text:
Dean Winchester
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Dean Winchester
Supernatural character
First appearance
"Pilot" (1.01)
September 13, 2005
Created by
Eric Kripke
Portrayed by
Jensen Ackles
Hunter Brochu (toddler)
Ridge Canipe (child)
Nicolai Lawton-Giustra (preteen)
Brock Kelly and Dylan Everett (teenager)
Chad Everett (elderly)
Information
Species
Human
Gender
Male
Occupation
Hunter
Family
Sam Winchester (brother, formerly deceased)
John Winchester (father, deceased)
Mary Winchester (mother, formerly deceased)
Samuel Campbell (maternal grandfather, deceased)
Deanna Campbell (maternal grandmother, deceased)
Adam Milligan (paternal half-brother, deceased)
Emma (daughter, deceased)
Henry Winchester (paternal grandfather, deceased)
Millie Winchester (paternal grandmother, deceased)
Dean Winchester is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists of the American drama television series Supernatural. He is portrayed primarily by Jensen Ackles. Other versions of the character having been portrayed by Hunter Brochu (toddler), Ridge Canipe (child), Nicolai Lawton-Giustra (pre-teen), Brock Kelly and Dylan Everett (teen), and Chad Everett (elderly).
Dean hunts demons, spirits and other supernatural creatures with the help of his younger brother Sam and occasionally with their friend and father figure Bobby Singer and, since season four, his friend the angel Castiel.
Contents
1 Development
2 Character biography
2.1 Preseries
2.2 Series
3 Powers
4 Skills and abilities
5 References
6 External links
Development
Dean Winchester was created by Eric Kripke, creator and original showrunner of Supernatural, when he pitched a show to the WB about two brothers who investigate the supernatural.[1] Dean's name is a homage to Jack Kerouac's road-trip novel On the Road,[2] tying into Kripke's concept for an Americana road-trip television series.[3] It was originally intended for the brothers' last name to be "Harrison" as a nod to actor Harrison Ford, as Kripke wanted Dean to have the "devil-may-care swagger of Han Solo." However, there was a Sam Harrison living in Kansas, so the name had to be changed for legal reasons.[4] Combining his interest in the Winchester Mystery House and his desire to give the series the feel of "a modern-day Western," Kripke settled on the surname of "Winchester." Dean and his brother Sam are from Lawrence, Kansas, due to its closeness to Stull Cemetery, a location famous for its urban legends.[5] Jensen Ackles, who portrays Dean Winchester, was originally asked to audition for the role of Sam, but preferred the character of Dean after reading the script.[6][7]
Character biography
Preseries
Dean Winchester was born on January 24, 1979[8][9] to John and Mary Winchester in Lawrence, Kansas. He is the couple's first child, four years older than his younger brother, Sam. He is named after his maternal grandmother, Deanna Campbell. On November 2, 1983, Mary was killed in Sam's nursery by the demon Azazel, and in the ensuing fire Dean was tasked with carrying Sam out to safety while John unsuccessfully tried to rescue Mary. Since then, Dean has felt responsible for Sam and was always given the job to take care of him while they were growing up.
John began investigating the cause of Mary's death and in that course learned about the supernatural and the people who hunted them. John became a hunter himself, and trained Dean to be one as well, though both hid the supernatural from Sam until he was 8 years old. The Winchesters constantly moved around the country, living in motels and the homes of John's hunter friends. Dean had a large hand in raising Sam due to John's constantly being away to hunt. When Dean was 16, he was arrested for stealing and spent time in a boy's home where he had the opportunity to go to a regular school, though eventually Dean chose to return to John and Sam.
Prior to the pilot of the series, Sam left John and Dean to pursue his own life away from the supernatural. John and Dean continued to hunt together and traveled all the way through the United States.
Dean is known for handling a large number of weaponry, and his signature looks are black shoes, a dark leather jacket and dark shirts with dark blue jeans. He is also known for driving a signature black 1967 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe, in which he occasionally sleeps in and he has a huge stash of guns in the trunk.
Series
Dean is 26 years old when the series begins and has been allowed by John to hunt by himself. In the first episode, Dean goes to Sam, whom he hasn't seen for a few years, and asks for help finding John, who has gone missing. The pair are initially unsuccessful, and at the end of the first episode, Sam's girlfriend Jessica Moore dies the same way their mother did. Sam joins Dean on the road, hunting various supernatural creatures, tracking down their father and searching for the culprit behind the deaths of their mother and Jessica. After eventually reuniting with their father and coming into possession of the Colt, they prepare to strike back against the Demon, a powerful demon with yellow eyes known as Azazel. Failing to kill him, they are rammed into by a semitruck, sending Dean into a coma. Flatlining, Dean dies but is saved from death at the last second when John makes a deal with the Demon to save his life. After John's soul is taken by the Demon to Hell, Sam and Dean start hunting the Demon, who eventually kidnaps Sam. In a turn of events, Sam is stabbed and killed, forcing Dean to make a deal to save his brother's life. Given a year on life, Dean and Sam are unable to stop the Demon from opening a gate to Hell and freeing Lilith. However, their father escapes as well and gives them the chance they need to kill the Yellow Eyed Demon.
