| Color process | Color by D Luxe |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $12 million[1] |
Plot
Russian general Marenkov (Robert Shaw) decides to defect to the West and CIA agent Harry Wargrave (Lee Marvin) leads the team that is to get him out. Wargrave decides that Marenkov should travel across Europe by train, on the fictional "Avalanche Express". The idea is to lure the Russians into attacking the train and thus discover who their secret agents in Europe are. Consequently, during the train journey they must survive both a terrorist attack and an avalanche, all planned by Russian spy-catcher Nikolai Bunin (Maximilian Schell).
Cast
- Lee Marvin as Col. Harry Wargrave
- Robert Shaw as Gen. Marenkov (Voice later dubbed by Robert Reitty.)
- Linda Evans as Elsa Lang
- Maximilian Schell as Col. Nikolai Bunin
- Joe Namath as Leroy
- Horst Buchholz as Julian Scholten
- Mike Connors as Haller
- Claudio Cassinelli as Col. Molinari
- Kristina Nel as Helga Mann
- David Hess as Geiger
- Günter Meisner as Rudi Muehler
- Sylva Langova as Olga
- Cyril Shaps as Sedov
- Vladek Sheybal as Zannbin
- Arthur Brauss as Neckermann
- Sky du Mont as Philip John
- Richard Marner as General Prachko
- Arnold Drummond as Commissar (Maxim Gorky)
- Paul Glawion as Alfredo
- Dan van Husen as Bernardo
Production problems
During production in Ireland, both director Mark Robson and starring actor Robert Shaw died of heart attacks within weeks of each other. Monte Hellman was brought in to finish the direction and Gene Corman (Roger Corman's brother) was called in to complete Robson's duties as producer.[2]
Robert Rietti was hired to re-record Robert Shaw's dialogue in the opening scene, as it was decided to redo that scene in Russian with English subtitles instead of having the Russians speak broken English. As a consequence, for continuity, all of Shaw's dialogue throughout the film was re-recorded by Rietti.
Hellman, Corman and Rietti were not credited for their work, but the film's end credit contains a note stating: "The producers wish to express their appreciation to Monte Hellman and Gene Corman for their post production services."
Critical reaction
Vincent Canby of The New York Times criticized the film's tackiness, suggesting it was copied from The Cassandra Crossing and likening it to the work of exploitation filmmaker Lew Grade, criticising the actors as appearing "at a loss".[3] Time Out called it "awful", "formulary" and "hammily acted" but explained its curious editing as resulting from the production problems.[4] The Radio Times gave it 2/5 stars, noting its disjointed quality but praising the acting and snowy special effects.[5]Leonard Maltin's annual publication "TV Movies" gives the film a BOMB rating.
See also
References
- Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Pres58
- Monte Hellman: his life and films, pages 130 to 133
- Canby, Vincent (October 19, 1979). "Film: 'Avalanche Express':Snow Job". New York Times. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- "Avalanche Express". Time Out. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- Hutchinson, Tom. "Avalanche Express". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 July 2015.