The Hot Rock (film)

The Hot Rock
Directed by Peter Yates
Produced by Hal Landers
Bobby Roberts
Screenplay by William Goldman
Based on novel by
Donald E. Westlake
Starring Robert Redford
George Segal
Ron Leibman
Paul Sand
Moses Gunn
Zero Mostel
Music by Quincy Jones
Cinematography Edward R. Brown
Edited by Frank P. Keller
Fred W. Berger
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
  • January 26, 1972 (1972-01-26)
Running time
 105 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $4,895,000[1]
Box office $3.5 million (rentals)[2]

The Hot Rock is a 1972 American comedy-drama caper film directed by Peter Yates from a screenplay by William Goldman, based on Donald E. Westlake's novel of the same name, which introduced his long-running John Dortmunder character. The film stars Robert Redford, George Segal, Ron Leibman, Paul Sand, Moses Gunn and Zero Mostel.

Plot

After John Dortmunder (Redford) is released from his latest stint in prison, he is approached by his brother-in-law, Andy Kelp (Segal), about another job. Dr. Amusa (Gunn) seeks a valuable gem in the Brooklyn Museum that is of great significance to his people in his country in Africa, stolen during colonial times and then re-stolen by various African nations.

Dortmunder and Kelp are joined by driver Stan Murch (Leibman) and explosives expert Allan Greenberg (Sand), concocting an elaborate plan to steal the gem. Although the scheme (and each subsequent one) is carefully planned—and keeps increasing in cost—something always goes awry, and the quartet has to steal the diamond again and again.

First off, the diamond is swallowed by Greenberg when he alone gets caught by the museum guards during the initial heist. Dortmunder, Kelp, and Murch, at the urging of Greenberg's rotund father Abe (Zero Mostel), a lawyer, help Greenberg escape from state prison, but they then find he does not have the diamond. After Greenberg tells his partners he hid the rock in the police station (after bodily evacuating it), the quartet break into the precinct jail by helicopter, but the rock is not where Greenberg hid it. Greenberg discloses that his father Abe was the only other person who knew where it was.

It isn't until Murch, disguised as the grunting muscle man "Chicken," threatens Abe with being thrown down an elevator shaft, that Abe gives up the location of the diamond—his safe deposit box, and he also gives up the key to it. However, Dortmunder cannot access the box because of bank vault security, and the gang leaves Abe in Dr. Amusa's office while they come up with a plan.

With the help of a hypnotist by the name of Miasmo, Dortmunder sets up his own safe deposit box to get access to the vault and then plans to invoke the predetermined hypnotic trigger word "Afghanistan bananastan" to the vault guard. He would then be able to gain access to Abe's safe deposit box and retrieve the gem just after the bank opens in the morning.

While Dortmunder is waiting for the bank to open, the rest of the group meets with Dr. Amusa at his request. Dr. Amusa fires them for incompetence, and reveals that Abe Greenberg has made his own deal to sell him the gem, which will leave Dortmunder's gang with nothing.

Dortmunder finally retrieves the gem while Dr. Amusa and Abe are driving to the bank by limousine. He exits the bank and walks away just before they arrive. Dortmunder climbs into Kelp's car where the others are waiting, and a rousing cheer erupts as they drive off.

Cast

Production

Development

The screenplay was by William Goldman, who called Westlake's book "wonderful, very funny... I was a Westlake fan."[3]

Peter Yates agreed to make the film "because all around me I was finding that people were making nothing but films about violence, sex and drugs... Everything was a downer. I wanted to do an upper... The point of this film is not that the characters are criminals, but that they are likable, and that they, like many people, plan things all their lives and never have it work out."[4]

Yates called the film better than Bullit "because the characters are better delineated... and because it's a comedy mixed with suspense which is tenuous to pull off."[4]

Shooting

As Dortmunder's gang flies through Manhattan to break into the police station, their helicopter flies by the World Trade Center. The south tower is clearly seen as still being under construction in several shots.[5]

Reception

Box Office

"I thought I had a hit with The Hot Rock,' " Yates said. "It was an interesting story, and we had Robert Redford and George Segal for the leads. Nobody went to see it."[6]

Critical

As of September 2018, the film holds a rating of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 9 reviews.[7]

Awards

Frank P. Keller and Fred W. Berger were nominated for the best film editing Academy Award. William Goldman was nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for his screenplay.

Musical score and soundtrack

The Hot Rock
Soundtrack album by Quincy Jones
Released 1972
Recorded December 1971
Studio Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA
Genre Film score
Length 34:10
Label Prophesy
SD 6055
Producer Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones chronology
Smackwater Jack
(1971)Smackwater Jack1971		 The Hot Rock
(1972)		 You've Got It Bad Girl
(1973)You've Got It Bad Girl1973

The film score was composed, arranged and conducted by Quincy Jones and the soundtrack album was originally released on the Prophesy label in 1972.[8][9][10] The Vinyl Factory said "Quincy concocts some snazzy caper music for this peak-period Redford caper flick, which features primo instrumentation from Grady Tate, Clark Terry and Gerry Mulligan, as well as members of L.A.’s famed Wrecking Crew. They lay down some great beats and breaks throughout – no wonder it’s been sampled by the likes of Eminem".[11]

Track listing

All compositions by Quincy Jones except where noted

  1. "Listen to the Melody" (Quincy Jones, Bill Rinehart, Tay Uhler) − 3:44
  2. "Main Title" − 3:14
  3. "Talking Drums" − 2:08
  4. "Seldom Seen Sam" − 2:30
  5. "Parole Party" − 1:59
  6. "When You Believe" (Rinehart) − 2:53
  7. "Hot Rock Theme" − 2:45
  8. "Miasmo" − 2:13
  9. "Sahara Stone" − 3:00
  10. "Slam City" − 1:56
  11. "Listen to the Melody/Dixie Tag" − 4:38
  12. "End Title" − 3:10

Personnel

See also

References

  1. ↑ Solomon, Aubrey. Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1. pg 256.
  2. ↑ Solomon pg 232.
  3. ↑ Egan p 101
  4. 1 2 MOVIES: British director Peter Yates finds his action in America Martin, James. Chicago Tribune 16 Apr 1972: p16. >
  5. ↑ https://www.mediaite.com/online/wonderful-montage-shows-nearly-every-film-appearance-of-the-twin-towers/
  6. ↑ THE REEL GAMBLE; ; WHY HOLLYWOOD HAS NO SURE BETS FOR BOX OFFICE WINNERS:Blowen, Michael. Boston Globe 20 Nov 1980: 1.
  7. ↑ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hot_rock
  8. ↑ Soundtrack Collector: album entry accessed January 31, 2018
  9. ↑ Edwards, D., Eyries, P. & Callahan, M. Miscellaneous Atlantic/Atco Distributed Labels, accessed January 31, 2018
  10. ↑ Lord, T., Clark Terry Discography, accessed January 31, 2018
  11. ↑ 10 definitive Quincy Jones soundtracks from the ’60s and ’70s, The Vinyl Factory, accessed January 31, 2018
  • Egan, Sean, William Goldman: The Reluctant Storyteller, Bear Manor Media 2014
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.