While trying to cope with his impending death and make the best of his final year, Dean begins to start hunting the freed Demons. Meeting a seemingly helpful demon Ruby, Dean learns that he too may become a demon himself if he burns in Hell too long. Learning Lilith to have taken the throne of Hell from Azazel and to hold Dean's life contract in her hands, the brothers eventually confront her. Unable to kill her, Dean is mauled to death by Hellhounds and his soul is dragged to Hell. There Lilith orders a demon called Alastair, the same demon whom Azazel had torture John, brutalize Dean. After spending three months dead, equating to thirty years in Hell, Dean finally joins Alastair in torturing souls. On the road to becoming a demon, Dean awakens from his grave after spending four months in hell, reunites with family and meets the angel Castiel who is revealed to have resurrected Dean. Struggling with almost having had become a demon and trying to get Sam to try to quit drinking demon blood, Dean meets the Demon again when sent back in time by Castiel. Eventually learning that if one of the Demon's Special Children, of whom Sam is the only one left, kill Lilith the Apocalypse will start, Dean arrives moments too late to stop Lucifer from breaking free. Later learning of his role as the vessel for the Archangel Michael and Sam's role as Lucifer's vessel, the brothers meet the King of Crossroads Crowley and fight against the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to defeat Lucifer. Learning from Death how to trap Lucifer, Sam eventually becomes the devil's vessel, but his strong bond with Dean helps him fall into Lucifer's Cage with Michael.
Quitting hunting and moving in with an ex-girlfriend Lisa, Dean begins to move onto a normal life but is thrust back into hunting when attacked by a Djinn and mysteriously saved by Sam. Shocked to learn of his brother and maternal grandfather's resurrections, Dean is placed even more on edge when Sam acts cold, ruthlessly and lets Dean temporarily turn into a vampire. Later learning from Castiel that Sam is lacking a soul, Dean sets out to fix his brother. Getting Sam's soul back through Death, the brothers begin to unravel a conspiracy involving Crowley and Castiel. Defeating Eve, the mother of all monsters, Dean cuts ties with Lisa and learns Castiel to have taken Purgatory's souls to become the most powerful angel alive. Requesting Death's help, Dean is unable to get Castiel to return the souls of Purgatory in time and the Leviathans break free and begin an effort to take over the Earth. After their father figure Bobby is killed by Dick Roman, the Leviathan leader, they gain an ally through Kevin Tran, a new prophet. With the Word of God, Dean and Castiel kill Roman but are themselves killed in the subsequent explosion and dragged to Purgatory.
Surviving in Purgatory with the aid of the vampire Benny and Castiel, Dean and Benny eventually escape. Full of guilt at being unable to rescue Cas, Dean is angered to learn that Sam did not even search for him. Reuniting with Kevin, they find another Word of God that details trials able to close the gates of Hell. Coming to terms with what he did in Purgatory, Dean aids Sam in completing the trials, and along the way they encounter the rogue angel Metatron and the Knight of Hell Abaddon. During this time the brothers are also given the Men of Letters bunker as a headquarters. Joyed that Castiel was able to escape Purgatory as well, Dean is horrified to learn his best friend to have been programmed by the angel Naomi to try to kill him. Capturing Crowley, Dean stops Sam from completing the trials when he learns it will kill his brother. When they begin to head to the hospital, Sam lapses into a coma just as the angels begin to fall down to Earth. Praying for help, Dean learns Metatron to have turned Castiel human and caused the fall. Aided by an angel named Ezekiel, Dean allows him to possess Sam if it means saving his brother. With Ezekiel in Sam, however, Dean is unable to get any help from Castiel and begins to try to find a way to handle Abaddon. Joining up with Metatron, Ezekiel reveals himself to actually be the angel Gadreel and overpowers Dean, preventing him from saving Kevin. Turning to Crowley for help, Dean manages to purge Gadreel from Sam at the cost of their relationship. Growing desperate to defeat Abaddon, Crowley manipulates Dean into accepting the Mark of Cain and aids him in locating the First Blade. Mending his bond with Sam, Dean kills Abaddon and nearly slaughters Gadreel. When finally confronting Metatron, Dean is fatally stabbed and once again dies. His body brought back to the bunker, Dean's reawakens a demon and leaves with Crowley.[10]
