A college professor's day: his top student allegedly commits suicide, his wife presents him with divorce papers and he overnights in a freshman girl's dorm. The next day: more murders around him. Will he find the killer in time?
Directors:
Stars:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Dennis Quaid | ... |
Dexter Cornell
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| Meg Ryan | ... |
Sydney Fuller
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| Charlotte Rampling | ... |
Mrs. Fitzwaring
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| Daniel Stern | ... |
Hal Petersham
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| Jane Kaczmarek | ... |
Gail Cornell
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| Christopher Neame | ... |
Bernard
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| Robin Johnson | ... |
Cookie Fitzwaring
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| Robert Knepper | ... |
Nicholas Lang
(as Rob Knepper)
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| Jay Patterson | ... |
Graham Corey
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| Brion James | ... |
Detective Ulmer
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| Jack Kehoe | ... |
Detective Brockton
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| Elizabeth Arlen | ... |
Elaine Wells
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Karen Radcliffe | ... |
Jane Corey
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| William Forward | ... |
Chief Resident
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Lee Gideon | ... |
Mr. Fitzwaring
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| Bill Bolender | ... |
Nick Lang, Sr.
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Hillary Hoffman | ... |
Corey's Daughter
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| John Hawkes | ... |
Sloane
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| Michael Stephen Costello | ... |
College President
(as Michael Costello)
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| Bill Johnson | ... |
Desk Sergeant
(as William Johnson)
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| Brent Anderson | ... |
Metcalf
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| Wendye Clarendon | ... |
Barb
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| Marco Perella | ... |
Cabbie
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Joye Swan | ... |
Survey Girl
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Charles Beecham | ... |
English Professor
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| Gabriel Folse | ... |
Frat Jock #1
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Matt Thompson | ... |
Frat Jock #2
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Barbara MacDonald | ... |
Timbuk 3
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Pat MacDonald | ... |
Timbuk 3
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Anne Carr | ... |
Guitar player (uncredited)
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| Mark Lawyer | ... |
Art Patron (uncredited)
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William Throckmorton | ... |
Kissing Booth Vendor (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Annabel Jankel | ||
| Rocky Morton | ||
Written by
| Charles Edward Pogue | ... | (story by) and |
| Russell Rouse | ... | (story by) & |
| Clarence Greene | ... | (story by) |
| Charles Edward Pogue | ... | (screenplay by) |
Produced by
| Andrew J. Kuehn | ... | co-producer (co-produced by) |
| Ian Sander | ... | producer (produced by) |
| Cathleen Summers | ... | co-producer (co-produced by) |
| Laura Ziskin | ... | producer (produced by) |
Music by
| Chaz Jankel | ||
Cinematography by
| Yuri Neyman | ||
Editing by
| Raja Gosnell | ||
| Michael R. Miller | ||
Editorial Department
| Michael Berenbaum | ... | first assistant editor |
| Susanne Gervay | ... | negative cutter |
| Lisa Lange | ... | post-production coordinator |
| Michael Pickel | ... | post-production associate |
| Pamela Reisenleiter | ... | second assistant editor |
| Douglas Walker | ... | post-production associate |
Casting By
| Nancy Foy | ||
Production Design by
| Richard Amend | ||
Set Decoration by
| Michael O'Sullivan | ||
Costume Design by
| Nancy Cone | ||
Makeup Department
| Bridget Bergman | ... | hair stylist |
| Barbara Olvera | ... | hair assistant / makeup assistant |
