Brubaker (1980)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Stuart Rosenberg
(more)

Writers:

Joe Hyams (book)
Thomas O. Murton (book)
(more)

Release Date:

20 June 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The most wanted man in Wakefield prison is the warden!

Plot:

The new warden of a small prison farm in Arkansas tries to clean it up of corruption after initially posing as an inmate.

Plot Keywords:

Whipping | Female Nudity | Male Rape | Hidden Corpse | One Word Title

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Robert Redford	...	Henry Brubaker
Yaphet Kotto	...	Richard 'Dickie' Coombes
Jane Alexander	...	Lillian Gray
Murray Hamilton	...	John Deach
David Keith	...	Larry Lee Bullen
Morgan Freeman	...	Walter
Matt Clark	...	Roy Purcell
Tim McIntire	...	Huey Rauch
Richard Ward	...	Abraham Cook
Jon Van Ness	...	Zaranska
M. Emmet Walsh	...	C.P. Woodward
Albert Salmi	...	Rory Poke
Linda Haynes	...	Carol
Everett McGill	...	Eddie Caldwell
Val Avery	...	Wendel
Ron Frazier	...	Burl Willets (as Ronald C. Frazier)
David Harris	...	Duane Spivey (as David D. Harris)
Joe Spinell	...	Floyd Birdwell
James Keane	...	Pinky
Konrad Sheehan	...	Glenn Elwood
Roy Poole	...	Dr. Gregory
Nathan George	...	Leon Edwards
Don Blakely	...	Jerome Boyd
Lee Richardson	...	Warden Renfro
John McMartin	...	Senator Charles Hite
Alex Brown	...	Fenway Park (as Alex A. Brown)
John Chappell	...	Captain Cleaves
Brent Jennings	...	Mr. Clarence (as Brent N. Jennings)
Harry Groener	...	Dr. Campbell
William Newman	...	Dunfield (as William M. Newman)
Noble Willingham	...	Dr. Fenster
Wilford Brimley	...	Rogers
Jane Cecil	...	Bea Williams
Ebbe Roe Smith	...	Pavitch
Young Hwa Han	...	Leonard Ng
Vic Polizos	...	Billy Baylock
Jack O'Leary	...	Floor Walker
James Dukas	...	Oafish Rankman
J.C. Quinn	...	Barber
Jerry Mayer	...	Barber
Ivy Featherstone	...	Peterson
Kent Broadhurst	...	Whitley
Hazen Gifford	...	Partridge
Elane Rower Richardson	...	Mrs. Renfro
John R. Glover	...	Ackroyd
Bill McNulty	...	Richards
Linda Milligan	...	Female Reporter
Rob Garrison	...	Pretty Boy
James E. Fraunfelter Jr.	...	Barracks Trusty
Ritch Brinkley	...	Gate Guard Ruben
David E. Williams	...	Rank Server
E.J. Pearcy	...	Transfer Guard
J.K. Mahle	...	Bus Driver
Vivian P. Bass	...	Waitress
Greg Martin	...	Trusty
Philip E. Combs	...	Young Reporter
Richard L. Denny	...	State Trooper
Michael Holiday	...	Gate Trusty
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nick Baldasare	...	Prisoner with Shovel (uncredited)
Allison Caine	...	(uncredited) (voice)
Jonathan Gilbert	...	Agitated Prisoner (uncredited)
Monty Jordan	...	Inmate Wrangler (uncredited)
Hank Salas	...	Inmate in Chow Line (uncredited)

Directed by
Stuart Rosenberg
Bob Rafelson		(co-director) (uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Joe Hyams		book
Thomas O. Murton		book
W.D. Richter		screen story
Arthur A. Ross		screen story

Produced by
Ron Silverman	....	producer
Gordon A. Webb	....	associate producer (as Gordon Webb)

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Bruno Nuytten

Film Editing by
Robert Brown

Casting by
Terry Liebling

Production Design by
J. Michael Riva

Art Direction by
J. Michael Riva

Set Decoration by
John Franco Jr.

