Fade In (film)

Fade In is a 1973 American Western film starring Burt Reynolds, who said, "It should have been called Fade Out."

Cast

 * Burt Reynolds - Rob
 * Barbara Loden - Jean
 * Patricia Casey - Pat
 * Noam Pitlik - Russ
 * James Hampton - Bud
 * Joseph V. Perry - George
 * Lawrence Heller - Stu

Production
In a 1973 interview with writer Emory Lewis, playwright Mart Crowley stated, "I did write one film, Fade-In, with Barbara Loden and Burt Reynolds in starring roles. However, it was butchered by other writers. It was never released. I paid Paramount $1700 to take my name off the project."

Filming started in July 1967 and was shot at the same time as the Western Blue on the same location in Moab, Utah, using some footage from that movie although it had a separate story, cast and crew. Judd Bernard, who produced both, said "Both pictures are either going to be great or be disaster areas. There will be no middle ground with either one." Parts of the film were shot at Professor Valley, Castle Valley, Hittle Bottom, Moab, Dead Horse Point, and Arches in Utah.

It was the first Hollywood made film to show someone taking a contraception pill.

It was the first film to be released credited to the pseudonym Alan Smithee (though the onscreen credit reads, "Allen Smithee"). The pseudonym had been created for Death of a Gunfighter, but that film was not released until the following year.

Reception
"It was screened for Bob Evans at Paramount and I think he locked it up in chains", said Reynolds years later. "It's never been heard from since."

Five years after its intended release, Fade-In premiered on television on The CBS Late Movie on November 8, 1973.

"It's the best thing I've ever done", Reynolds added. "An American version of A Man and a Woman."