Enjoying his time as a demon and killing several of Abaddon's loyalists, Dean eventually kills an innocent man called Lester Morris and uses his newfound demon powers to confirm what Crowley told him about Sam. Eventually confronting his brother, Dean is pulled into a fight by a soldier named Cole, allowing Sam to use holy water to imprison his brother. Using the demon cure process to try to turn his brother back, Sam lets his guard down as Dean escapes. With the help of Castiel, however, Dean is cured, but still remains an enhanced human with the Mark of Cain. After eventually growing more and more powerful while losing control, Dean learns from Cain, before killing his ancestor, that there is no viable cure. Death later confirms this by revealing that removing the Mark would unleash the Darkness and offers to remove Dean from society on the condition that he kill Sam. Although he initially agrees, Dean relents and kills Death instead. However, due to Sam's earlier machinations, the Mark is removed and the Darkness is unleashed regardless.
With the Darkness unleashed, Dean and Sam set out to try to find the Darkness, but are shaken to learn that the entity they are hunting is essentially God's sister, who was 'sacrificed' so that he could create the world. Manifesting as a woman who comes to call herself Amara, Dean finds himself unable to kill her due to a twisted attraction, but matters become even more complicated when Castiel consents to act the vessel for Lucifer when he becomes convinced that only an archangel has any chance against Amara. This strategy fails- speculated to be due to Lucifer's status as a fallen archangel- but the Winchesters are eventually contacted by the true God, now revealed to be Chuck Surely, the author who wrote the Winchester Gospels, who is able to make peace with Amara and depart. Dean is shocked when he is reunited with his mother, who is brought back to life by Amara as thanks for Dean's actions, but the Winchesters find themselves facing human and supernatural threats when the British branch of the Men of Letters attack the Winchesters to try to take control of America's hunters and Lucifer is left on the run trying to find a new vessel. Lucifer eventually takes the President of the United States as a vessel, but the Winchesters are able to banish him from this host.
While the Winchesters discover that Lucifer conceived a child while possessing the President, they are left to guard the child's mother while Mary explores the possibility of an alliance with the British Men of Letters. Although Castiel concludes that Lucifer's child is worth protecting, the potential alliance with the Men of Letters ends when the group prove to be excessively ruthless, to the point of killing a hunter who had assisted the Winchesters on a case because she accidentally killed one of their members. The Winchesters are eventually able to banish Lucifer to a parallel universe where the Apocalypse took place 'on schedule', but this plan backfired when Lucifer alerted the alternate version of Michael to the existence of the original world, as well as leaving them with the complication of trying to raise Lucifer's suddenly-adult son, Jack Kline. Jack soon comes to see the Winchesters and Castiel as his 'fathers', while they gain a new ally when they discover that Gabriel survived his death, but although they are able to return to the Apocalypse World to rescue several humans (including alternate versions of Bobby Singer and Charlie Bradbury), the alternate Michael and Lucifer follow them into this world.
Stuck for options to stop Lucifer after he takes Jack's grace to charge his own powers, Dean agrees to act as Michael's vessel, but Michael takes control of Dean's body after Lucifer's death. Michael spends the next few weeks exploring this world until he decides to aid the monsters in taking control of the world as their desires are pure, but he subsequently abandons Dean as his vessel for unknown reasons.
Powers
When turned into a vampire, Dean had greater strength and all of his senses were advanced. As a human, Dean was the bearer of the Mark of Cain; this granted him extraordinary strength, allowing him to fight on the level of a supercharged angel like Metatron. He also had several psionic abilities, the most notable of which is being able to summon and call the First Blade to him granted it is reasonable range. These powers also included premonitions given in dreams and immunity to both magical and demonic powers. As a demon bearing the Mark of Cain, Dean's strength was multiplied from the time he was a human, allowing him strength on par with, if not greater than, the Knights of Hell. His demonic powers also included a degree of telepathy, being able to read an individual named Lester's mind and learn his history with Sam upon meeting him. During his time as a demon, Dean also possessed the ability to easily regenerate from wounds and as his corrupted soul was possessing his own body, he was exempt from exorcisms that plagued other demons.
Skills and abilities
Dean is a skilled and highly resourceful hunter. He is well-versed in multiple types of firearms; he prefers his Colt 1911 and sawed-off shotgun, but is proficient with most other weapons he might acquire. He is also adept with brawling and knife fighting, and has subdued several human assailants with ease and bested physically more powerful creatures such as shapeshifters, vampires and demons. He frequently utilizes improvised weapons and explosive devices; in "Croatoan", he demonstrated knowledge of chemistry, constructing Molotov cocktails and improvised explosive devices, and in "Phantom Traveler", he revealed knowledge of electronics and reverse engineering, having built an electromagnetic field detector from an old Walkman radio. Dean also possesses extensive knowledge of the supernatural and mythology, and from season 4 onwards learns and is able to perform spells that are effective against angels.
