The Omen (1976)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1976
Running Times: 107 mins (Germany - with cuts)      111 mins
Format: colour     35mm      Panavision (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Twentieth Century Fox
Executive Producer: Mace Neufeld
Producer: Harvey Bernhard
Associate Producer: Charles Orme
Production Manager: Claude Hudson

SCRIPT
Script: David Seltzer

DIRECTION
Director: Richard Donner
Assistant Director: David Tomblin
2nd Assistant Director: Steve Lanning

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Gilbert Taylor
Camera Operator: Gerry Anstiss
Chief Electrician: Ron Taberer
Electrician: Peter Bloor (uncredited)
Stills: Robert Penn
Labs: Rank Film Laboratories, Denham, UK
Colour: DeLuxe
Grip and Lighting Equipment: Lee Lighting Ltd

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Stuart Baird
Assistant Editor: Chris Risdale

MUSIC
Music: Jerry Goldsmith
Lyrics: Jerry Goldsmith (Ave Satanis); Carol Heather (The Piper Dreams)
Songs Performed By: Carol Heather (The Piper Dreams)
Orchestrator: Arthur Morton (uncredited)
Music Recorded At: Music Centre, England
Music Re-Recorded At: De Lane Lea, London

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Gordon Everett
Dubbing Editor: Les Wiggins
Dubbing Mixer: Doug Turner
Dialogue Editor: Chris Lancaster
Re-Recording Facilities: National Screen Service Limited, London

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Chief Make Up: Stuart Freeborn
Wardrobe Supervisor: G.W. Nicholls
Hair: Pat McDermott

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: John Richardson, George Gibbs (uncredited)
Titles: National Screen Service Ltd, London

VISUAL EFFECTS
Optical Effects: Roy Field (uncredited)

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Carmen Dillon
Assistant Art Director: George Richardson
Construction Manager: Reg Richards
Set Dresser: Tessa Davies
Propert Masters: George Ball, John Chisholm

LOCATIONS
Locations: Bishops Park, London, England, UK; Brookwood Cemetary, Woking, Surrey, England, UK; Grosvenor Square, London, England, UK; Guildford Cathedral, Guildford, Surrey, England, UK; Pryford Court, Ripley, England, UK; Jerusalem, Israel; Rome, Lazio, Italy
Location Manager: Bernard Hanson

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Elaine Schreyeck
Religious Advisors: Robert Munger, Rev. Don Williams
Production Assistant / Secrectary: Jeanne Ferber
Assistant to Producer: Carolee Danz
Special Assistant to Director: Judy Friesen
Dog Owned and Trained by: Ben and Joan Woodgate
Cars Supplied By: Ford Motor Co

CASTING
Casting: Maude Spector

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Alf Joint

CAST
Gregory Peck (Robert Thorn)
Lee Remick (Katherine Thorn)
David Warner (Keith Jennings)
Billie Whitelaw (Mrs Baylock)
Harvey Stephens (Damien Thorn)
Patrick Troughton (Father Brennan)
Martin Benson (Father Spiletto)
Robert Rietty (monk)
Tommy Duggan (priest)
John Stride (the psychiatrist)
Anthony Nicholls (Doctor Becker)
Holly Palance (young nanny)
Roy Boyd (reporter)
Freda Dowie (nun)
Sheila Raynor (Mrs Horton)
Robert MacLeod (Horton)
Bruce Boa (Thorn's aide)
Don Fellows (Thorn's 2nd aide)
Patrick McAlinney (photographer)
Dawn Perllman (chambermaid)
Nancy Mannigham (nurse)
Miki Iveria (1st 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)
Yakov Banai (Arab)
Leo McKern (Bugenhagen - uncredited)
The Officers and Men of the US Marine Barracks, London

When his child is born stillborn, American ambassador to Italy Robert Thorn arranges for another child to be substituted. But the child, Damien, is the Antichrist, the son of Satan, who will go on to destroy the world. As he grows up, a series of strange deaths surround him and Thorn begins to realise the terrible truth about his 'son'...

