Time Bandits [1981]

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1981
Running Times: 110 mins [USA] 116 mins [UK]
Format: Technicolor 35mm
Ratio: 1.37:1 [negative ratio] 1.66:1 [intended ratio]
Sound: Dolby

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Handmade Films Ltd
Executive Producers: George Harrison, Denis O'Brien
Producer: Terry Gilliam
Associate Producer: Neville C. Thompson
Production Manager: Graham Ford

SCRIPT
Script: Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin

DIRECTION
Director: Terry Gilliam
2nd Unit Director: Julian Doyle
1st Assistant Director: Simon Hinkly
2nd Assistant Director: Guy Travers
3rd Assistant Directors: Chris Thompson, Mark Cooper

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Peter Biziou
Camera Operator: David Garfath
Clapper Loader: Simon Fulford
2nd Unit Clapper Loader: Simon Haveland
Focus Puller: Bob Stilwell
2nd Unit Focus Puller: Brian Herlihy
Gaffers: Reg Parsons, Roy Rodhouse
Electricians: Stuart Monteith, Tug Wilson
Best Boy: Chuck Finch
Grip: Freddie Fry
2nd Unit Grip: Tony Andrews
Stills: Clive Coote
Grip and Lighting Equipment: Lee Lighting Ltd

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Julian Doyle
Assistant Editor: Rodney Glenn
2nd Assistant Editor: Adam Unger

MUSIC
Music: Mike Moran
Additional Music: George Harrison
Greek Dance Music: Trevor Jones
Songs: Rose Jolson, Dreyer [Me And My Shadow]; George Harrison [Dream Away]
Songs Performed By: George Harrison, Dave Mattacks, Alan Jones, Mike Moran, Ray Cooper, Billy Preston, Syreeta, Sarah Ricor [Dream Away]
Song Produced By: George Harrison, Ray Cooper, Phil McDonald [Dream Away]
Song Arranger: Trevor Jones [Me and My Shadows]
Percussion: Ray Cooper
Orchestrator: Mike Moran
Musical Director: Harry Rabinowitz
Music Producer: Ray Cooper

SOUND
Sound Mixer: Garth Marshall
Sound Engineer: John Richards
Boom Operator: Bob Doyle
Dubbing Mixers: Brian Paxton, Paul Carr
Dubbing Editor: Stanley Fiferman
Dialogue Editor: Mike Hopkins
Footsteps Editor: Dino Di Campo
Sound Maintenance: Philip Chubb

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up / Hair: Elaine Carew, Maggie Weston
Assistant Make Up: Sue Frear
Costume Designer: Jim Acheson
Assistant Costume Designer: T. Stephen Miles
Associate Costume Designer: Hazel Côté
Costumers: Dorothy Williams, Richard Cattermole
Wardrobe Mistress: Dorothea Smylie
Wardrobe Assistants: Dai Murch, Gilly Hebden, Tony Williams
Wigs and Beards Maker: Kenneth Lintott

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Senior Technician: John Bunker
Special Effects Technician: Ross King
Special Effects Modellers: Chris Overs, Lewis Coleman
Troll Maker: Ray Scott
Special Effects Consultants: Andy Thompson, Chris Verner
Special Effects Runner: Chris Ostwald

VISUAL EFFECTS
Assistant Modelmakers: Alix Harwood, Behira Thraves, Carol De Jong, Jean Ramsey
Model Photography: Julian Doyle
Visual Effects Camera: Jon Sorensen [uncredited]
Matte Paintings: Ray Caple
Optical Effects: Kent Houston, Paul Whitbread
Assistant Optical Effects: Dennis De Groot, Tim Ollive

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Milly Burns
Art Director: Norman Garwood
Assistant Art Director: Celia Barnett
Property Master: Peter Grant
Dressing Props: Ray Perry
Prop Dresser: Steve Wheeler
Stand-By Props: Dave Newton, John Cole
Production Buyer: Karen Brookes
Storeman: Frank Marks
Drapes: Ron Cowan
Construction Manager: Peter Verard
Supervising Carpenter: Len Day
Carpenters: Micky Fisher, Robert Devine, Dennis Bovington, Gary Hedges, Norman Fletcher, Steve Fitzwater
Stand-By Carpenter: Craig Hillier
Painters: Bob Mason, John Davey
Stand-By Painters: Alan Grenham, Graham Bullock
Scenic Artist: Graham Menage [uncredited]
Plasterers: James Taylor, Bruce Newell, Eric Nash, Michael Melia
Draughtsman: Steve Cooper
Riggers: Dave Everall, Richard Harris
Stand-By Rigger: Dave Wiggins
Stagehands: John Tregear, Les Beaver
Stand-By Stagehand: Douglas Cox

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Penny Eyles
Accountant: Brian Bailey
Assistant Accountants: Michael Yell, Ray Parsons
Accounts Secretary: Geraldine Dunn
Production Assistant: Linda Bruce
Assistant To Producer: Rachel Neale
Production Runner: Steve Parker
Puppet Show: John Styles
Unit Drivers: Brian Brookner, Tony Hocking
Benson The Dog Supplied By: Joan Woodgate
Og the Pig Supplied By: Mike Hearst