Dean's work as a hunter requires him to impersonate various occupational roles in pursuing his investigations and avoid the attention of law-enforcement. To this end, Dean is well-versed in how police, fire departments and various government agencies (FBI, CDC) typically operate and conduct investigations. In supporting this lifestyle, Dean is also skillful in lock picking, breaking into security systems, carjacking and hustling for pool. Due to his time spent in Hell as Alistair's "student", Dean has an in-depth knowledge of torture. Dean is also an accomplished mechanic and maintained an intimate knowledge of automobiles and engines since childhood; he maintains his Impala in top condition.
References
Jump up ^ Knight, Nicholas, (Season 1 Companion), p.6
Jump up ^ "Fact scarier than fiction". The Daily Telegraph. March 8, 2007. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
Jump up ^ Maria Elena Fernandez (January 5, 2006). "On the road trip from hell". Melbourne: The Age. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
Jump up ^ Angie Rentmeester & Noelle Talmon (February 14, 2008). "A 'Supernatural' Spin-Off? Death By Bad Taco? Series Creator Eric Kripke Explains". Starpulse. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
Jump up ^ "Supernatural: Your Burning Questions Answered!". TV Guide. October 12, 2006. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
Jump up ^ Knight, Nicholas, (Season 1 Companion), p. 130
Jump up ^ Mumtaj Begum (September 12, 2008). "Jensen Ackles enjoys doing Supernatural". The Star Online. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
Jump up ^ "The Monster at the End of This Book". Supernatural. Season 4. Episode 18. 4.18 The Monster at the End of This Book (transcript). 2009-04-20. CW. PUBLISHER: "What's May 2nd?" SAM: "That's my – Uh... that's Sam's birthday." DEAN: "January 24th is Dean's." |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Jump up ^ Knight, Nicholas (2012-11-15). The Essential Supernatural: On the Road with Sam and Dean Winchester. Insight Editions. ISBN 1608871452.
Jump up ^ ‘Supernatural’ Season 10: Mark Sheppard Promoted to Series Regular, Variety, Laura Prudom, May 23, 2014
External links
Supernatural Wiki
hide
v
t
e
Supernatural
Episodes
Season 1
"Pilot"
"Devil's Trap"
Season 2
"What Is and What Should Never Be"
"All Hell Breaks Loose"
Season 3
"Fresh Blood"
"A Very Supernatural Christmas"
"Dream a Little Dream of Me"
"No Rest for the Wicked"
Season 4
"Lazarus Rising"
Season 5
"Sympathy for the Devil"
"Good God, Y'All!"
"Swan Song"
Season 6
"Exile on Main St."
Season 7
"Meet the New Boss"
"Hello, Cruel World"
Season 8
"Sacrifice"
Season 9
Season 10
"Black"
"Reichenbach"
"Soul Survivor"
"Brother's Keeper"
Season 11
"Out of the Darkness, Into the Fire"
"Form and Void"
"The Bad Seed"
"Baby"
"Thin Lizzie"
"Our Little World"
"O Brother Where Art Thou?"
"The Devil in the Details"
"Beyond the Mat"
"Safe House"
"Hell's Angel"
"Don't Call Me Shurley"
"All in the Family"
"We Happy Few"
"Alpha and Omega"
Season 12
"Keep Calm and Carry On"
"Mamma Mia"
"The Foundry"
"American Nightmare"
"The One You've Been Waiting For"
"Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox"
"Rock Never Dies"
"LOTUS"
"First Blood"
"Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets"
Season 13
"Scoobynatural"
Season 14
Characters
Main
Sam Winchester
Dean Winchester
Ruby
Bela Talbot
Castiel
Crowley
Lucifer
Jack
Nick
Supporting
John Winchester
Bobby Singer
Jo Harvelle
Ellen Harvelle
Anna Milton
Jody Mills
Charlie Bradbury
Gadreel
Mary Winchester
Mick Davies
Arthur Ketch
Antagonists
Azazel
Meg Masters
Lilith
Uriel
Alastair
Zachariah
Naomi
Abaddon
Metatron
Eldon Styne
The Darkness
Asmodeus
Michael
Other
Awards and nominations
List of Supernatural episodes
Supernatural Wiki
Supernatural: Bloodlines
Wikipedia books: Supernatural
Seasons
Season 1
Season 2
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dean_Winchester&oldid=864798230"
Categories:
Fictional American people of English descent
Fictional characters from Kansas
Fictional characters introduced in 2005
Fictional characters who have made pacts with devils
Fictional con artists
Fictional exorcists
Fictional demon hunters
Fictional demons and devils
Fictional outlaws
Fictional mechanics
Fictional vampire hunters
Male characters in television
Revived fictional characters
Supernatural (U.S. TV series) characters
Hidden categories:
Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL
Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism
Articles needing additional references from April 2016
All articles needing additional references
Pages using deprecated image syntax
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
View source
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Български
Català
Čeština
Dansk
Español
فارسی
Français
한국어
Հայերեն
Bahasa Indonesia
Italiano
Magyar
Norsk
Português
Română
Simple English
Slovenčina
Suomi
Türkçe
Українська
11 more
Edit links
This page was last edited on 19 October 2018, at 14:47 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: This article is semi-protected until February 8, 2019, due to vandalism

