Corrected entry: What makes Billy so sure (at least he looks very relieved after the famous, sweaty scene at Istanbul Airport) he won't have any problems dealing with the U.S.customs officers? Especially coming from a known "drug country" such as Turkey?
Midnight Express (1978)
1 corrected entry
Directed by: Alan Parker
Starring: Bo Hopkins, Irene Miracle, Paolo Bonacelli, Brad Davis
Visible crew/equipment: When Billy's girlfriend, Susan, visits him at the insane asylum section of the prison, just before Susan enters there is a reflection of a crew member on the left side of the screen giving the shot a ghostlike image. (01:35:15)
Tex: How much did you pay this joker? This cab driver?
Billy Hayes: Two hundred dollars. It was my last two hundred.
Tex: How much did you figure to make?
Billy Hayes: I was only gonna sell some of it to my friends. I'm not a pusher. Honest.
Tex: It beats workin'. Do you get a family back home?
Billy Hayes: Yeah, a mother, father, brother, sister in Babylon, Long Island.
Tex: It'll be tough on 'em.
Question: When they start exploring the catacombs under the prison, where did they get a flashlight?
Answer: I don't recall that it was explained, but it was probably stolen from a guard at some point and later traded from another prisoner.
I could assume that, sure, but I was looking for a more precise explanation. The more likely explanation is that they needed a light and the writers hoped no-one would notice. Seems like they could have used some sort of burning torches instead.
There is no precise explanation because it's not revealed in the plot how they got it. What they "could" have used is fan speculation, which opens dozens of possibilities, none of which are substantiated or relevant. They obviously obtained the flashlight, so that is what they used. How they got it, we don't know.
Answer: Exactly. How they got it, we don't know. Hence my question, to find out something I didn't know.
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Correction: Being caught in Turkey would be a lot worse for him than being caught in the US. Getting out of the country would be the first step, it's not strange that he relaxes for a while after believing to have gotten out.