The Domino Principle [The Domino Killings] * (1977, Gene Hackman, Richard Widmark, Candice Bergen, Mickey Rooney, Edward Albert, Eli Wallach) – Classic Movie Review 9141

Director Stanley Kramer’s 1977 assassination thriller The Domino Principle [The Domino Killings] stars Richard Widmark as mystery man Tagge, who approaches wrongly convicted murderer Roy Tucker (Gene Hackman), who is serving time in San Quentin prison for killing his wife’s first husband.

Tagge offers to help Tucker escape and start a new life in exchange for working for a mysterious organisation for a few weeks. After escaping with cellmate Spiventa (Mickey Rooney), Tucker realises that he is supposed to assassinate a national political leader. When he refuses, the organisation retaliates by kidnapping his wife.

It is a good set-up but, unfortunately, this sluggish, murkily complicated conspiracy movie is aimlessly directed by the well-meaning maker of Sixties liberal entertainments Kramer. The excellent Hackman and the first-rate cast try their best with a confused script by Adam Kennedy from his novel The Domino Principle, with muddled plotting. But there is not much they can do with the clichéd, cardboard characters, weak dialogue, and script holes.

Candice Bergen is totally wasted in the stereotyped role of Hackman’s loyal wife Ellie, and their reunion scenes are particularly unconvincing. It gets a needed boost through some violent action thrills and its tough, busy climax. But mostly, like dominoes, it falls pretty flat.

It also stars Mickey Rooney, Edward Albert, Eli Wallach, Ken Swofford, Neva Patterson, Jay Novello, Claire Brennan, Joseph V Perry and Jim Gavin.

Its jail scenes were filmed at San Quentin State Penitentiary after the production secured a special agreement to film there. The prisoners were paid to be extras.

Cinematographer Fred Koenekamp was injured during filming when a truck went around a bend and its door flew open and hit him. He was replaced by veteran Ernest Laszlo.

The Domino Principle [The Domino Killings] is directed by Stanley Kramer, runs 100 minutes, is made by Associated General Films and Incorporated Television Company, is released by AVCO Embassy Pictures (1977) (US), is written by Adam Kennedy, based on Adam Kennedy’s novel The Domino Principle, is shot by Fred Koenekamp and Ernest Laszlo, and is scored by Billy Goldenberg.

In the UK the title was changed to The Domino Killings in a double bill with Love and Bullets.

Lew Grade of Incorporated Television Company, who helped to finance the film, claimed it broke even, despite its short run in cinemas.

The domino principle is that you have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9141

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