Avalanche Express

Avalanche Express is a 1979 adventure thriller film starring Lee Marvin, Robert Shaw, Maximilian Schell, and Linda Evans, and produced and directed by Mark Robson. The plot is about the struggle over a defecting Soviet general. The screenplay by Abraham Polonsky was based on a 1977 novel by Colin Forbes. It was the last film for Shaw and Robson, who both died during production in 1978.

Synopsis
Soviet General Marenkov (Robert Shaw) decides to defect to the West, and CIA agent Harry Wargrave (Lee Marvin) leads the team tasked with extracting him. Wargrave determines that Marenkov should travel across Europe by train, specifically on the fictional Atlantic Express. The concept is to entice the Russians into attacking the train, thereby revealing the identities of their secret agents in Europe. Consequently, during the train journey, they must survive both a terrorist attack and an avalanche, both orchestrated by KGB spy-catcher Nikolai Bunin (Maximilian Schell).

Cast

 * Lee Marvin as Col. Harry Wargrave
 * Robert Shaw as Gen. Marenkov (Voice later dubbed by Robert Rietti)
 * Linda Evans as Elsa Lang
 * Maximilian Schell as Col. Nikolai Bunin
 * Joe Namath as Leroy
 * Horst Buchholz as Julian Scholten
 * Mike Connors as Haller
 * Claudio Cassinelli as Col. Molinari
 * Kristina Nel as Helga Mann
 * David Hess as Geiger
 * Günter Meisner as Rudi Muehler
 * Sylva Langova as Olga
 * Cyril Shaps as Sedov
 * Vladek Sheybal as Zannbin
 * Arthur Brauss as Neckermann
 * Sky du Mont as Philip John
 * Richard Marner as General Prachko
 * Arnold Drummond as Commissar (Maxim Gorky)
 * Paul Glawion as Alfredo
 * Dan van Husen as Bernardo

Original Novel
The film was based on a novel by Colin Forbes which was published in 1977. The Guardian called it an "irresistible adventure yarn." The Evening Telegraph praised it as an "extremely satisfying modern adventure story... told in razor sharp style."

Production
In June 1977 it was announced film rights had purchased by Lorimar Films, the filmmaking arm of Lorimar Productions, best known for its work in television. Mark Robson, who had just made Earthquake and had made another successful train set movie (Von Ryan's Express), signed to produce and direct. Jerry Gershwin was the Lorimar executive originally responsible.

Abraham Polonsky wrote the script. Robson called the novel "rather sprawly for film" and "very difficult to synthesize into a motion picture. What Abe brought to it was unity. He has given the characters better motivations which means the total work is better motivated." Robson added the film "does make a political statement in a way... The movie will really come out for those who want to live in peace and co operation."

Shooting started in Munich, Germany, on 27 February 1978 and also took place in Milan and Venice. Filming was physically tough, complicated by increased security caused by terrorism in Europe, and Robson's health deteriorated. The movie had been filming for 65 days in Europe, with ten to go, when Robson fell ill. He was flown to a hospital in London where he died of a heart attack on 20 June 1978. "He sure went with his boots on," said Marvin. Mike Connors said Robson's death "was not unexpected. We could see him go downhill from day to day. The lack of communication on a European picture is terribly exhausting."

Lorimar Films' President Peter Bart called in Monte Hellman to finish the direction and Gene Corman (Roger Corman's brother) was enlisted to complete Robson's duties as producer. (Hellman had recently helped complete The Greatest after the death of its director, Tom Gries. He had worked a number of times for Gene Corman, who was preparing another film for Lorimar, The Big Red One.) John Dykstra was hired to stage an avalanche using models. Then on 28 August 1978 Robert Shaw died of a heart attack in Ireland.

Robert Rietti was hired to re-record Robert Shaw's dialogue in the opening scene, as it was decided to redo that scene in Russian with English subtitles instead of having the Russians speak broken English. As a consequence, for continuity, all of Shaw's dialogue throughout the film was re-recorded by Rietti.

Hellman later said he worked on the film for a year and estimated he directed around ten percent of the principal photography, plus all the special effects. "We had to shoot three new live action scenes plus all the special effects scenes and all of the avalanche stuff, and so it was a pretty complicated," he said. "It was the biggest picture I had worked on. I learned a lot on shooting really complex special effects, with miniatures and so forth, combining miniatures and live action."

Hellman, Corman and Rietti were not credited for their work, but the film's end credit contains a note stating: "The producers wish to express their appreciation to Monte Hellman and Gene Corman for their post production services."

Dorothy Spencer, Robson's long time editor, was reportedly replaced by Garth Craven. She is not listed on the credits nor is the original cinematogapher, Jack Cardiff.

Critical reaction
Vincent Canby of The New York Times criticized the film's tackiness, suggesting it was copied from The Cassandra Crossing and likening it to the work of exploitation filmmaker Lew Grade, criticising the actors as appearing "at a loss".

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called it "handsome but routine."

Time Out called it "awful", "formulary" and "hammily acted" but explained its curious editing as resulting from the production problems. The Radio Times gave it 2/5 stars, noting its disjointed quality but praising the acting and snowy special effects. Leonard Maltin's annual publications "TV Movies" and "Movie Guide" give the film a BOMB rating and were especially critical of the cast.