Costume Design by
Tom Bronson
Bernie Pollack

Makeup Department
Zoltan Elek	....	additional makeup artist
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist
Mike Moschella	....	additional makeup artist
Marina Pedraza	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Gordon A. Webb	....	unit production manager (as Gordon Webb)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jon C. Andersen	....	assistant director
D. Scott Easton	....	second assistant director (as Scott Easton)
Robert E. Rody	....	additional second assistant director

Art Department
John Rozman	....	set dresser
Hendrik Wynands	....	construction coordinator
John Zemansky	....	property master

Sound Department
John S. Coffey	....	boom operator
William Hartman	....	sound effects editor
David M. Ice	....	sound effects editor (as David Ice)
Godfrey Marks	....	dialogue editor
Theodore Soderberg	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Sperber	....	sound effects editor
Paul Wells	....	sound re-recording mixer
Charles M. Wilborn	....	sound mixer (as Charles Wilborn)
Douglas O. Williams	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Douglas Williams)

Special Effects by
Al Wright Jr.	....	special effects
Jay King	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Stunts
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunt coordinator
Monty Jordan	....	assistant stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Oscar Barber	....	camera operator: "b" camera
William D. Barber	....	assistant camera: "b" camera
Enrique Bravo	....	camera operator
Lou Noto	....	assistant camera (as Louis Noto)
Joe Pender	....	gaffer
Vincent Saizis	....	additional photographer
Stephen Wever	....	still photographer
Doug Willis	....	key grip

Casting Department
Mary A. Gaffney	....	extras casting
Gretchen Higgins	....	extras casting
Garrison True	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tom Bronson	....	costumer
Bernie Pollack	....	costumer
Aida Swinson	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Michael Jablow	....	supervising assistant editor
Willie Navarro	....	assistant editor
Pam Sharp	....	assistant editor (as Pamela Sharp)

Music Department
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
Robert H. Raff	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Aram Betkijian	....	transportation coordinator
James Nordberg	....	driver

Other crew
Cullen G. Chambers	....	stand-in: Morgan Freeman
Chip Fowler	....	production coordinator
Jack Hirshberg	....	publicist
Eric Horwitch	....	production assistant
Kenneth Lee	....	head wrangler (as Kenny Lee)
Patrick Markey	....	location supervisor: Ohio
Thomas O. Murton	....	technical advisor
Julie Pitkanen	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• 20th Century Fox (1981) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (1981) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• DeLuxe Laboratories  color by (as DeLuxe)
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Production Systems Inc.  location services

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:18 (1980) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Columbus, Ohio, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Based on the real-life efforts of former prison administrator Thomas O. Murton to reform Tucker and Cummins Prison Farms in Arkansas in 1967-68. Murton served as a technical advisor for the film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: At the end, when the car is leaving the prison, the grass around is violently shaking revealing the helicopter carrying the camera.

Quotes:

Richard 'Dickie' Coombes: What you gon' do about Abraham?
Henry Brubaker: I've got Purcell filling out forms in triplicate, and I'm going to get him released just as soon as I-
Richard 'Dickie' Coombes: Now why do you wanna go and do that?
Henry Brubaker: Do what?
Richard 'Dickie' Coombes: Look, why don't you just leave him be. I mean, all he knows is this place.
Henry Brubaker: You - You knew that he had been in here as long as he'd been in here.
Richard 'Dickie' Coombes: Just leave him alone. He's not- He's not botherin' nobody here.
Henry Brubaker: Hey... You can't hide in prison forever, Coombes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Teen-Age Crime Wave (#6.22)" (1994)

The best prison picture ever

Though Shawshank Redemption has gotten the critical raves and the box office receipts that could make it the best prison story ever filmed, my personal choice for the best film ever done about the penal system is Brubaker.

Based on the true life experiences of Thomas Murton, the co-author of the book the film is based on, Brubaker captures the realities of prison life, the complexities of trying to "reform" the system without sacrificing one iota of entertainment.

Robert Redford leads a great ensemble cast in this film. The people here are real, dealing with complex issues for which there are no simple answers. The corruption of the penal system runs deep and helped in part by the prisoners themselves who don't want to see too much change at once or have a vested interest in seeing things run just as they are. Yaphetto Kotto and Tim McIntire are two such prison trustees, both of them showing very different reasons why they don't like some or all of what Redford is doing as warden.

Among the supporting cast, I'd like to single out David Keith who was the best as the prisoner whose life Brubaker says and ultimately becomes his biggest booster in the joint. A really outstanding job by David Keith as this simple country kid who just got caught up in "the system."

Rare you can say a film is informative as well as entertaining, but Brubaker definitely fits in both categories.