Winter Kills (1979)

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• Filmat în: California

Winter Kills is a 1979 satirical black-comedy political thriller film written and directed by William Richert, based on the 1974 novel by Richard Condon. Inspired by the John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy, its ensemble cast includes Jeff Bridges, John Huston, Anthony Perkins, Eli Wallach, Richard Boone, Toshirō Mifune, Sterling Hayden, Dorothy Malone, Belinda Bauer, Ralph Meeker, Elizabeth Taylor, Berry Berenson and Susan Walden. Bridges portrays Nick Kegan, a half-brother to the later U.S. President Timothy Kegan, who 20-years after his death discovers hard evidence there had been a conspiracy behind it.

Production

Leonard Goldberg and Robert Sterling, drug dealers with little film experience, optioned the book Winter Kills from Richard Condon for $75,000 plus 5% of proceeds and 10% of home video. Then unknown William Richert convinced the pair of novice producers to let him direct the film after he had adapted Condon's novel.

The film simplifies the plot of the book somewhat.

Filming began on December 13, 1976. Many of the film's interior scenes were shot in 1977 at the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, then home to the American Film Institute's film school. Richert wanted to film Pa Kegan (John Huston)'s death at the Pan Am Building but claims he was denied permission by an irate employee who threatened that the film would not be allowed within 20 blocks of the building because the "Kennedys have offices here".

Sterling and Goldberg had previously worked on releasing the French softcore Emmanuelle films in the U.S. Winter Kills was under-capitalized. Needing a budget of $6 million, Sterling and Goldberg raised $2.3 million from a West German financier. Many actors were never paid or only received the 20% of their fee that was held in escrow. Elizabeth Taylor insisted on being paid her $100,000 fee up front.

Bridges and Belinda Bauer went to Germany to work on Richert's next film, The American Success Company. Richert was able to use money from that production to resume work on Winter Kills. On December 18, 1978, production resumed and filming was finished in two weeks. The director explained his devotion to the project by comparing Winter Kills to "cinematic cocaine".

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