Avalanche Express (1979)
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- PG
- 1h 28min
- Action, Thriller
- 19 Oct 1979 (USA)
- Movie
Soviet KGB General Marenkov defects to the Americans and together with his CIA handler Harry Wargrave they plan an operation meant to reveal the KGB agents in Europe.
Directors:
Writers:
Stars:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Lee Marvin | ... |
Wargrave
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| Robert Shaw | ... |
Marenkov
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| Linda Evans | ... |
Elsa Lang
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| Maximilian Schell | ... |
Colonel Nikolai Bunin
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| Joe Namath | ... |
Leroy
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| Horst Buchholz | ... |
Scholten
(as Horst Bucholz)
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| Mike Connors | ... |
Haller
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| Claudio Cassinelli | ... |
Molinari
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Kristina Nel | ... |
Helga Mann
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| David Hess | ... |
Geiger
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| Günter Meisner | ... |
Muehler
(as Günter Meissner)
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Sylva Langova | ... |
Olga
(as Sylvia Langova)
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| Cyril Shaps | ... |
Sedov
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| Vladek Sheybal | ... |
Zannbin
(as Vladets Shebal)
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| Arthur Brauss | ... |
Neckerman
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| Sky du Mont | ... |
Philip John
(as Sky Dumont)
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| Richard Marner | ... |
Prachko
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Arnold Drummond | ... |
Commissar (Maxim Gorky)
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Paul Glawion | ... |
Alfredo
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| Dan van Husen | ... |
Bernardo
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Rainer Steffen | ... |
1st Policeman
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Dieter Groest | ... |
2nd Policeman
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Hans-Jürgen Leuthen | ... |
Dutch Customs Man
(as Hans Jürgen Luethen)
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Maximilian Wolters | ... |
Swiss Officer
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| Gudo Hoegel | ... |
Adjutant of Molinari
(as Guido Hoegel)
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| Rudolf Waldemar Brem | ... |
1st Signal Man
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Erland Erlandsen | ... |
2nd Signal Man
(as Erland Erlandson)
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Walter Kraus | ... |
Engineer
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Osman Ragheb | ... |
Security Agent
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Robert Rietty | ... |
Gen. Marenkov (uncredited) (voice)
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Directed by
| Mark Robson | ||
| Monte Hellman | ... | (post director) (uncredited) |
Written by
| Abraham Polonsky | ... | (screenplay by) |
| Colin Forbes | ... | (based on a novel by) |
Produced by
| Lynn Guthrie | ... | associate producer |
| Mark Robson | ... | producer (produced by) |
Music by
| Allyn Ferguson | ||
Cinematography by
| Jack Cardiff | ... | (uncredited) |
Editing by
| Garth Craven | ||
| Monte Hellman | ... | (uncredited) |
Editorial Department
| Veronika Manchot | ... | assistant film editor (as Veronica Manchot) |
| Ken Morrisey | ... | assistant film editor |
Production Design by
| Fred Tuch | ||
Set Decoration by
| Elke Etzold | ||
| Travis Nixon | ||
Costume Design by
| Mickey Sherrard | ... | (as Mickey Shirrard) |
Makeup Department
| Ago von Sperl | ... | makeup artist (as Ago Von Sperl) |
| Rüdiger von Sperl | ... | makeup artist (as Rudiger Von Sperl) |
Production Management
| Harry Caplan | ... | unit production manager |
| Rudolf Geiger | ... | production supervisor (as Rudi Geiger) |
| Karl Schaffer | ... | production supervisor |
| Lynn Guthrie | ... | production manager (uncredited) |
| Peter Naguschewski | ... | second unit manager (uncredited) |
| Stefan Zürcher | ... | production manager (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Don French | ... | second assistant director |
| Alan Gibbs | ... | director: boat battle sequence |
| Wieland Liebske | ... | assistant director (as Weiland Liebske) |
| Jon Paré | ... | second assistant director: Apogee |
| Gerald Walsh | ... | assistant director: Apogee |
Art Department
| Ralph Aubert | ... | property master: boat battle sequence |
| Sam Gordon | ... | property master |
| Ed Graves | ... | art director for miniatures |
| Eberhard Schwartz | ... | property buyer |
| Frank White | ... | laborer |
Sound Department
| Wayne Artman | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Tom Beckert | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Fred J. Brown | ... | sound effects (as Fred Brown) |
| Michael Jiron | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Charlie McFadden | ... | boom operator (as Charles McFadden) |
| Michele Sharp | ... | sound effects (as Michele Sharp Brown) |
| George Stephenson | ... | sound mixer (as George Stevenson) |
| Caryl Wickman | ... | sound effects |
Special Effects by
| Jeff Clifford | ... | assistant: special effects |
| Peter Dawson | ... | assistant: special effects |
| Ross Hahn | ... | special effects: boat battle sequence |
| Richard O. Helmer | ... | special effects gaffer: Apogee (as Richard Helmer) |
| Bill Nipper | ... | assistant: special effects, Apogee |
| Kevin Pike | ... | special effects crew |
| Dragomir Stanojevic | ... | special effects (as Dragomir Stanojevic-Bata Kameni) |
| Kit West | ... | special effects |
| Wayne Beauchamp | ... | special effects foreman (uncredited) |
| Karl-Heinz Bochnig | ... | special effects (uncredited) |
| Ted Koerner | ... | special effects (uncredited) |
| Paul Wurtzel | ... | special effects (uncredited) |
Visual Effects by
| Richard Alexander | ... | cine technician: Apogee |
