Papillon - 1973
The greatest adventure of escape ever filmed!
Director(s)
Franklin J. Schaffner
Writer(s)
Henri Charrière (novel)
Dalton Trumbo and
Lorenzo Semple Jr.
Producer(s)
Robert Dorfmann producer
Robert O. Kaplan assistant producer
Ted Richmond executive producer
Franklin J. Schaffner producer
Cast
Steve McQueen - Henri 'Papillon' Charriere
Dustin Hoffman - Louis Dega
Victor Jory - Indian chief
Don Gordon - Julot
Anthony Zerbe - Toussaint Leper Colony chief
Robert Deman - Maturette
Woodrow Parfrey - Clusiot
Bill Mumy - Lariot
George Coulouris - Dr. Chatal
Ratna Assan - Zoraima
William Smithers - Warden Barrot
Val Avery - Pascal
Gregory Sierra - Antonio
Vic Tayback - Sergeant (as Victor Tayback)
Mills Watson - Guard
Ron Soble - Santini
Barbara Morrison - Mother Superior
Don Hanmer - Butterfly trader
E.J. André - Old Con
Richard Angarola - Commandant
Jack Denbo - Classification officer
Len Lesser - Guard
John Quade - Masked Breton
Fred Sadoff - Deputy Warden
Allen Jaffe - Turnkey
Liam Dunn - Old trustee
Peter Brocco - Doctor (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth - Manhunter (uncredited)
Billy M. Greene - Old man (uncredited)
Anne Byrne Hoffman - Mrs. Dega (uncredited)
Fred Lerner - Convict on ship (uncredited)
Harry Monty - (uncredited)
Ellen Moss - Nun (uncredited)
Dalton Trumbo - Commandant (uncredited)
Review by Theo Robertson
Papillon (1973)
Good Story ....,
..... But that’s all it is, a story. Having watched several documentaries on Devil’s Island there is some debate on weather Henri Charriere had even been an inmate at the penal colony, or if the claimed incidents happened but they all agree on one thing - none of these incidents actually happened to Charriere, other inmates maybe but not to Charriere .
Watching PAPILLON the film (I’ve never read the novel ...sorry book) it just doesn’t ring true on arrival the inmates are warned about Madame guillotine but several times in the film Charriere violently attacks guards and Louis Dega is seen to hit a guard over the head possibly killing him, and these two trouble makers survive captivity and recapture without getting their heads cut off! Also unlikely is the scene where Charriere and Dega`s fellow escapee dies in a very dramatic way - just as Chairrere comes out of a hellhole after spending five years in solitary confinement. How very very convenient to have such a dramatic moment at that particular time, and one of Dega`s victims just happens to work in the reception area of the prison leading to some difficult work detail for him and Charriere, man astronomical bad luck just isn’t the word. Oh and where’s the depiction of " The terrible promiscuity " that History Channel documentaries refer to on Devil’s Island?
Controversy as to the veracity of Charriere`s book aside PAPILLON is still a rather average film despite its epic qualities, the script is very episodic and disjointed, McQueen gives a brooding performance which isn’t exactly bad but neither is it memorable. Hoffman is good as Dega but I can no longer take him seriously because he looks exactly like Adam Clayton the bass player from U2! I’m being serious here, watch PAPILLON and look at a photo of U2 post JOSHUA TREE to see what I mean
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