attrs: class id

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: mw-jump-link #mw-head

values: mw-jump-link #p-search

value: p

attrs: href class

values: Help:Introduction to referencing with Wiki Markup/1

values: plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove

values: text-align:center;font-size:125%;font-weight:bold;background: Black; color: #FFFFFF;

values: text-align:center;background: Black; color: #FFFFFF;

values:
/wiki/Mary_Winchester_(Supernatural)
mw-redirect
Mary Winchester (Supernatural)

values:
infobox
width:22em;border-spacing: 2px 5px;

values:
/wiki/Fictional_character
mw-redirect
Fictional character

values:
/wiki/Demon_(Supernatural)
mw-redirect
Demon (Supernatural)

values: checkbox button toctogglecheckbox toctogglecheckbox display:none

values:
/wiki/The_Colt_(Supernatural)
mw-redirect
The Colt (Supernatural)

values:
/wiki/Lucifer_(Supernatural)
mw-redirect
Lucifer (Supernatural)

values:
/wiki/Michael_(Supernatural)
mw-redirect
Michael (Supernatural)

values:
/wiki/Death_(Supernatural)
mw-redirect
Death (Supernatural)

values:
/wiki/Kevin_Tran_(Supernatural)
mw-redirect
Kevin Tran (Supernatural)

values:
/wiki/Abaddon_(Supernatural)
mw-redirect
Abaddon (Supernatural)

values:
/wiki/Mark_of_Cain
mw-redirect
Mark of Cain

values:
/wiki/Knife_fighting
mw-redirect
Knife fighting

values:
/wiki/Centers_for_Disease_Control
mw-redirect
Centers for Disease Control

values:
/wiki/Impala_(Supernatural)
mw-redirect
Impala (Supernatural)

values:
reflist mw-references-wrap
list-style-type: decimal;

values:
nofollow
http://supernaturalwiki.com/
external text

values: Template talk:Supernatural (U.S. TV series)

values: What Is and What Should Never Be (Supernatural)

values: Dream a Little Dream of Me (Supernatural)

values: O Brother Where Art Thou? (Supernatural)

values: List of awards and nominations received by Supernatural

attrs: alt src title width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner mw-collapsible mw-made-collapsible

values: navigation navbox Supernatural padding:3px

values: Category:Fictional American people of English descent

values: Category:Fictional characters from Kansas

values: Category:Fictional characters introduced in 2005

values: Category:Fictional characters who have made pacts with devils

values: Category:Supernatural (U.S. TV series) characters

values: Category:Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL

values: Category:Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism

values: Category:Articles needing additional references from April 2016

values: Category:All articles needing additional references

values: Category:Pages using deprecated image syntax

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Dean_Winchester
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values:
This page is protected.
You can view its source [ctrl-alt-e]

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Дийн Уинчестър – Bulgarian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ca
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-cs
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-da
display: none;

values: دین وینچستر – Persian

values: 딘 윈체스터 – Korean

values: Դին Վինչեստեր – Armenian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-hy
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-hu
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-no
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ro
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-simple
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sk
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-fi
display: none;

values: Дін Вінчестер – Ukrainian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-uk
display: none;

values: All languages (initial selection from common choices by you and others)

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Dean_Winchester rootpage-Dean_Winchester skin-vector action-view


