The Fan (1981 film)

This article is about a 1981 film. For other uses, see The Fan (disambiguation).

The Fan
Theatrical release poster
Directed byEdward Bianchi
Screenplay by
  • Priscilla Chapman
  • John Hartwell
Based onThe Fan
by Bob Randall
Produced byRobert Stigwood
Starring
CinematographyDick Bush
Edited byAlan Heim
Music byPino Donaggio
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • May 15, 1981 (1981-05-15)
Running time
95 minutes[1][2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$9 million–$10.5 million[a]
Box office$3.1 million[5]

The Fan is a 1981 American psychological thriller film directed by Edward Bianchi and starring Lauren Bacall, Michael Biehn, James Garner, and Maureen Stapleton. The plot follows a famous stage and film actress named Sally Ross (Bacall) who is stalked by a violent, deranged fan (Biehn), who begins killing those around her. The screenplay by Priscilla Chapman and John Hartwell was based on the 1977 novel by Bob Randall.

Development of The Fan began in 1979, and several iterations of the screenplay were produced by a number of writers before Chapman and Hartwell's version was finalized. Filmways initially offered to co-produce and distribute the film, offering to pay for the majority of its production budget. However, after its completion in 1980, Filmways backed out of the project due to their studio's experiencing financial troubles, after which Paramount Pictures acquired distribution rights.

The Fan was released in the United States on May 15, 1981, and was a box-office bomb, grossing $3.1 million. It received largely unfavorable reviews from film critics, though it would later acquire a cult following in the years after its release. Though Bacall was publicly critical of the film after its release, she later reflected that she felt her performance in it was among her best work.

  1. ^ Muir 2010, p. 156.
  2. ^ "THE FAN (X)". British Board of Film Classification. March 25, 1981. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference budget was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference afi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference mojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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