Body Double (1984)

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writers:

Brian De Palma (story)
Robert J. Avrech (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 October 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

A seduction. A mystery. A murder.

Plot:

Jake comes home to find his girlfriend with another man and has to find a new place. In between his acting workshops and his job in a vampire B-movie...

Plot Keywords:

Neo Noir | Acting Lesson | Dog | Tattoo On Butt | Erotic Thriller

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Craig Wasson	...	Jake Scully
Melanie Griffith	...	Holly Body
Gregg Henry	...	Sam Bouchard
Deborah Shelton	...	Gloria Revelle
Guy Boyd	...	Det. Jim McLean
Dennis Franz	...	Rubin the Director
David Haskell	...	Will the Drama Teacher
Rebecca Stanley	...	Kimberly Hess
Al Israel	...	Corso the Director
Douglas Warhit	...	Video Salesman
B.J. Jones	...	Douglas
Russ Marin	...	Frank
Lane Davies	...	Billy
Barbara Crampton	...	Carol
Larry Flash Jenkins	...	Assistant Director (as Larry 'Flash' Jenkins)
Monte Landis	...	Sid Goldberg
Linda Shaw	...	Linda Shaw
Mindi Miller	...	Vampire Movie Body Double
Denise Loveday	...	Vampire Movie Actress
Gela Nash	...	Corso's Secretary (as Gela Jacobson)
Ray Hassett	...	Police Officer
Rick Gunderson	...	Police Officer
Jerry Brutsche	...	Police Officer
Michael Kearns	...	Male Porno Star
Rob Paulsen	...	Cameraman
Jeremy Lawrence	...	Theater Director
Rod Loomis	...	TV Director
Gary F. Griffith	...	Auditioning Actor
Michael White	...	Security Guard at Gloria's House
Emmett Brown	...	Studio Guard
H. David Fletcher	...	Security Guard at Bellini's
Marcia del Mar	...	Production Assistant (as Marcia Del Mar)
Phil Redrow	...	Naked Man
Slavitza Jovan	...	Saleslady
Jack Mayhall	...	Jake's Replacement
Alexandra Day	...	Girl #1 in Bathroom
Cara Lott	...	Girl #2 in Bathroom (as Pamela Weston)
Brinke Stevens	...	Girl #3 in Bathroom
Melissa Christian	...	Girl #4 in Bathroom
Patty Lotz	...	Girl #1 in 'Holly Does Hollywood'
Barbara Peckinpaugh	...	Girl #2 in 'Holly Does Hollywood'
David Ursin	...	Man #1 in 'Holly Does Hollywood'
Casey Sander	...	Man #2 in 'Holly Does Hollywood'
Wes Edwards	...	Man #3 in 'Holly Does Hollywood'
Chuck Waters	...	Jogger
Paul A. Calabria	...	Man with Dog (as Paul Calabria)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Holly Johnson	...	Singing Nightclub Doorman (as Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
Steven Bauer	...	Assistant Director in 'Holly Does Hollywood' (uncredited)
Janette Caldwell	...	(uncredited)
Darcy DeMoss	...	(uncredited)
Annette Haven	...	(uncredited)
Paul Rutherford	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Brian De Palma

Writing credits
Brian De Palma		(story)
Robert J. Avrech		(screenplay) and
Brian De Palma		(screenplay)

Produced by
Brian De Palma	....	producer
Howard Gottfried	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Pino Donaggio

Cinematography by
Stephen H. Burum

Film Editing by
Gerald B. Greenberg		(as Jerry Greenberg)
Bill Pankow

Casting by
Janet Hirshenson
Jane Jenkins

Production Design by
Ida Random

Art Direction by
William A. Elliott		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Cloudia

Costume Design by
Gloria Gresham

Makeup Department
Thomas R. Burman	....	special makeup effects artist (as Tom Burman)

Production Management
Raymond Hartwick	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Napolitano	....	first assistant director
Robert Yannetti	....	second assistant director (as Bob Yannetti)

Art Department
David Aaron	....	assistant property master
Daril Alder	....	lead man (as Daryl Adler)
Chas. Butcher	....	set designer
Bill Elliott	....	set designer
Ed Freeman	....	paint foreman
Scott Goodale	....	carpenter foreman
Horst Grandt	....	property master
Kirk D. Hansen	....	stand-by painter (as Kirk Hansen)
Clarence Lynn Price	....	construction coordinator (as Lynn Price)
Michael Seeman	....	cableman
Oscar Delgadillo	....	swing gang (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	sound effects mixer (as Dick Alexander)
John H. Arrufat	....	sound editor (as J.H. Arrufat)
Destiny Borden	....	assistant sound editor
John Dunn	....	sound editor (as John C.C. Dunn)
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	supervising sound editor (as Stephen Flick)
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Doug Hemphill	....	sound effects recordist (as D.M. Hemphill)
John Hoeren	....	assistant sound editor
Vern Poore	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Purvis	....	adr editor
John Roesch	....	foley artist
Joan Rowe	....	foley artist
T.E. Sadler	....	foley recordist
James M. Tanenbaum	....	sound mixer (as James Tanenbaum)
Rimas Tumasonis	....	boom operator
David A. Whittaker	....	sound editor (as David Whittaker)
Linda Whittlesey	....	sound editor
Avram D. Gold	....	adr editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Michael Douglas Middleton	....	visual effects still photographer: large format (uncredited)

