Continental Divide - actors, characters and roles
All actors and their roles in the film "Continental Divide"
Continental Divide (1981)
Timing:
1:43 (103 min)
6.023/10
110
110
6.252/10
299
299
6.2/10
6100
6100
Actors and characters
Liam Russell
Character Deke Lewis
Everett Smith
Character Fiddle
Bruce Jarchow
Character Hellinger
Eddie Schwartz
Character Jimmy
Harold Holmes
Character Mr. Feeney
Frankie Hill
Character Agatha
Mike Bacarella
Character Delaney
Elizabeth Young
Character Mrs. Feeney
What's left behind the scenes
- John Belushi's character, Ernie Suchak, is partly based on the popular and now deceased Chicago journalist Mike Royko, whose articles on political corruption in the Windy City (Chicago), published in the Chicago Daily News, Chicago Sun-Times, and Chicago Tribune, were legendary.
- The headline of the column in the newspaper immediately following “Room Wanted. Quiet Tenant” is “Yablonowitz Finger Holds The Trigger.”
- The first film released by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. John Belushi and Steven Spielberg had previously worked together on the film “1941” (1979).
- The Amtrack train arrived in the town of Victor, Idaho, on a closed track where a scene was being filmed. This small town hadn't had a developed railway system for many years.
- The newspaper Ernie worked for was called the Chicago Sun-Times. This is a real American newspaper. One article in the newspaper was titled 'Ernie Suchak – one of the reasons for people's joy'.
- Actress Blair Brown was cast as Dr. Nell Porter due to her resemblance to a young Katharine Hepburn.
- The Colorado mountain cabin, built entirely for the film, was originally located at a higher altitude in the mountains. Production designer Peter Jameson, choosing the cabin's location with director Michael Apted, failed to account for the altitude. The thin air at that height became a major problem for both the actors and the crew, especially for John Belushi due to his weight. Medics constantly had to revive the star with oxygen. It was decided to lower the cabin by 300 meters. The entire house, as well as the surrounding bushes and trees, were moved to a new location. During this move, Belushi went on a diet, realizing that his weight was hindering him from playing his character at high altitudes. In scenes at the house, it's noticeable that he had indeed lost weight. After losing weight, Belushi began to position himself as a romantic lead and remained committed to his diet to lose even more. Filming in Colorado was canceled after an early snowfall, and not all scenes with the house in the mountains were shot. The crew moved to Chicago earlier than planned. Construction foreman Doug Vlaming and his team disassembled the house and loaded it onto trucks. They brought everything to Universal City studio and reassembled it on a huge wooden frame duplicating the Colorado mountain slope. Universal Studios staff recreated every tree, grass and dirt, bushes and cliff face from photographs. They also completely duplicated the interior of the house. At that moment, the unfinished mountain scenes were the first priority, as were scenes with the mountain lion. Filming at the studio turned out to be much easier than filming in the Colorado mountains. The painters' department occupied the space under the huge hill structure for their work. This place was nicknamed the pharmacy due to the widespread drug trade in the areas surrounding the studio. It also became a favorite hangout for Belushi during filming.
- Bill De Sinses (manager of the Universal Studios art department service) appointed Hugh Barden as art director to assist Peter Jameson. Hugh Barden was the art director on 'All Night Long' (1981), a job he had to resume and complete. Filming on that movie was interrupted by an actors' strike. Peter Jameson also worked on it.
- The film's title is a geographical term for a draining divide on a continent. It is a conventional topographic line that divides adjacent river basins. In the Colorado mountains, where this film takes place, the continental divide lies along high mountain ranges and peaks. And it is this specific divide that is known as the Continental Divide of the Americas.
- Some magazines described this film as "an old-fashioned comedy, something between 'Bringing Up Baby' (1938) and 'Woman of the Year' (1941)."
- This was the penultimate film starring John Belushi to be released, appearing in the same year as his final film, 'Neighbors' (1981). One line delivered by his character, Ernie, to Nell Porter proved to be a chilling prophecy: “You kiss me and look at me like I’m going to die.”
- This film was intended as a modern take on the old romantic comedies starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.
- Nell is chopping wood when Ernie approaches. As they begin to talk, Nell stacks the wood in her left hand. In the next shot, filmed from a different angle, she has no wood in her hands and begins stacking it in her left hand again.
- As Suchak rushes out of the hotel to catch a taxi to Union Station, one can notice electrical cables running along the sidewalk.
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