text:
Escape from Alcatraz (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Escape from Alcatraz
Movie poster by Bill Gold
Directed by
Don Siegel
Produced by
Don Siegel
Robert Daley
Written by
Richard Tuggle
Based on
Escape from Alcatraz
(1963 book)
by J. Campbell Bruce
Starring
Clint Eastwood
Jack Thibeau
Fred Ward
Larry Hankin
Roberts Blossom
Music by
Jerry Fielding
Cinematography
Bruce Surtees
Edited by
Ferris Webster
Production
company
The Malpaso Company
Distributed by
Paramount Pictures
Release date
June 22, 1979 (1979-06-22)
Running time
112 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$8 million[1]
Box office
$43 million[2]
Escape from Alcatraz is a 1979 American prison thriller film directed by Don Siegel.[3] It is an adaptation of the 1963 non-fiction book of the same name by J. Campbell Bruce and dramatizes the 1962 prisoner escape from the maximum security prison on Alcatraz Island. The film stars Clint Eastwood, Jack Thibeau and Fred Ward as prisoners Frank Morris, Clarence Anglin and John Anglin. Allen West was played by Larry Hankin; his character's name was changed to Charley Butts. Patrick McGoohan portrays the suspicious, vindictive warden and Danny Glover appears in his film debut. Escape from Alcatraz marks the fifth and final collaboration between Siegel and Eastwood, following Coogan's Bluff (1968), Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970), The Beguiled (1971) and Dirty Harry (1971).
Contents
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
3.1 Screenplay and filming
3.2 Background and historical accuracy
4 Reception
5 See also
6 References
6.1 Notes
6.2 Bibliography
7 External links
Plot[edit]
On January 18, 1960, Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood) arrives at the maximum security prison Alcatraz. Soon after arriving, he is sent in to meet the warden (Patrick McGoohan), who curtly informs him that no inmate has ever successfully escaped from Alcatraz. Among the inmates, Morris makes acquaintances with the eccentric Litmus, (Frank Ronzio) who is fond of desserts, English (Paul Benjamin), a black inmate serving two life sentences for killing two white men in self-defense and the elderly artist and chrysanthemum grower Doc (Roberts Blossom).
Morris also makes an enemy of a rapist called Wolf (Bruce M. Fischer), who harasses him in the showers and later attacks him in the prison yard with a knife; both men spend time in the hole. When the warden discovers that Doc has painted an ungainly caricature of him, as well as other policemen on the island itself, he permanently removes Doc's painting privileges; in response, a depressed Doc hacks off his own fingers with a hatchet from the prison workshop and is led away. Later, Morris encounters bank robber brothers John and Clarence Anglin (Fred Ward and Jack Thibeau), who are his old friends from another prison sentence, and he makes the acquaintance of prisoner Charley Butts (Larry Hankin). Later, during mealtime, Morris places one of Doc's chrysanthemums at the table in honor of Doc, but the warden stops by and crushes it. Litmus is enraged, but as he reaches out to grab the warden, he suffers a fatal heart attack. The warden coldly reminds Morris that "some men are destined never to leave Alcatraz—alive."
Morris notices that the concrete around the grille in his cell is weak and can be chipped away, which evolves into an escape plan. Over the next few months Morris, the Anglins and Butts dig through the walls of their cells with spoons (which have been soldered into makeshift shovels), make papier-mâché dummies to act as decoys, and construct a raft out of raincoats. On June 11, 1962, the inmates decide to leave. Wolf has been released from solitary confinement and prepares to stab Morris with a knife, but English is able to intercept him. That night, Morris, the Anglins and Butts plan to meet in the passageway and escape. Butts panics and fails to rendezvous with them. Carrying the flotation gear, Morris and the Anglins access the roof and avoid the searchlights. From there, they scramble down the side of the building into the prison yard, climb over a barbed-wire fence and make their way to the shoreline of the island where they inflate the raft. The three men enter the water; partially submerged, they cling to the raft and use their legs as the primary propelling force and kicking. When their escape is discovered the following morning, a massive manhunt ensues. The warden does not want to blemish his perfect record and insists that the men drowned, despite no bodies being found. On a rock on the shore of Angel Island, he finds a chrysanthemum and throws it in the water after being told that they do not grow there.
Cast[edit]
Clint Eastwood as Frank Morris
Patrick McGoohan as the Warden
Jack Thibeau as Clarence Anglin
Fred Ward as John Anglin
Larry Hankin as Charley Butts
Paul Benjamin as English
Madison Arnold as Zimmerman
Frank Ronzio as Litmus
Roberts Blossom as Chester "Doc" Dalton
Bruce M. Fischer as Wolf Grace
Danny Glover as Inmate
Don Michaelian as Beck
Production[edit]
Left:Alcatraz. Right:Malpaso-Paramount production bench used during the filming
Screenplay and filming[edit]
Alcatraz was closed shortly after the true events on which the film was based. Screenwriter Richard Tuggle spent six months researching and writing a screenplay based on the 1963 non-fiction account by J. Campbell Bruce.[4] He went to the Writers Guild and received a list of literary agents who would accept unsolicited manuscripts. He submitted a copy to each, and also to anybody else in the business that he could cajole into reading it. Everyone rejected it, saying it had poor dialogue and characters, lacked a love interest, and that the public was not interested in prison stories. Tuggle decided to bypass producers and executives and deal directly with filmmakers. He called the agent for director Don Siegel and lied, saying he had met Siegel at a party and the director had expressed interest in reading his script. The agent forwarded the script to Siegel, who read it, liked it, and passed it on to Clint Eastwood.[5]
Eastwood was drawn to the role as ringleader Frank Morris and agreed to star, providing Siegel direct under the Malpaso banner. Siegel insisted that it be a Don Siegel film and outmaneuvered Eastwood by purchasing the rights to the film for $100,000.[1] This created a rift between the two friends. Although Siegel eventually agreed for it to be a Malpaso-Siegel production, Siegel went to Paramount Pictures, a rival studio,[4] and never directed an Eastwood picture again.
Although Alcatraz had its own power plant, it was no longer functional, and 15 miles of cable were required to connect the island to San Francisco's electricity. As Siegel and Tuggle worked on the script, the producers paid $500,000 to restore the decaying prison and recreate the cold atmosphere;[1] some interiors had to be recreated in the studio. Many of the improvements were kept intact after the film was made.
The dangerous escape down the prison wall and into the water was performed without stunt doubles by Eastwood, Fred Ward, and Jack Thibeau, who had both been cast partly for their athleticism. Director Siegel twice thought they had been lost to the treacherous currents.[citation needed]
Background and historical accuracy[edit]
