Synanon (film)
| Synanon | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Directed by | Richard Quine |
| Produced by | Richard Quine |
| Written by | S Lee Pogostin |
| Starring | Edmond O'Brien |
| Music by | Neal Hefti |
| Cinematography | Harry Stradling, Jr. |
| Edited by | David Wages |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates | 1965 |
Running time | 105 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,000,000[1] |
Synanon is a 1965 film directed by Richard Quine. Screenplay by Ian Bernard. It stars Edmond O'Brien, Stella Stevens, Eartha Kitt, Alex Cord and Chuck Connors. It was filmed at Synanon in Santa Monica, California.[2]
Plot
Hooked on heroin, Zankie Albo is admitted to Synanon House, a rehabilitation center. Chuck Dederich, a recovering alcoholic, is in charge.
Zankie is placed in the care of Joaney during his early, painful stages of drug withdrawal. She, too, is a rehabbing junkie, and any further mistake on her part could permanently cost her custody of her child.
An attraction develops between Zankie and Joaney, resulting in jealousy from another man interested in her, Ben, a parolee and "graduate" of the center. Ben reports them to the center's officials after catching Zankie and Joaney in a romantic tryst. A patient who manages to get high on cough medicine is persuaded by Zankie to share it leading to a tragic end.
Zankie while in a seedy motel room with Joaney shoots up heroin, which unbeknownst to him is bad. As he experiences a reaction to the drug, Joaney watches in horror; seconds later Zankie is dead from the overdose.
Cast
- Edmond O'Brien as Chuck Dederich
- Chuck Connors as Ben
- Stella Stevens as Joaney
- Alex Cord as Zankie Albo
- Richard Conte as Reid
- Eartha Kitt as Betty
- Peter Bernard as Timmy
Reception
A. H. Weiler of The New York Times was positive: "Richard Quine, who produced and directed this new arrival ... has glaringly spotlighted residents of this West Coast haven for the dope and alcohol enslaved, with results that are arresting and informative. ... Mr. Quine and his troupe achieved authenticity and a documentary quality simply by filming their story at the actual Synanon House on the beach at Santa Monica, Calif."[3]
References
- ↑ Rentals accruing distributors in North America. See "Top Grossers of 1965", Variety, 5 January 1966 p 36
- ↑ http://allmovie.com/work/synanon-112538
- ↑ A.H. Weiler, "Narcotics Addiction and Cure Depicted" May 6, 1965 http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A00E5DA123CE733A25755C0A9639C946491D6CF
External links
- Synanon at the Internet Movie Database