FIRST SEEN: University Cinema 6, Tampa, Florida
FAVORITE SCENE: Jenning's decapitation
FAVORITE LINE: "Damien....it's all for you!"

AWARDS

1977 Academy Award for Best Original Score (Jerry Goldsmith)
1977 Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Ave Satani" written by Jerry Goldsmith

BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Billie Whitelaw)

1977 Golden Globe nomination for Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture - Male (Harvey Stephens)

1977 Writer's Guild of America nomination for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (David Seltzer - though, as far as I can tell, the screenplay was adapted from his novel and, technically, was not original. At least this is my belief. I have a copy of the book printed in Jan 1976 and the film wasn't released until late June of that year. Quite a long time to release a movie-tie in before the film opens)

Pretty damn scary. That is how I would sum up "The Omen." And though there was a few scenes of carnage, most of the horror, like "The Exorcist," is atmospheric.

The story: Robert Thorn, the US Ambassador to Italy, and his wife, Katherine, are a very dashing political couple. The future is bright, even more so with Katherine due to give birth. At 6:00 am on the 6th day of June (the 6th month), a child is born but the mother dies during the birth. At the same time, Katherine Thorn loses her baby during childbirth. A priest approaches Robert and explains the situation. One child is dead, the other alive. Would the Ambassador accept the other child as his own. Reluctantly Thorn agrees, on the condition that Katherine never know. Years later, now representing the United States in Great Britain, things begin to go wrong. The child, named Damien, throws a tantrum when taken to church. His nanny, proclaiming her devotion to the boy, hangs herself at Damien's birthday party. And the creepy new nanny, Mrs. Blaylock, has an unusual attraction to a large Rottweiller. Who the devil is this kid? Ahhhhh....

I have many fond memories of "The Omen" because it was a film I saw with my dad, who would wait until I was a 15 year old ball of nerves staring wide eyed at the screen and then poke me in the ribs! Though the subject matter was kind of touchy and sure to draw the ire of some, the success of "The Exorcist" convinced 20th Century Fox to bankroll the story. Though Gregory Peck seemed the perfect choice to play Robert Thorn, he had to wait until other actors, including William Holden, Roy Scheider and Dick Van Dyke turned the part down. Holden had already accepted a role in "Network," but did play Robert Thorns' brother in the sequel, "Damian: Omen II." Scheider had lobbied long and hard for the role of Father Karras in "The Exorcist" and was stung when director William Friedken, who had directed Scheider to an Oscar nomination in "The French Connection" chose playwright Jason Miller for the role. After that experience Roy wanted nothing more to do with kids and the devil. Van Dyke would have been a great choice, especially considering his legacy in Hollywood as a great comedian. He was (and I guess still is since he's still with us) a very talented dramatic actor. If you get the chance, check out a film called "The Runner Stumbles," in which he plays an alcoholic priest who is suspected in the murder of a parish nun.

The film managed to draw on the popularity of "The Exorcist" and other films that followed. The fact that it had a top notch cast, including Lee Remick, Billie Whitelaw, David Warner and an uncredited Leo McKern as the man who provides a way to kill the son of Satan, certainly helped. This was director Donner's first feature, after having paid his dues in episodic television with work on shows as varied as "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "The Banana Splits." He certainly knew how to hook an audience. The scene showing the photographer Jennings being decapitated was edited with the intention that the audience would close their eyes during the moment of impact (a pane of glass slips meets David Warner's head). Donner timed it so that when the viewer opened their eyes the head would still be floating in mid air. Pretty cool shot. However, a good cast doesn't always ensure success, as the 2006 remake of "The Omen" proved. The film was followed up by two theatrical sequels and one produced for television.

Success followed many of the participants. Peck, already one of the most beloved stars in history, entered a period where he was cast against his more "nice guy" image, culminating in his portrayal of Dr. Josef Mengele' in "The Boys From Brazil." Remick continued to work until her death from cancer in 1991, earning six Emmy nominations after "The Omen." David Warner went on to do great work in films like "Time after Time" and "Time Bandits" as well as three "Star Trek" films in which he played a human, a Klingon and a Cardassian. He is probably best remembered as Billy Zane's henchman in "Titanic." With the exception of an appearance in a made for television film in 1980, little Damian himself, Harvey Stephens, retired from acting. He did make a cameo appearance as a reporter in the "Omen" remake. Incidentally, Stephens lost the Golden Globe award to the current Governor of California. The winner that year was Arnold Schwarzenegger for the film "Stay Hungry." Director Donner followed up his "Omen" success with "Superman the Movie." He also directed such favorites as "The Goonies" and the "Lethal Weapon" series.

Next week I'll take a look at one of the funniest films of the 1980s, Tim Burton's "Pee Wee's Big Adventure."

Well, that's all for now. Have a great week. See ya!