The Omen (1976)

Director:

Richard Donner

Writer:

David Seltzer (written by)

Release Date:

25 June 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

OUR FINAL WARNING.

Plot:

An American ambassador learns to his horror that his son is actually the literal Antichrist.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Ambassador | Stillborn Child | Hospital | Death

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Robert Thorn
Lee Remick	...	Katherine Thorn
David Warner	...	Jennings
Billie Whitelaw	...	Mrs. Baylock
Harvey Stephens	...	Damien
Patrick Troughton	...	Father Brennan
Martin Benson	...	Father Spiletto
Robert Rietty	...	Monk
Tommy Duggan	...	Priest
John Stride	...	The Psychiatrist
Anthony Nicholls	...	Dr. Becker
Holly Palance	...	Nanny
Roy Boyd	...	Reporter
Freda Dowie	...	Nun
Sheila Raynor	...	Mrs. Horton
Robert MacLeod	...	Horton
Bruce Boa	...	Thorn's Aide
Don Fellows	...	Thorn's Second Aide
Patrick McAlinney	...	Photographer
Dawn Perllman	...	Chambermaid
Nancy Mannigham	...	Nurse (as Nancy Manningham)
Miki Iveria	...	First Nun
Betty McDowall	...	American Secretary
Nicholas Campbell	...	Marine
Burnell Tucker	...	Secret Service Man
Ronald Leigh-Hunt	...	Gentleman at Rugby Match
Guglielmo Spoletini	...	Italian Taxi Driver
Ya'ackov Banai	...	Arab (as Yakov Banai)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harvey Bernhard	...	Man walking across street (uncredited)
Leo McKern	...	Carl Bugenhagen (uncredited)
Bill Reimbold	...	General (uncredited)
Christine Spooner	...	Funeral mourner (uncredited)
Damian John Spooner	...	Boy at top of slide (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Donner

Writing credits
David Seltzer		(written by)

Produced by
Harvey Bernhard	....	producer
Mace Neufeld	....	executive producer
Charles Orme	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Gilbert Taylor		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Stuart Baird

Casting by
Maude Spector

Art Direction by
Carmen Dillon

Makeup Department
Stuart Freeborn	....	chief makeup artist
Patricia McDermott	....	hair stylist (as Pat McDermott)

Production Management
Claude Hudson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steve Lanning	....	second assistant director
David Tomblin	....	assistant director
Stuart Baird	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
George Ball	....	property master
Tessa Davies	....	set dresser
George Richardson	....	assistant art director
Reg Richards	....	construction manager
John Chisholm	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gordon Everett	....	sound recordist
Chris Lancaster	....	dialogue editor
Doug E. Turner	....	dubbing mixer (as Doug Turner)
Les Wiggins	....	dubbing editor
Charlie McFadden	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John Richardson	....	special effects
George Gibbs	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Roy Field	....	optical effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Alf Joint	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Gerry Anstiss	....	camera operator
Bob Penn	....	still photographer (as Robert Penn)
Ron Taberer	....	chief electrician
Peter Bloor	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tiny Nicholls	....	wardrobe supervisor (as G.W. Nicholls)

Editorial Department
Chris Ridsdale	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Lionel Newman	....	conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
Carolee Danz	....	assistant to producer
Jeanne Ferber	....	production assistant
Jeanne Ferber	....	secretary
Judy Friesen	....	special assistant to director
Bernard Hanson	....	location manager
Robert Munger	....	religious advisor
Elaine Schreyeck	....	continuity
Don Williams	....	religious advisor (as Rev. Don Williams Ph.D)
Ben Woodgate	....	dog owner and trainer
Joan Woodgate	....	dog owner and trainer

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Productions (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox Video (1984) (Belgium) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (198?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Encore Entertainment (1996) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Fox Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1979) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Ford Motor Company  automobiles furnished by
• Music Centre, The  music recording
• De Lane Lea Sound Centre  sound re-recording
• National Screen Service  titles
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color by (as DeLuxe)
• Rank Film Laboratories  processed by

Also Known As:

Omen I (reissue title)
Omen I: The Antichrist (reissue title)
Omen I: The Birthmark (reissue title)
The Antichrist (USA) (working title)
The Birthmark (USA) (working title)
Das Omen (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
A Profecia (Brazil) [pt]
Ennustus (Finland) [fi]
I profiteia (Greece) [el]
Il presagio (Italy) [it]
Kehanet (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
La malédiction (France) [fr]
La profecía (Spain) [es]
Omen (Sweden) [sv]
Omen (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

111 min | Germany:107 min (cut version)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Latin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:(Banned) (video release, 1989-1991) | New Zealand:R16 (1992 re-rating) | New Zealand:R18 (original rating) | Iceland:16 | UK:X (original rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2006) | UK:18 (video rating) (1987) | Sweden:15 | Spain:18 | South Korea:15 | Canada:R (video rating) | Portugal:M/16 | UK:18 (tv rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Brazil:16 | Australia:MA (25th anniversary special edition) | Australia:R (original rating) | Canada:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R (certificate #24560) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

All Saints Church, Fulham, London, England, UK

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Productions

Trivia:

More than twice the film's original $2.8 million budget was spent on the film's advertising and promotion.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the mother falls off the second floor and lands her right arm is pointing up, then they cut to the child looking at her. When they cut back to her, her right arm is pointing down.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Father Spiletto: [voiceover] The child is dead. He breathed for a moment. Then he breathed no more. The child is dead. Dead. The child is dead.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Curse of 'The Omen' (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Piper Dreams

The Devil Made Him Do It!

Following the heels of the success of The Exorcist, The Omen tells the story of the son of Satan being born from a mysterious pregnancy and given to a U.S. ambassador and his wife in Italy. The couple raise the young child, but things begin to happen to the couple as the boy matures. A governess hangs herself. The child acts wildly when brought near a Church. A spooky governess appears from nowhere to take care of the child. A black evil dog takes up residence at the child's bedroom. To complicate matters, a priest gets in touch with the father and tells him to beware his son and that he is the spawn of evil. The Omen works very well due to several factors. The script is generally well-written. The story is very implausable in some places, but it works on the whole. The use of powerhouse stars like Gregory Peck and Lee Remick in the leads help to give the film the royal treatment, making sure no one mistakes the budget, level of ability, and time put into this production. Peck is very good in his role as a man convinced(finally) of horrifying news. The rest of the cast does equally well with some fine performances by Billie Whitelaw as the crazed, manical governess, Patrick Troughton as the conscience-torn priest, David Warner as a helpful photographer, and Harvey Stephens as the young, sweet-yet evil looking Damien. Most of the film's success can be attributed to director Richard Donner. Donner keeps the pacing of the film tight, uses some first-rate pan shots, and creates a mood and suspense that build climatically throughout the film. Some of the scenes that are most memorable include Damien on a tricycle, Peck and Warner in a cemetery, and most famous of all is the priest's demise. A wonderfully shot sequence. The music in the film is a great asset to the overall mood. A very good film....not nearly as gory or shocking as The Exorcist but still as powerful in its own right for its seemingly somewhat realistic adaptation of scripture.