LOCATIONS
Locations: Haywood, Birch Hill, Bracknell, Berkshire, England, UK; La Alhambra palace, Granada, Andalucía, Spain; Raglan Castle, Gwent, Wales, UK
Location Manager: Patrick Cassavetti

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special Thanks To: Peter Simms, Shirley Draffan, Simon Burridge, Yvette Warnock

STUNTS
Stunt Arrangers: Peter Brayham, Terry Yorke
Wireman: Bob Harman
Stunt Double For Knight / Hussar: Brian Bowes [uncredited]

CASTING
Casting: Irene Lamb

CAST
John Cleese [Robin Hood]
Sean Connery [King Agamemnon]
Shelley Duvall [Pansy]
Katherine Helmond [Mrs. Ogre]
Ian Holm [Napoleon]
Michael Palin [Vincent]
Ralph Richardson [Supreme Being]
Peter Vaughan [Winston the Ogre]
David Warner [Evil Genius]
David Rappaport [Randall]
Kenny Baker [Fidgit]
Malcolm Dixon [Strutter]
Mike Edmonds [Og]
Jack Purvis [Wally]
Tiny Ross [Vermin]
Craig Warnock [Kevin]
David Daker [Kevin's Father]
Sheila Fearn [Kevin's Mother]
Jim Broadbent [Compere]
John Young [Reginald]
Myrtle Devenish [Beryl]
Leon Lissek [1st refugee]
Terence Bayler [Lucien]
Preston Lockwood [Neguy]
Charles McKeown [theatre manager]
David Leland [puppeteer]
John Hughman [The Great Rumbozo]
Derrick O'Connor [robber leader]
Neil McCarthy [2nd robber]
Declan Mulholland [3rd robber]
Peter Jonfield [arm wrestler]
Derek Deadman [Robert]
Jerold Wells [Benson]
Roger Frost [Cartwright]
Martin Carroll [Baxi Brazilia III]
Marcus Powell [Horseflesh]
Winston Dennis [bull-headed warrior]
Del Baker [Greek fighting warrior]
Juliette James [Clytemnestra]
Ian Muir [giant]
Mark Holmes [troll father]
Andrew MacLachlan [fireman]
Chris Grant [voice of TV announcer]
Tony Jay [voice of Supreme Being]
Edwin Finn [Supreme Being's face]
Frances de la Tour [Salvation Army Major - uncredited]

Young Kevin's life is turned upside down one night when a knight on horseback appears from his bedroom wardrobe, following by a gang of dwarf thieves on the run from the Supreme Being after stealing his map showing the flaws in His greatest creation. Using these "time holes", the Time Bandits are able to plunder the treasures of history and soon Kevin is on a breathtaking chase through time and space.

After the wonderful Jabberwocky [1977], Gilliam made this, his first gold-plated masterpiece. Surreal, hysterical and visually highly inventive, it was quite unlike any other film released 1981. The cast is amazing, the script [as you'd expect] is chock full of Pythonesque humour and sheer wealth of imagination would keep many a lesser director in material for an entire career. Essential viewing.

Canada
Theatrical Distributor: New World-Mutual

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Handmade Films Ltd

USA
Theatrical Distributor: AVCO Embassy Pictures
Video Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment
DVD Distributors: Criterion [CC 1552D]; Anchor Bay [DV 10685]

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Australia
Rating: PG

Finland
Rating: K-12

France
Rating: U

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: PG

USA
Rating: PG

West Germany
Rating: 6

1982
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA
President's Award - winner

Hugo Awards, USA
Best Dramatic Presentation - nominated

1983
Fantasporto, Portugal
International Fantasy Film Award Best Film [Terry Gilliam] - nominated

1981
July
13: UK - theatrical release

November
13: USA - theatrical release

1982
February
12: Sweden - theatrical release

March
18: West Germany - theatrical release

1983
February
Day Unknown: Portugal - shown at the Fantasporto Film Festival
11: Finland - theatrical release

1999
March
30: USA - DVD release [Criterion [CC 1552D]]

May
4: USA - DVD release [Anchor Bay [DV 10685]]

2001
December
12: France - theatrical re-release

All the dreams you've ever had - and not just the good ones...

...they didn't make history, they stole it!

Aikavarkaat - Finnish title
I banditi del tempo - Italian title
Bandits, bandits - French title
Bandyci czasu - Polish title
Det varas för banditerna - Swedish title
Los héroes del tiempo - Spanish title
Os Ladroes do Tempo - Portugese title
Rosvoja, rosvoja! - Finnish title

MAGAZINES

Correio da Manha, TV 21 August 1998 p.30 [Portugal]
review

KEYWORDS

ancient greece, bandits, children, cosmic zooms, deities, dwarves, giants, god, knights, magic, napoleon, robin hood, shipwrecks, surrealism, time travel, the titanic, transformations

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007