Harlequin (1980) on Netflix

Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Harlequin (1980)

Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.

• David Bowie was the filmmakers' first choice to play the faith healer Gregory Wolfe, and conversations were held with him, but they got cold feet at the last minute and cast Robert Powell instead.
• Orson Welles was the original choice for the senator's role, but he wanted $80,000 a week for two weeks, so Broderick Crawford was cast instead.
• To hide its Australian setting, the film dubbed Alan Cassell's voice into an American accent and used the American political system; this was controversial at the time because Australian taxpayers' money paid for it.
• Everett de Roche's 400-page first draft made the central character, Gregory Wolfe, a priest, but the producers feared this would make the film hard to market in Catholic countries, so the character was changed.
• Harlequin was the first film funded by the newly formed West Australian Film Council. Other backers included the Australian Film Commission, Greater Union, Ace Theatres of Western Australia and Pact Productions, with the final $50,000 coming from Hemdale.