See also: June 1962 Alcatraz escape attempt
The film implied that the escape had been successful.[6]
The character Charlie Butts is fictional. A fourth inmate, Allen West, did participate in the real escape but was left behind when he couldn't remove his ventilator grille on the night of the escape. He aided the FBI's official investigation of the escape.
The warden is a nameless, fictional character. The film is set between the arrival of Morris at Alcatraz in January 1960 and his escape in June 1962. Shortly after arriving Morris meets the warden, who remains in office over the course of the entire movie. In reality, warden Madigan had been replaced by Blackwell in 1961. The warden character mentions his predecessors Johnston (1934–48) and (incorrectly) Blackwell (1961–63).
Reception[edit]
Escape from Alcatraz was well received by critics and is considered by many as one of the best films of 1979.[7][8][9] Frank Rich of Time described the film as "cool, cinematic grace", while Stanley Kauffmann of The New Republic called it "crystalline cinema".[10] Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes retrospectively collected reviews from 22 critics, and gave the film an approval rating of 95%, with an average rating of 6.9/10.[11] The film grossed $5,306,354 in the U.S. during its opening weekend from June 24, 1979, shown on 815 screens. In total, the film earned $43,000,000 in U.S. theaters,[2] making it the 15th highest-grossing picture of 1979.
In 2001, the American Film Institute nominated this film for AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills.[12]
See also[edit]
Alcatraz Island in popular culture
Clint Eastwood in the 1970s
Alcatraz Dining Hall
Survival film, about the film genre, with a list of related films
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c Hughes, p.175
^ Jump up to: a b "Box Office Information for Escape from Alcatraz". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
Jump up ^ Variety film review; June 20, 1979, page 18.
^ Jump up to: a b McGilligan, Patrick (1999). Clint: The Life and Legend. London: Harper Collins. p. 304. ISBN 0-00-638354-8.
Jump up ^ Litwak, Mark (1986). Reel Power: The Struggle For Influence and Success in the New Hollywood. New York: William Morrow & Company. pp. 131–132. ISBN 0-688-04889-7.
Jump up ^ McFadden, Robert D. (June 9, 2012), "Tale of 3 Inmates Who Vanished From Alcatraz Maintains Intrigue 50 Years Later", The New York Times, New York, NY, retrieved June 9, 2012
Jump up ^ "Best Films of 1979". listal.com. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Most Popular Feature Films Released in 1979". IMDb.com. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
Jump up ^ "The Best Movies of 1979 by Rank". Films101.com. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
Jump up ^ McGilligan, Patrick (1999). Clint: The Life and Legend. London: Harper Collins. p. 307. ISBN 0-00-638354-8.
Jump up ^ "Escape from Alcatraz Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
Jump up ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved August 20, 2016.
Bibliography[edit]
Hughes, Howard (2009). Aim for the Heart. London: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511-902-7.
External links[edit]
Escape from Alcatraz at the American Film Institute Catalog
Escape from Alcatraz on IMDb
Escape from Alcatraz at AllMovie
Escape from Alcatraz at Box Office Mojo
Escape from Alcatraz at Rotten Tomatoes
show
v
t
e
Films directed by Don Siegel
Star in the Night (1945)
Hitler Lives (1945)
The Verdict (1946)
Night Unto Night (1949)
The Big Steal (1949)
The Duel at Silver Creek (1952)
No Time for Flowers (1952)
Count the Hours (1953)
China Venture (1953)
Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954)
Private Hell 36 (1954)
The Blue and Gold (1955)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Crime in the Streets (1956)
Spanish Affair (1957)
Baby Face Nelson (1957)
The Lineup (1958)
The Gun Runners (1958)
Edge of Eternity (1959)
Hound-Dog Man (1959)
Flaming Star (1960)
Hell Is for Heroes (1962)
The Killers (1964)
The Hanged Man (1964)
Stranger on the Run (1967)
Madigan (1968)
Coogan's Bluff (1968)
Death of a Gunfighter (1969)
Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)
The Beguiled (1971)
Dirty Harry (1971)
Charley Varrick (1973)
The Black Windmill (1974)
The Shootist (1976)
Telefon (1977)
Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
Rough Cut (1980)
Jinxed! (1982)
show
v
t
e
Alcatraz Island
General
Fort Alcatraz
General McPherson (ship)
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Battle of Alcatraz
June 1962 escape from Alcatraz (book · film)
Occupation of Alcatraz
Alcatraz Island in popular culture
Legends of Alcatraz
Buildings
Main Cellhouse
Dining Hall
Hospital
Library
Warden's House
Building 64
Former Military Chapel (Bachelor Quarters)
Social Hall
Morgue
New Industries Building
Model Industries Building
Lighthouse
Power House
Water Tower
Grounds
Baker Beach
Parade Grounds
Little Alcatraz
Recreation Yard
Wharf
Lists
Features
Inmates
Escape attempts
People
Fort commanders
James B. McPherson
Joseph Stewart
William A. Winder
Wardens
James A. Johnston (1934–1948)
Edwin B. Swope (1948–1955)
Paul J. Madigan (1955–1961)
Olin G. Blackwell (1961–1963)
Associate wardens
Cecil J. Shuttleworth (1934–1937)
Edward J. Miller (1937–1947)
Paul J. Madigan (1947–1955)
Olin G. Blackwell (1959–1961)
Arthur M. Dollison (1961–1963)
Richard J. Willard (1961–1963)
Notable inmates
Harvey Bailey ("The Dean of American Bank Robbers")
Basil Banghart ("The Owl")
Arthur Barker ("Doc")
Albert L. Bates
Joseph Bowers ("Dutch")
James Bulger ("Whitey")
Al Capone ("Scarface")
Meyer Cohen ("Mickey")
Theodore Cole ("Ted")
Bernard Coy
Joseph Cretzer
Volney Davis ("Curley")
Herbert Farmer ("Deafy")
Rufus Franklin
John Giles
Ellsworth Raymond Johnson ("Bumpy")
Alvin Francis Karpavicz ("Creepy Karpis")
George Celino Barnes ("Machine Gun Kelly")
Thomas Limerick
James Lucas ("Texas Bank Robber")
Rafael Cancel Miranda
Rufus McCain
Rufe Persful
Ralph Roe
Sam Shockley
Robert Stroud ("Birdman of Alcatraz")
Henri Young
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Escape_from_Alcatraz_(film)&oldid=848064762"
Categories:
1979 films
English-language films
1970s action films
Alcatraz Island in fiction
American action films
American films
American prison films
Docudramas
Escapes and escape attempts from Alcatraz
Films based on actual events
Films based on non-fiction books
Films directed by Don Siegel
Films set in 1962
Films set in prison
Films set in San Francisco
Films set in the San Francisco Bay Area
Films set on islands
Films shot in San Francisco
Paramount Pictures films
Hidden categories:
Use mdy dates from July 2016
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from March 2016
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
العربية
Aragonés
বাংলা
Dansk
Deutsch
Ελληνικά
Emiliàn e rumagnòl
Español
Euskara
فارسی
Français
Galego
Bahasa Indonesia
Italiano
עברית
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk
Plattdüütsch
Polski
Português
Русский
Simple English
Slovenščina
کوردی
Српски / srpski
Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски
Suomi
Svenska
Türkçe
Українська
22 more
Edit links
This page was last edited on 29 June 2018, at 15:32 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

