| Mastermind | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Alex March |
| Screenplay by | William Peter Blatty (as Terence Clyne) Ian McLellan Hunter (as Samuel B. West) |
| Story by | William Peter Blatty (as Terence Clyne) |
| Produced by | Malcolm Stuart |
| Starring | Zero Mostel Keiko Kishi Gawn Grainger |
| Cinematography | Gerald Hirschfeld |
| Edited by | John C. Howard |
| Music by | Fred Karlin |
| Color process | Metrocolor |
Production companies | ABC Pictures Master Associates |
| Distributed by | Goldstone Film Enterprises |
Release date |
|
Running time | 86 minutes |
| Countries | Japan United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2.5 million [1] |
Mastermind is a 1976 Japanese-American comedy thriller film directed by Alex March and starring Zero Mostel, Keiko Kishi and Gawn Grainger. Filmed in 1969, it sat on the shelf for seven years before receiving a limited theatrical release in 1976. It has developed a cult following since its release on home video.[ citation needed ]
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The second of producer Malcolm Stuart's two-picture deal with screenwriter, William Peter Blatty, the project was inspired by the success of the 1964 Peter Sellers comedy A Shot in the Dark which Blatty had co-written with producer/director Blake Edwards. Blatty's script was drastically revised by Ian McLellan Hunter prior to production, and the disgruntled screenwriter chose the pseudonym Terence Clyne for his screen credit. [2] By 1973 it had recorded a loss of $2.9 million. [1] Blatty's original screenplay was published as part of a limited edition collection by Lonely Road Books in 2013 as Five Lost Screenplays by William Peter Blatty.