| David Beasley | ... | model construction crew: Apogee |
| John Dykstra | ... | supervisor of special effects: Apogee |
| Jonathan Erland | ... | model construction crew: Apogee (as Jon Erland) |
| Bruce Logan | ... | supervisor of special effects: Apogee |
| Cass McCune | ... | production coordinator: Apogee |
| Grant McCune | ... | chief model maker: Apogee |
| John Ramsey | ... | model construction crew: Apogee |
| David Scott | ... | model construction crew: Apogee |
| Robert Shepherd | ... | effects production manager: Apogee |
| David Sosalla | ... | model construction crew: Apogee |
| Jan Jacobsen | ... | front projection (uncredited) |
Stunts
| Tom Lupo | ... | stunt coordination: boat battle sequence |
| Miomir Radevic-Pigi | ... | stunts |
| Dragomir Stanojevic | ... | stunts (as Dragomir Stanojevic-Bata Kameni) |
| Jack Cooper | ... | stunt coordinator (uncredited) |
| Jean Coulter | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Jeannie Epper | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Richard Epper | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Dean Raphael Ferrandini | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Dorothy Ford | ... | stunt double: Linda Evans (uncredited) |
| Whitey Hughes | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Tom Lupo | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Howard A. Anderson III | ... | director of photography: boat battle sequence (as Howard Anderson II) |
| Terry Bowen | ... | first assistant camera: Apogee (as E.T. Bowen) |
| Brink Brydon | ... | gaffer: Apogee |
| John Cardiff | ... | assistant camera operator |
| Dick Deats | ... | grip: Apogee (as Richard Deats) |
| Jerry Deats | ... | grip: Apogee |
| Frank Heeney | ... | gaffer |
| W.C. 'Chunky' Huse | ... | grip (as Chunky Huse) |
| Alec Mills | ... | camera operator |
| Barry Peake | ... | still photographer |
| Roger L. Smith | ... | camera operator: Apogee (as Roger Smith) |
| Miki Thomas | ... | assistant camera operator |
| Michael Waldleitner | ... | clapper/loader |
| Federico Del Zoppo | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) / director of photography: additional photography (uncredited) |
Casting Department
| Renate Arbes | ... | casting |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Anton Eder | ... | wardrobe man |
| Friedel Schröder | ... | wardrobe mistress (as Friedl Schroeder) |
Location Management
| Jack English | ... | location manager |
Music Department
| Bodie Chandler | ... | music coordinator |
| Allyn Ferguson | ... | conductor |
| Ken Johnson | ... | music editor |
Script and Continuity Department
| Angela Allen | ... | script supervisor |
| Betty Levin | ... | script supervisor (as Betty Chaplin) |
| Trudy von Trotha | ... | script supervisor (as Trudy Von Trotha) |
Additional Crew
| Bea Blondell | ... | production controller |
| Elke Busch | ... | production secretary |
| Veronika Daisenberger | ... | production secretary |
| Willy Egger | ... | production executive: Bavaria |
| Anthony Foutz | ... | production consultant |
| Pam Hauser | ... | production secretary |
| Vic Heutschy | ... | publicist |
| Burke Mattsson | ... | title design |
| Rospo Pallenberg | ... | production consultant |
| Elizabeth Yanoska | ... | production accountant |
| Sherrie Bradshaw | ... | assistant production accountant (uncredited) |
| Michael Davenport | ... | assistant: Mark Robson (uncredited) |
Thanks
| Gene Corman | ... | the producers wish to express their appreciation to, for their post production services |
| Monte Hellman | ... | the producers wish to express their appreciation to, for their post production services |
Production Companies
- Lorimar Productions (Ireland) Ltd. (presents)
Distributors
- Twentieth Century Fox (1979) (United States) (theatrical)
- Corona Film (1979) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (1979) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Fox-Stockholm Film Distribution (1979) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Fram Film (1979) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Roadshow Films (1979) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Sofilmes (1979) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Transeuropa (1979) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- CBS (1981) (United States) (tv)
- CBS Electronics (1984) (Greece) (VHS)
- CBS/Fox Home Video (1984) (Australia) (video)
- Fox Video (West Germany) (VHS)
- Warner Archive Collection (2011) (United States) (DVD) (dvdr)
- Warner Home Video (1993) (United States) (VHS)
Special Effects
- Apogee Productions (special photographic and miniature effects by)
Other Companies
- Motion Picture Marine (marine sequences and facilities by)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
When senior Russian official Gen. Marenkov decides to defect to the West, CIA agent Harry Wargrave is sent to lead the team to get him out. Malenkov reveals that the Russians are trying to develop biological weapons. Wargrave decides that Malenkov should travel across Europe by train, on the "Atlantic Express", in an attempt to lure the Russians into attacking the train so that they can discover who the Russian secret agents in Europe are. During the journey they must survive a terrorist attack and an avalanche, all planned by Russian spy-catcher Nikolai Bunin. A tape gets decoded and Harry hands it over when he boards the jet plane with Elsa.
Written by Matt |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Just by stepping aboard this train, the most powerful man in Europe has become the most dangerous man in the world. See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $12,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Robert Shaw and director/producer Mark Robson passed away during post-production. Both died of heart attacks within months of the other; Robson in June 1978 and Shaw in August 1978. See more » |
| Goofs | The tyres of the terrorists Mercedes squeal but they are on snow. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Meteor/Luna/And Justice for All/The Silent Partner/Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979). See more » |
| Quotes |
Gen. Marenkov:
My plan is to force Bunin to destroy himself. See more » |