Wise Blood (1979)

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Flannery O'Connor (novel)
Benedict Fitzgerald (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 February 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

An American Masterpiece!

Plot:

A Southerner--young, poor, ambitious but uneducated--determines to become something in the world. He decides that the best way to do that is to become a preacher and start up his own church.

Plot Keywords:

Church | Preacher | Disciple | Bible | Museum

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Brad Dourif	...	Hazel Motes
John Huston	...	Grandfather (as Jhon Huston)
Dan Shor	...	Enoch Emory
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Asa Hawks
Amy Wright	...	Sabbath Lily
Mary Nell Santacroce	...	Landlady
Ned Beatty	...	Hoover Shoates
William Hickey	...	Preacher
J.L. Parker	...	Karl
Marvin Sapp
Richard Earle
Herb Kossover	...	Jacob Wood
Betty Lou Groover
John Tyndall
Gillaaron Houck
Philip Mixer
Sharon Johnson
Joe Dorsey
Stratton Leopold	...	Depressed Human
Leonard Holmes
Daniel Albright
Tommy Alson
Harold Horne
Jim Barbee
Gene Howard
Raymond Foskey
Vicky Dyer
Jerry Rushing
Ken Flower
Gladys Hill
Ray Wilkes	...	Slade Bob Jackson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dan Albright	...	Policeman (as Daniel Albright)
Allan A. Apone	...	Gonga The Gorilla (uncredited)
Don Chambers	...	Street Listener (uncredited)
William Finley	...	Man (uncredited)

Directed by
John Huston		(as Jhon Huston)

Writing credits
Flannery O'Connor		(novel)
Benedict Fitzgerald		(screenplay) &
Michael Fitzgerald		(screenplay)

Produced by
Hans Brockmann	....	associate producer
Kathy Fitzgerald	....	producer
Michael Fitzgerald	....	producer
Wolfgang Limmer	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Alex North

Cinematography by
Gerry Fisher

Film Editing by
Roberto Silvi

Casting by
Stratton Leopold

Set Decoration by
Sally Fitzgerald

Costume Design by
Sally Fitzgerald

Makeup Department
Allan A. Apone	....	makeup artist (as Al Apone)

Production Management
Stratton Leopold	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gene Anderson Jr.	....	second assistant director
Tom Shaw	....	assistant director
Tony Huston	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Tom Shaw Jr.	....	property master

Sound Department
Colin Charles	....	sound recordist
Michael Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gary Weir	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Bremner	....	gaffer
Bernard Ford	....	camera operator (as Benny Ford)
J.L. Parker	....	generator operator
Mike Rutter	....	first assistant camera (as Michael Rutter)
Jimmy Waters	....	key grip
Denny Mooradian	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Uta Freiwald	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Cesare D'Amico	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Michael Fronik	....	music editor
Alex North	....	music adaptor
Bob Badami	....	assistant music editor (uncredited)
Curt Sobel	....	music editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Marlowe Thompson	....	transportation

Other crew
Angela Allen	....	script supervisor
Dennis McCarthy	....	assistant: Alex North
Barbara McKenzie	....	title stills
Jim McCarthy	....	post-production accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Anthea
• Ithaca

Distributors

• Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (1980) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1981) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye (UK)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• New Line Cinema (1980) (USA)
• Pixel World (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• La Da Productions  music edition
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Sam Shaw Enterprises  post-production sound re-recording

Also Known As:

"Der Ketzer" - West Germany
"Die Weisheit des Blutes" - West Germany
"John Huston's Wise Blood" - USA (complete title)
"Ehdoton totuus" - Finland (TV title)
"El profeta del diablo" - Spain (alternative title)
"La saggezza nel sangue" - Italy
"Le malin" - France
"Ondt blod" - Denmark
"Ont blod" - Sweden
"Sangre sabia" - Spain
"Sangue Selvagem" - Portugal (imdb display title)
"Wise Blood - Csalhatatlan vér" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Wise Blood - levoton veri" - Finland

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA | West Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Sweden:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | UK:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Macon, Georgia, USA

Company:

Anthea

Goofs:

Continuity: The road behind Hazel as he gets out of the ruck is different from the road behind him as he walks away.

Quotes:

Hazel:I don't have to run away from anything, cause I don't believe in anything.

wise blood

Brad Dourif's performance as Hazel Motes is one of the finest I have ever seen. His talent is only matched by the brilliant direction of John Huston and the writing of Flannery O'Connor. Also Harry Dean Stanton and Amy Write are perfect together as the Father, Daughter team. It is sad, really, that films of this caliber aren't being produced anymore. Excellent acting. excellent writing. excellent direction. excellent soundtrack, and art direction. I applaud John Huston and the producers for doing the right thing here, and making a film that captured the feelings and the soul of a writer, O'Conner, and didn't give into basic, commercial self - interest.There was a time when FILMS meant something to people. We don't need another "Chucky get's Lucky" film; what we need are compelling films for people like Brad Dourif and the like minded talent in his company to have a chance to work in.