498:. Filming was physically tough, complicated by increased security caused by terrorism in Europe, and Robson's health deteriorated. The movie had been filming for 65 days in Europe, with ten to go, when Robson fell ill. He was flown to a hospital in London where he died of a heart attack on 20 June 1978. "He sure went with his boots on," said Marvin. Mike Connors said Robson's death "was not unexpected. We could see him go downhill from day to day. The lack of communication on a European picture is terribly exhausting."
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Abraham
Polonsky wrote the script. Robson called the novel "rather sprawly for film" and "very difficult to synthesize into a motion picture. What Abe brought to it was unity. He has given the characters better motivations which means the total work is better motivated." Robson added the film "does
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Wargrave's team hustles
Marenkov onto the Atlantic Express train to travel across Europe. During the extraction, Wargrave is killed, but his death is a ruse. He reappears on the train's crew, and he is using Marenkov as bait to lure Soviet agents out of hiding. Wargrave knows they will attack the
539:
was hired to re-record Robert Shaw's dialogue in the opening scene, as it was decided to redo that scene in
Russian with English subtitles instead of having the Russians speak broken English. As a consequence, for continuity, all of Shaw's dialogue throughout the film was re-recorded by Rietti.
543:
Hellman later said he worked on the film for a year and estimated he directed around ten percent of the principal photography, plus all the special effects. "We had to shoot three new live action scenes plus all the special effects scenes and all of the avalanche stuff, and so it was a pretty
324:
between the front and the back of the train, which allows the lead cars to escape to the safety of a tunnel. At another point, the train is hijacked, but the attempt is foiled. The film ends with
Marenkov safely on board a jet headed for his debriefing in the West.
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gave it 2/5 stars, noting its disjointed quality but praising the acting and snowy special effects. Leonard Maltin's annual publications "TV Movies" and "Movie Guide" give the film a BOMB rating and were especially critical of the cast.
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Hellman, Corman and Rietti were not credited for their work, but the film's end credit contains a note stating: "The producers wish to express their appreciation to Monte
Hellman and Gene Corman for their post production services."
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complicated," he said. "It was the biggest picture I had worked on. I learned a lot on shooting really complex special effects, with miniatures and so forth, combining miniatures and live action."
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In June 1977 it was announced film rights had purchased by
Lorimar Films, the filmmaking arm of Lorimar Productions, best known for its work in television. Mark Robson, who had just made
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spy-catcher
Nikolai Bunin (Maximilian Schell) leads the Soviet agents who try several ways of stopping Marenkov's defection. They trigger an avalanche. Wargrave detonates the
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Soviet
General Marenkov (Robert Shaw) decides to defect to the West. He is in charge of Operation Winter Harvest, a plot to poison crops in the West.
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called it "awful", "formulary" and "hammily acted" but explained its curious editing as resulting from the production problems. The
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make a political statement in a way... The movie will really come out for those who want to live in peace and co operation."
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praised it as an "extremely satisfying modern adventure story... told in razor sharp style."
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The film was based on a novel by Colin Forbes which was published in 1977.
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Schreger, Charles (21 February 1979). "Tracking the 'Avalance
Express'".
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Thomas, Kevin (19 October 1979). "'Avalance': Journey with Pitfalls".
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Thomas, Bob (15 December 1978). "Connors putting his fists away".
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Kilday, Gregg (17 December 1977). "Shaw riding the rails again".
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criticized the film's tackiness, suggesting it was copied from
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Kilday, Gregg (20 July 1977). "Adding Sting to a Bee Movie".
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Bryson, John (9 July 1978). "Mark Robson gives his all".
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Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History
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Leonard Maltin's 2015 Movie Guide The Modern Era, p.72
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and likening it to the work of exploitation filmmaker
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as Gen. Marenkov (Voice later dubbed by Robert Rietti)
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433:Arnold Drummond as Commissar (Maxim Gorky)
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613:rates the film 20% based on 5 reviews.
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922:"Avalanche Express | Rotten Tomatoes"
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837:"Film: 'Avalanche Express':Snow Job"
314:train and expose their identities.
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769:Monte Hellman: his life and films
523:after the death of its director,
479:), signed to produce and direct.
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272:, and produced and directed by
1388:Films based on thriller novels
1333:American action thriller films
1207:The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
623:List of American films of 1979
1:
1433:Films set in the Soviet Union
1383:Films based on British novels
1358:Films directed by Mark Robson
280:was based on a 1977 novel by
1353:1970s English-language films
989:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
509:to finish the direction and
238:$ 12 million or $ 11 million
1348:American spy thriller films
1338:Irish action thriller films
1323:1970s action thriller films
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1271:Happy Birthday, Wanda June
782:Dixon, Wheeler W. (2007).