Stunts
Jerry Brutsche	....	stunt coordinator
Ted Grossman	....	stunts
Nanci Rogers	....	stunts
Dick Warlock	....	stunts (as Richard Warlock)
Jerry Wills	....	stunts
Mike Washlake	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dustin Blauvelt	....	first assistant camera (as Dusty Blauvelt)
Emmett Brown	....	key grip
John Englert	....	grip
Robert E. Gaynor	....	dolly grip (as Bob Gaynor)
Tim Griffith	....	gaffer
Bob Ivener	....	best boy grip (as Bob Ivenor)
Ralph Nelson	....	still photographer
Peter Portizo	....	best boy electric (as Pete Portizo)
Michael G. Riba	....	second assistant camera (as Michael Riba)
Douglas Ryan	....	camera operator (as Doug Ryan)
Joel Stout	....	rigging gaffer
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)
Daniel Pearl	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Dennis Young	....	lighting technician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Michael Hirshenson	....	casting associate
Elisabeth Leustig	....	casting associate (as Elizabeth Leustig)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck	....	wardrobe supervisor: women (as Francine Jamison)
James W. Tyson	....	wardrobe supervisor: men (as Jim Tyson)

Editorial Department
Tara Timpone	....	apprentice editor
Bruce Pearson	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Natale Massara	....	conductor
Richard Stone	....	supervising music editor

Transportation Department
Dan Anglin	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Tani Cohen	....	assistant: Mr. De Palma
Jimsie Eason	....	production associate
Wilma Garscadden-Gahret	....	script supervisor
Rob Harris	....	unit publicist
Lisa Rose Horwitch	....	production assistant (as Lisa Horwitch)
Kelliann Ladd	....	production assistant
Shari Leibowitz	....	production coordinator
Margaret Mitchell	....	production auditor
Frank Pierson	....	location manager (as Frank W. Pierson)
Bill Rosenfield	....	production assistant (as William Rosenfield)
Eric Schwab	....	location manager
Camilla Turnbull	....	assistant: Mr. De Palma

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Delphi II Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (VHS)
• Egmont Entertainment (2000) (Finland) (DVD)
• Esselte Video (1988) (Finland) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (video)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2001) (Finland) (TV)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (video)
• TV3 (1992) (Finland) (TV)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1985) (Finland) (theatrical)

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (cut) (1988) (VHS) | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1985) (theatrical) | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (re-rating) (2003) | Australia:MA (TV rating) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) (original rating) | New Zealand:R18 | Singapore:R21 (re-rating) (cut) | Singapore:R(A) (cut) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (2000) (DVD) | Argentina:18 | France:-12 | Italy:VM18 | Norway:15 (cut) | Norway:16 (1985) | Portugal:M/18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

802 N. Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Brian De Palma originally planned for this to be the first Hollywood film to boast unsimulated sex scenes. The studio thought differently.

Goofs:

Continuity: The leopard-print scarf around Holly's neck changes while she and Jake are speaking to Kimberly.

Quotes:

Sam Bouchard: Don't be so melodramatic.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Benchwarmers (2006)

Soundtrack:

Main Theme

DePalma at his brilliant best!

This has to be one of my favorite films of all-time. I first saw it some ten years ago and I still cannot get it out of my mind. It was in fact, the muse for the future great film "Boogie Nights." It centers a masterful story around the porn industry of Southern California during the early 1980's. It mixes in excellent cinematogrophy with vivid sets and mind altering music. It is as fun to watch as it is to listen to. The story grabs you early and it does not release you till the very end. Mix in comedy, violence, sex and drama, and of course, if Mr. DePalma is involved, you will have more than a few twists (there are plenty). Melanie Griffith is hotter than hot! This movie has it all, I really do love it.

The story involves an out of work actor who is down on his luck. He soon becomes infatuated with a beautiful woman that he sees brutally killed by a rather disfigured Indian character. Ahh, but things are not what they appear to be. To give away anymore would deny you the fun and excitement that comes with watching this brilliant film. Enjoy!