value: i

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

attrs: class href

values: mw-jump-link #mw-head

values: mw-jump-link #p-search

value: th

attrs: colspan class style

value: tr

value: img

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

attrs: href title

value: td

attrs: colspan style

attrs: scope style

values:
/wiki/Robert_Daley_(filmmaker)
mw-redirect
Robert Daley (filmmaker)

values:
/wiki/The_Malpaso_Company
mw-redirect
The Malpaso Company

values:
/wiki/June_1962_Alcatraz_escape
mw-redirect
June 1962 Alcatraz escape

values:
/wiki/Frank_Morris_(prisoner)
mw-redirect
Frank Morris (prisoner)

values:
/wiki/Clarence_Anglin
mw-redirect
Clarence Anglin

values:
/wiki/John_Anglin_(criminal)
mw-redirect
John Anglin (criminal)

values:
/wiki/Allen_West_(prisoner)
mw-redirect
Allen West (prisoner)

values: checkbox button toctogglecheckbox toctogglecheckbox display:none

values: -moz-column-width: 26em; -webkit-column-width: 26em; column-width: 26em;

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values:
/wiki/Writers_Guild_of_America,_west
mw-redirect
Writers Guild of America, west

values:
/wiki/Literary_agents
mw-redirect
Literary agents

values:
/wiki/Stunt_doubles
mw-redirect
Stunt doubles

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (March 2016)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values: Edit section: Background and historical accuracy

values:
/wiki/Harper_Collins
mw-redirect
Harper Collins

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.films101.com/y1979r.htm

values:
nofollow
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079116/
external text

values:
nofollow
external text
https://www.allmovie.com/movie/v16027

values:
/wiki/The_Blue_and_Gold
mw-redirect
The Blue and Gold

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner mw-collapsible mw-made-collapsible mw-collapsed

values:
/wiki/Alcatraz_Cellhouse
mw-redirect
Alcatraz Cellhouse

values: Former Military Chapel (Bachelor Quarters)

values:
/wiki/Alcatraz_Water_Tower
mw-redirect
Alcatraz Water Tower

values: List of inmates of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary

values:
/wiki/Joseph_Stewart_(Alaska)
mw-redirect
Joseph Stewart (Alaska)

values: Category:Escapes and escape attempts from Alcatraz

values: Category:Films based on non-fiction books

values: Category:Films set in the San Francisco Bay Area

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from March 2016

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Escape_from_Alcatraz_(film)
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values: الهروب من ألكتراز – Arabic

values: Escape from Alcatraz (cinta) – Aragonese

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-an
display: none;

values: এস্কেইপ ফ্রম অ্যালকাট্র্যাজ – Bangla

values: Απόδραση από το Αλκατράζ – Greek

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-el
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-eml
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-eu
display: none;

values: فرار از آلکاتراز (فیلم) – Persian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-fa
display: none;

values: L'Évadé d'Alcatraz (film, 1979) – French

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-gl
display: none;

values: Escape from Alcatraz (film) – Indonesian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-it
display: none;

values: הבריחה מאלקטרז – Hebrew

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-he
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-nl
display: none;

values: アルカトラズからの脱出 – Japanese

values: Escape from Alcatraz (Film) – Low German

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-nds
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-pl
display: none;

values: Побег из Алькатраса – Russian

values: Escape from Alcatraz (movie) – Simple English

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sl
display: none;

values: هەڵاتن لە ئەلکەتراز – Central Kurdish

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ckb
display: none;

values: Бекство из Алкатраза (филм) – Serbian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sr
display: none;

values: Escape from Alcatraz (film) – Serbo-Croatian

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sh
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sv
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-tr
display: none;

values: Втеча з Алькатраса – Ukrainian

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Escape_from_Alcatraz_film rootpage-Escape_from_Alcatraz_film skin-vector action-view