693:"Latest novels round up".
382:Kristina Nel as Helga Mann
191:October 19, 1979
1418:Films set in West Germany
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697:. 5 May 1977. p. 13.
501:Lorimar Films' President
180:August 30, 1979
33:Theatrical release poster
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1408:Films set in Switzerland
1373:Films about bioterrorism
1328:1970s spy thriller films
16:1979 film by Mark Robson
1343:American disaster films
824:. p. Part IV p 27.
436:Paul Glawion as Alfredo
1428:Films set in Amsterdam
1263:Daddy's Gone A-Hunting
1159:The Bridges at Toko-Ri
926:www.rottentomatoes.com
727:. p. Part II p 7.
667:. p. Part IV p 8.
578:The Cassandra Crossing
337:as Col. Harry Wargrave
1448:Films shot in Bavaria
1413:Films set in the Alps
740:The Los Angeles Times
710:The Los Angeles Times
665:The Los Angeles Times
355:as Col. Nikolai Bunin
304:where a rehearsal of
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1443:Films shot in Munich
1423:Films set in Belgium
1183:The Harder They Fall
588:Kevin Thomas of the
490:Shooting started in
199: (United States)
1438:Films set on trains
1403:Films set in Zürich
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888:"Avalanche Express"
862:"Avalanche Express"
1453:Avalanches in film
1398:Films set in Italy
1393:Films set in Milan
1368:Cold War spy films
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1223:Nine Hours to Rama
1135:Return to Paradise
1039:The Seventh Victim
1025:Films directed by
966:TCM Movie Database
804:Psychotronic Video
771:, pages 130 to 133
755:Arizona Daily Star
572:The New York Times
476:Von Ryan's Express
430:as General Prachko
377:Claudio Cassinelli
367:as Julian Scholten
322:gangway connection
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1095:Home of the Brave
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70:Colin Forbes
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601:Radio Times
511:Gene Corman
442:as Bernardo
422:Sky du Mont
404:Cyril Shaps
347:Linda Evans
341:Robert Shaw
274:Mark Robson
270:Linda Evans
262:Robert Shaw
96:Linda Evans
92:Robert Shaw
79:Mark Robson
76:Produced by
43:Mark Robson
39:Directed by
1318:1979 films
1312:Categories
1287:Earthquake
1127:I Want You
931:2024-08-24
629:References
505:called in
503:Peter Bart
470:Earthquake
463:Production
412:as Zannbin
386:David Hess
359:Joe Namath
335:Lee Marvin
258:Lee Marvin
249:is a 1979
212:88 minutes
195:1979-10-19
184:1979-08-30
147:Production
88:Lee Marvin
66:1977 novel
1231:The Prize
1087:Roughshod
583:Lew Grade
562:Reception
525:Tom Gries
388:as Geiger
373:as Haller
256:starring
251:adventure
217:Countries
120:Edited by
1079:Champion
977:AllMovie
866:Time Out
617:See also
596:Time Out
406:as Sedov
361:as Leroy
302:La Scala
288:Synopsis
227:Language
128:Music by
84:Starring
59:Based on
986:at the
964:at the
400:as Olga
307:Nabucco
230:English
222:Ireland
193: (
182: (
155:Lorimar
149:company
1298:(1979)
1290:(1974)
1282:(1972)
1274:(1971)
1266:(1969)
1258:(1967)
1250:(1966)
1242:(1965)
1234:(1963)
1226:(1963)
1218:(1960)
1210:(1958)
1202:(1957)
1194:(1957)
1186:(1956)
1178:(1955)
1170:(1955)
1162:(1954)
1154:(1954)
1151:Phffft
1146:(1954)
1138:(1953)
1130:(1951)
1122:(1951)
1114:(1950)
1106:(1949)
1098:(1949)
1090:(1949)
1082:(1949)
1074:(1946)
1071:Bedlam
1066:(1944)
1058:(1944)
1050:(1943)
1042:(1943)
897:9 July
871:9 July
846:9 July
496:Venice
492:Munich
268:, and
235:Budget
1279:Limbo
1175:Trial
298:Milan
955:IMDb
899:2015
873:2015
848:2015
329:Cast
975:at
953:at
569:of
318:KGB
300:at
294:CIA
68:by
1314::
924:.
890:.
864:.
839:.
812:^
802:.
653:^
645:,
558:.
264:,
260:,
1018:e
1011:t
1004:v
934:.
901:.
875:.
850:.
513:(
197:)
186:)
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