Fifty years after its release, Marathon Man remains a taut American suspense thriller—and its production story is full of details even devoted fans may not know. Directed by John Schlesinger and adapted by William Goldman from his 1974 novel, the film stars Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider, William Devane and Marthe Keller. As it turns 50 this week, here are nine facts from its making and reception.
It was the Steadicam’s first theatrical run
Marathon Man was the second feature production in which inventor-operator Garrett Brown used his then-new Steadicam, after Bound for Glory. But it was the first feature using the Steadicam that saw theatrical release, predating the premieres of both Bound for Glory and Rocky by two months. The system was used extensively in the film’s running and chase scenes on the streets of New York City.
Goldman was paid before the novel was published
William Goldman was paid a reported US$500,000, equivalent to $3.26 million in 2025, for the film rights to his novel and to write a screenplay, before the novel had been published. Another source put the figure at $450,000, equivalent to $2.94 million in 2025. Goldman estimated he wrote four versions of the screenplay, and Robert Towne was brought in at the end.
Robert Evans heard a movie-movie
Producer Robert Evans was quick to back the project. “The book reads like the movie-movie of all time,” he said. “This is the best thing I’ve read since The Godfather. It could go all, all the way — if we don’t foul it up in the making.”
Al Pacino was the original Babe
John Schlesinger originally envisioned Al Pacino, Julie Christie, and Laurence Olivier in the lead roles, with Robert Shaw as Janeway. Robert Evans vetoed Pacino and proposed Dustin Hoffman in the lead. Olivier had health problems and at one stage it was uncertain if he could appear; Richard Widmark auditioned, but Olivier recovered and was able to participate in filming.
The only purpose-built set filled two soundstages
The film was shot from October 1975 to February 1976 on location in New York City, Paris, and Los Angeles. The only purpose-built set was the interior of the Central Park reservoir, reconstructed on the Paramount Pictures backlot. It was so large it took up two soundstages.
The music brief was pain
John Schlesinger asked composer Michael Small to make music that matched the theme of “pain, and the endurance of pain”. The opera Hérodiade by Jules Massenet is featured in the Paris Opera scene, sung by Joseph Rouleau with the orchestra of the Royal Opera House, conducted by John Matheson and published on Decca Records.
Olivier’s White Angel began with Mengele
The nickname given to Laurence Olivier’s character, “der weiße Engel” (The White Angel), was inspired by SS doctor Josef Mengele. Some prisoners nicknamed Mengele the “Angel of Death” or “The White Angel” because he wore a distinctive white coat on the arrivals platform when making selections.
Critics still run hot about it
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave Marathon Man 3 stars out of 4, writing that “as well-crafted escapist entertainment, as a diabolical thriller, the movie works with relentless skill.” Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 82% based on 49 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10.
Which fact about Marathon Man is your favourite? Tell us the one you’ll be thinking about on its 50th anniversary.
Facts from Wikipedia: Marathon Man (film), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Film images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
