The Border
“When Charlie Smith went down to the border, he found more than a boundary between Texas and Mexico. He found a line within himself.”
Synopsis
A corrupted border agent decides to clean up his act when an impoverished woman's baby is put up for sale on the black market.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Border 1982 Trailer | Jack Nicholson
Type: Trailer • Published 2017-06-08
Top Cast
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Jack Nicholson
Charlie Smith
Harvey Keitel
Cat
Valerie Perrine
Marcy
Warren Oates
Red
Elpidia Carrillo
Maria
Shannon Wilcox
Savannah
Manuel Viescas
Juan
Jeff Morris
J.J.
Mike Gomez
Manuel
Dirk Blocker
Beef
Lonny Chapman
Andy
Stacey Pickren
Hooker
Floyd Levine
Lou
James Jeter
Frank
Alan Fudge
Hawker
William Russ
Jimbo
Gary Grubbs
Honk
Gary Sexton
Slim
Release History & Theatrical Window
January 29, 1982
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$22M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$6.1M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.28x
-$15.9M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Tony Richardson
- Screenplay & Story
- Walon Green, Deric Washburn, David Freeman
- Original Score
- Ry Cooder, Domingo Samudio, Jim Dickinson
- Original Title
- The Border
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, Spanish
- Runtime
- 1h 48m
- Production Budget
- $22M
- Worldwide Gross
- $6.1M
- Production Studios
- Universal Pictures, Efer Productions, RKO Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Tony Richardson
Walon Green, Deric Washburn, David Freeman
Ry Cooder, Domingo Samudio, Jim Dickinson
Ric Waite, Vilmos Zsigmond
Robert K. Lambert
Neil Hartley, Edgar Bronfman Jr.
Department Leadership Roster
Tony Richardson
Director
Ry Cooder
Original Music Composer
Walon Green
Writer
Vicki Sánchez
Costume Design
Deric Washburn
Writer
Edgar Bronfman Jr.
Producer
Ric Waite
Director of Photography
Toby Carr Rafelson
Production Design
David Freeman
Writer
Robert K. Lambert
Editor
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Border.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Border.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Border
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Border about?
A corrupted border agent decides to clean up his act when an impoverished woman's baby is put up for sale on the black market.
Who directed The Border?
The Border was directed by Tony Richardson.
Who stars in The Border?
The principal cast of The Border includes Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel, Valerie Perrine, Warren Oates, Elpidia Carrillo.
When was The Border released and how long is it?
The Border was released in 1982 with a total runtime of 1h 48m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Border?
The Border had a reported production budget of $22M and grossed $6.1M at the worldwide box office (0.28 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for The Border?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Border was composed by Ry Cooder, Domingo Samudio, Jim Dickinson.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Border?
The Border holds official age classifications: DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: TP; GB: 18 (Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).