Directed by Alan Parker (Mississippi Burning) and written by Oliver Stone (Platoon) the 1978 film Midnight Express related the purportedly true story of Billy Hayes (played by Brad Davis), an American who was sent to a brutal prison in Turkey for attempting to smuggle hashish out of the country.
Billy Hayes (Brad Davis) is a young American caught by Turkish police while attempting to smuggle hash out of Istanbul. He’s tried and sent to prison for four years, where he endures all manner of privation and abuse. As he finishes up his time, he’s shocked to learn that the Turkish High Court has added a further 30 years to his sentence. He is now thoroughly demoralized, and his life in prison grows increasingly unbearable until he concludes that escape is his only option.
Did Billy Hayes get married?
Hayes, 63, has been working as a writer, actor, producer and director in theater and film ever since. He’s married to Wendy West, daughter of Jackie West, who was for many years a driving force in Oklahoma City’s theater community before her death on May 4.
What happened to William Hayes of Midnight Express?
Hayes was arrested and jailed for trying to smuggle 4 ½ pounds of hashish out of Turkey in 1970. Caught at the airport as he was about to board his US bound plane, Hayes subsequently spent five years in jail in Turkey. He escaped from prison and upon his return to the US wrote a novel titled Midnight Express.
How long was Billy Hayes in jail?
Billy Hayes got busted 45 years ago while trying to smuggle two kilos of Turkish hash through the Istanbul airport, a story made famous in the chilling film « Midnight Express. » He spent five years locked up under a controversial life sentence before pulling off an unlikely escape.
How true is the movie Midnight Express?
Although the movie is based on a true story, it has been indicated by Billy Hayes twenty years after its release that what is presented in the movie is a very exaggerated version of what happened to him in the prison in Istanbul, Turkey.
What happened to Billy Hayes after he escaped?
Billy, now 63, was caught smuggling hash out of Istanbul to the US in 1970 and thrown in a hellish jail. After his escape four years later, he told his story in the best-selling book Midnight Express, which Oliver Stone and Alan Parker turned into an Oscar-winning film starring Brad Davis as Hayes.
Is Midnight Express a real story?
Directed by Alan Parker (Mississippi Burning) and written by Oliver Stone (Platoon) the 1978 film Midnight Express related the purportedly true story of Billy Hayes (played by Brad Davis), an American who was sent to a brutal prison in Turkey for attempting to smuggle hashish out of the country.
What happened to the real Billy Hayes?
Hayes, an American student, was caught trying to smuggle four pounds of hashish out of Turkey on October 7, 1970. . On May 12, 1975, the Turkish Constitutional Court declared amnesty for all drug offenses, which shortened Hayes’ sentence from life to 30 years; he was transferred to İmralı Prison on July 11, 1975.
Is Midnight Express based on true story?
The term “Turkish prison” has become synonymous with torture, depravity, corruption and chewed-off human tongues — all of that thanks to Alan Parker’s 1978 drama Midnight Express, which told the “true story” of an American backpacker who was jailed for trying to sneak a few kilos of grade-A hashish back into the United .
Who is Midnight Express based on?
Billy Hayes
How much is Billy Hayes worth?
Billy Hayes Net Worth: William « Billy » Hayes is an American actor, director, and writer who has a net worth of $500 thousand dollars. William Hayes is mostly known for his autobiography « Midnight Express » which was the base for a film of the same title. Hayes was born on April 3, 1947 in New York City, New York.
How did Billy Hayes escape?
Billy Hayes returned home yesterday after five years in Turkish prison from which he said he escaped by rowboat on a stormy might. “I just had to do it, I just had to get out of that awful jail,” the 23‐year‐old North Babylon, L. I., resident said.Oct 25, 1975
Is the film Midnight Express based on a true story?
Directed by Alan ParkerAlan ParkerAlan Parker, who was nominated for the best-director Oscar for the 1978 film “Midnight Express” and again 10 years later for “Mississippi Burning,” died on Friday in South London. He was 76. His death followed a long, unspecified illness, a spokeswoman for the British Film Institute said.www.nytimes.com › 2020/07/31 › movies › alan-parker-versa.Alan Parker, Versatile Film Director, Is Dead at 76 – The New York . (Mississippi Burning) and written by Oliver StoneOliver StoneLike his subject matter, Stone has become a controversial figure in American filmmaking, with critics accusing him of promoting unsubstantiated conspiracy theories, and of misrepresenting real-world events and figures in his works.en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Oliver_StoneOliver Stone – Wikipedia (Platoon) the 1978 film Midnight Express related the purportedly true story of Billy Hayes (played by Brad DavisBrad DavisActor Brad Davis, the all-American boy who starred as Billy Hayes in the film “Midnight Express” and originated the role of Ned Weeks in the play “The Normal Heart,” died Sunday at his home in Studio City. Davis was 41 and died of AIDS-related complications, said his wife, free-lance casting director Susan Bluestein.www.latimes.com › la-xpm-1991-09-10-mn-2443-storyBrad Davis, 41, Star of ‘Midnight Express,’ Dies – Los Angeles Times), an American who was sent to a brutal prison in Turkey for attempting to smuggle hashish out of the country.
Is the movie Midnight Express a true story?
The term “Turkish prison” has become synonymous with torture, depravity, corruption and chewed-off human tongues — all of that thanks to Alan Parker’s 1978 drama Midnight Express, which told the “true story” of an American backpacker who was jailed for trying to sneak a few kilos of grade-A hashish back into the United .
Was Midnight Express based on a true story?
The term “Turkish prison” has become synonymous with torture, depravity, corruption and chewed-off human tongues — all of that thanks to Alan Parker’s 1978 drama Midnight Express, which told the “true story” of an American backpacker who was jailed for trying to sneak a few kilos of grade-A hashish back into the United .
Is the Midnight Express a true story?
The term “Turkish prison” has become synonymous with torture, depravity, corruption and chewed-off human tongues — all of that thanks to Alan Parker’s 1978 drama Midnight Express, which told the “true story” of an American backpacker who was jailed for trying to sneak a few kilos of grade-A hashish back into the United .
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