Deadly Companion
| Deadly Companion | |
|---|---|
 The VHS artwork for Deadly Companion | |
| Directed by | George Bloomfield |
| Produced by |
Jerome S. Simon David Main |
| Written by |
Thomas Hedley Jr. Charles Dennis |
| Based on | The Three Roads by Ross Macdonald |
| Starring |
Michael Sarrazin Susan Clark Anthony Perkins Howard Duff Kate Reid Al Waxman |
| Music by | Paul Hoffert |
| Cinematography | René Verzier |
| Edited by | George Appleby |
Production company |
Quadrant Films |
| Distributed by | Quadrant Films |
Release date | January 1980 |
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Deadly Companion (also known as Double Negative) is a 1980 Canadian thriller film based on the novel The Three Roads by Ross Macdonald.
Plot
Michael Taylor, played by Michael Sarrazin, is tormented by his sheer lack of memory concerning the night his wife was found brutally killed. Michael's girlfriend Paula (Susan Clark) helps him attempt to make sense of it all. Anthony Perkins plays a blackmailer; Maury Chaykin, Kenneth Welsh and Michael Ironside appear in minor roles.
Several cast members of the comedy show SCTV appear in this film, all playing small dramatic roles. (Director George Bloomfield had directed SCTV from 1977 through 1979, and brought the cast into the fold.) John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, and Dave Thomas all have minor or bit parts; only O'Hara is in more than one scene, and Levy is visible for less than five seconds. It was the film debut for both O'Hara and Thomas.
Some later video releases of the film misleadingly give some or all of the SCTV cast top billing. In the actual film credits, no SCTV member is billed higher than 11th.
Cast
- Michael Sarrazin as Michael Taylor
- Susan Clark as Paula West
- Anthony Perkins as Lawrence Miles
- Howard Duff as Lester Harlen
- Kate Reid as Mrs. Swanscutt
- Al Waxman as Dellassandro
- Elizabeth Shepherd as Frances
- Kenneth Welsh as Dr. Klifter
- John Candy as John