Avalanche Express

Avalanche Express (1979)

The Fast Track For All-Star Adventure.

CIA agent Harry Wargrave is sent to aid Gen. Marenkov, a senior Russian official, who is defecting to the west. Wargrave decides they should travel to safety on a train across Europe, the "Atlantic Express". During the journey, they must survive attacks by terrorists and an avalanche, all planned by Russian spy-catcher Nikolai Bunin.

Date of release
1979-09-27
TMDB
4.8 / 10 (49)
Runtime
1h 25m
Genres
Action, Thriller
Director
Mark Robson

Casting

Interesting facts

Avalanche Express is a 1979 adventure thriller film starring Lee Marvin, Robert Shaw, Maximilian Schell, Linda Evans, Joe Namath and Horst Buchholz. It was produced and directed principally by Mark Robson, and completed by Monte Hellman after his death during mid-production. Based on a 1977 novel by British author Colin Forbes, the film is about the struggle over a defecting Soviet general, who flees aboard a trans-European express train.

Production

In June 1977 it was announced film rights had been purchased by Lorimar Films, the filmmaking arm of Lorimar Productions, best known for its work in television. Mark Robson, who had just produced and directed the hugely-successful disaster film Earthquake and had made another successful train set movie (Von Ryan's Express), signed to produce and direct. Jerry Gershwin was the Lorimar executive originally responsible.

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 make a political statement in a way... The movie will really come out for those who want to live in peace and co operation."

Much of the film's financing came from the Republic of Ireland, though none of it was actually shot there.

Shooting started in Munich on 27 February 1978 and also took place in Milan and Venice. Studio interiors were filmed at Bavaria Studios. A sequence was shot at La Scala. The river bridge scene was filmed in Casalmaggiore.

Filming was physically tough, complicated by increased security caused by terrorism in Europe, and Robson's deteriorating health. 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 later died of a heart attack on 20 June 1978. He was 64 years old. "He sure went with his boots on," said Marvin. Mike Connors said Robson's death "was not unexpected.

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