''The Last Word'' is a 1979 film starring

Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. Having studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, he rose to prominence as an icon of the British New Wave. He received numerous a ...

. It was the last film directed by

Roy Boulting John Edward Boulting (21 December 1913 – 17 June 1985) and Roy Alfred Clarence Boulting (21 December 1913 – 5 November 2001), known collectively as the Boulting brothers, were English filmmakers and identical twins who became known for thei ...

. It was also known as ''The Number''.

Plot

A washed-up inventor, Danny Travis, takes matters into his own hands in a very extreme way when he learns that his house will be condemned and his beloved children left on the street. Travis is so upset that when a city official comes to evict him from the premises, he takes the man hostage. A television reporter, Paula Herbert, turns public sympathies both for and against Travis, prolonging the story opportunistically as a Los Angeles police captain, Gerrity, attempts to defuse the situation.

Cast

as Danny Travis *

Karen Black Karen Blanche Black (née Ziegler; July 1, 1939 – August 8, 2013) was an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence for her work in various studio and independent films in the 1970s, frequently portr ...

as Paula Herbert *

Martin Landau Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's '' North by Northwest'' (1959). His career breakthrough c ...

as Capt. Gerrity *

Dennis Christopher Dennis Christopher Carrelli (born December 2, 1950) is a retired American actor whose film credits include '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' Fade to Black'' (1980), ''Chariots of Fire'' (1981), '' It'' (1990), and '' Django Unchained'' (2012). Ear ...

as Ben *

Christopher Guest Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born 5 February 1948), known professionally as Christopher Guest, is a British-American actor, comedian, screenwriter and director. Guest has written, directed, and starred in his series of comedy ...

as Roger *

Penelope Milford Penelope Dale Milford (born March 23, 1948) is an American stage and screen actress. She is best known for her role as Vi Munson in '' Coming Home'' (1978) for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also orig ...

as Denise *

Penny Santon Pierina Burlando (September 2, 1916 – May 12, 1999) was an American film, stage and television actress, who played the role of Mama Rosa Novelli in the American crime drama television series ''Matt Houston''. Santon died in May 1999 in Burban ...

as Mrs. Tempino

References

External links

* Films directed by Roy Boulting 1979 films 1970s English-language films American comedy-drama films 1979 comedy-drama films Films with screenplays by Michael Varhol 1970s American films English-language comedy-drama films {{1970s-US-film-stub