Subtler than The Exorcist (1973) and frequently more unsettling for it, The Omen was the first big budget response to William Friedkin's blockbuster. The set piece killings are now legendary, particularly the excellent demise of David Warner's poor photographer, the direction is tense and atmospheric and the acting first rate.

Germany
DVD Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment; includes - audio commentary by Richard Donner and Stuart Baird; 666: The Omen Revealed documentary; Jerry Goldsmith interview; Curse or Coincidence documentary)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Video Distributor: CBS/Fox
Laserdisc Distributor: Fox Video (1079-85); Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (0890985; includes - theatrical trailer; isolated musical score); Encore (EE 1108); CBS Fox (1079-80)
DVD Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000451 - as part of The Omen Collection; includes - audio commentaries by Richard Donner, Stuart Baird and Harvey Bernhard; 666: The Omen Revealed documentary; Jerry Goldsmith interview; Curse or Consequence documentary); Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000448 - Special Edition; includes - audio commentary by Richard Donner and Stuart Baird; 666: The Omen Revealed documentary; Jerry Goldsmith interview; Curse or Coincidence documentary)

Australia
Rating: MA

Australia
Rating: M

Finland
Rating: K-18

Norway
Rating: 18

Sweden
The decapitation of Jennings is cut by 11 seconds

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R

West Germany
Rating: 16

AWARDS

1976
British Society of Cinematographers
Best Cinematography Award (Gilbert Taylor) - winner

1977
Academy Awards, USA
Best Music, Original Score (Jerry Goldsmith) - winner
Best Music, Song (Jerry Goldsmith - for Ave Satani) - nominated

British Academy Awards
Best Supporting Actress (Billie Whitelaw) - nominated

Edgar Allan Poe Awards
Best Motion Picture (David Seltzer) - nominated

Golden Globes, USA
Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture: Male (Harvey Stephens) - nominated

Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen (David Seltzer) - nominated

1976
June
25: USA - theatrical release

September
Day Unknown: Austria - theatrical release
25: West Germany - theatrical release

November
5: Finland - theatrical release

1992
April
2: USA - laserdisc release (Fox Video (1079-85))

1995
October
1: USA - laserdisc release (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (0890985))

1996
September
Day Unknown: USA - laserdisc release (Encore (EE 1108))

2000
September
5: USA - DVD release (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000451 - as part of The Omen Collection); Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000448 - Special Edition))

2001
May
17: Germany - DVD release (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - as part of The Omen Collection; Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - Special Edition)

Good morning. You are one day closer to the end of the world. You have been warned.

It is the greatest mystery of all beacuse no human being will ever solve it. It is the highest suspense because no man can bear it. It is the greatest fear because it is the ancient fear of the unknown. It is a warning foretold for thousands of years. It is our final warning. It is The Omen.

Those who foretold it are dead. Those who can stop it are in grave danger.

The Birthmark - working title
Omen I - reissue title
Omen I: The Antichrist - reissue title
Omen I: The Birthmark - reissue title

SEQUELS
Damien: Omen II (1978)
The Final Conflict (1981)
Omen IV: The Awakening (1991)
The Omen (1995)

SEE ALSO
Bless the Child (2000)
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)
La chiesa (1988)
El día de la bestia (1995)
End of Days (1999)
The Exorcist (1973)
Final Destination (2000)
The Godsend (1980)
Mouse Hunt (1997)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Wacko (1981)
Wayne's World (1992)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
666: The Omen Revealed (2000)
AFI's 100 Years, 100 Thrills: America's Most Heart-Pounding Movies (2001)
The Omen Legacy (2001)
Terror in the Aisles (1984)

MAGAZINES

Fangoria no.105 (1995) pp.44-48 (USA)
illustrated interview with Harvey Bernhard (When The Omen First Was Spoken by Tom Weaver)

Halls of Horror no.27 p.25
note

TV Times 29 September - 5 October 1990 pp.22, 40
credits, review

BOOKS

Horror and Science Fiction Films Volume II p.291
credits

Horror Film Handbook p.108
credits, review (by Alan Frank)

Video Movie Guide p.152
credits, review

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

antichrist, children, politicians, hangings, decapitations, the occult, the paranormal, birthmarks, twist endings, priests, religion, nannies, severed heads, photographers, archaeologists, dogs

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008