| Ronnie Specter | ... | makeup artist |
Production Management
| Jeanne Van Cott | ... | production manager |
| Jayne Armstrong | ... | post-production supervisor (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Sandy Collister | ... | second second assistant director |
| Louis D'Esposito | ... | first assistant director |
| Richard Patrick | ... | second assistant director |
Art Department
| Chez Cherry | ... | scenic paint foreman (as Chris Cherry) |
| Joe Cooper | ... | carpenter |
| Catherine Davis | ... | on-set dresser |
| Tom Dreesen | ... | construction coordinator (as Thomas Dreeson) |
| Mary Cecile Hjerter Gee | ... | carpenter |
| Marcos E. Gonzalez | ... | assistant props |
| Jeff Scott Graham | ... | carpenter |
| Rex Harder | ... | set dresser |
| Robert Janecka | ... | set dresser |
| John L. Kehoe | ... | property master |
| Terry Kempf | ... | construction foreman |
| Doug Lefler | ... | storyboard artist |
| Thomas Lemman | ... | carpenter |
| James Michael McBride | ... | set dresser |
| Brian McDonald | ... | set dresser |
| Jenny C. Patrick | ... | set dresser (as Jenny Patrick) |
| Richard Petty | ... | carpenter |
| Eric A. Williams | ... | lead man (as Eric Williams) |
| Leonard Wilson | ... | set dresser |
| Ron Greenwood | ... | property master: re-shoot (uncredited) |
| David Menefee | ... | carpenter (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| James Ashwill | ... | foley mixer |
| Kevin Bartnof | ... | foley artist |
| Anna Behlmer | ... | sound recordist |
| Gary C. Bourgeois | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Thomas Brandau | ... | sound mixer |
| Ed Callahan | ... | dialogue editor |
| Chris Carpenter | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Christine Danelski | ... | assistant sound editor |
| John Duvall | ... | foley editor |
| Thomas A. Fucci | ... | adr editor |
| John Haeny | ... | sound effects editor |
| Robin Harlan | ... | foley artist |
| Allen Hartz | ... | adr editor |
| Wayne Heitman | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Mary Jo Lang | ... | foley re-recordist |
| Maria Lee Silver | ... | assistant sound editor |
| Martin Maryska | ... | sound effects editor |
| Susan Mazzei | ... | assistant sound editor |
| John Morris | ... | dialogue editor |
| Lorie O'Shatz | ... | dialogue editor |
| Debbie Pinthus | ... | boom operator (as Deborah Pinthus) |
| Nic Ratner | ... | assistant sound editor |
| Jerry Ross | ... | supervising sound editor |
| Alicia Stevenson | ... | foley artist |
Special Effects by
| Jack 'Deuce' Bennett II | ... | special effects assistant |
| Jack Bennett | ... | special effects coordinator |
| Kenney Miller | ... | special effects assistant |
Stunts
| Jamie Bunch Elliott | ... | stunts (as Jamie S. Bunch) |
| Tim Butler | ... | stunts |
| Randy Fife | ... | stunt coordinator (as Randy 'Fife') / stunts (as Randy 'Fife') |
| Dale Graves | ... | stunts |
| James Pate | ... | stunts |
| Steve Pate | ... | stunts |
| Tim Short | ... | stunts |
| John Shults | ... | stunts (as Jon Shults) |
| Laura Scott Wallace | ... | stunts |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Robert Adams | ... | best boy grip |
| Daniel Anaya | ... | electrician |
| Bryan Ashford | ... | grip |
| Sharon Beard | ... | still photographer |
| Michael Cohn | ... | electrician |
| Stefan Czapsky | ... | additional photographer |
| Lee Daniel | ... | additional first assistant camera |
| Jim Dinn | ... | electrician |
| Robert K. Feldmann | ... | key grip (as Robert Feldman) |
| Morris Flam | ... | gaffer |
| Steve Graves | ... | grip |
| Christopher Hall | ... | electrician |
| Gregory Irwin | ... | first assistant camera |
| George Mays | ... | grip |
| Bill O'Drobinak | ... | second assistant camera |
| Richard Osborn Jr. | ... | additional first assistant camera |
| Christopher Rogers | ... | dolly grip |
| Martin Schaer | ... | camera operator |
| Steve Spallone | ... | best boy electric |
| Michael Spiller | ... | additional first assistant camera |
| Pat Waugh | ... | electrician |
| Tom Fraser | ... | additional camera operator (uncredited) |
Casting Department
| Cathy Sandrich Gelfond | ... | casting assistant: Los Angeles (as Cathy Sandrich) |
| Barbara Harris | ... | voice casting |
| Rody Kent | ... | casting: Texas |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Nancy Allen | ... | wardrobe supervisor |
| Yvonne Cervantes | ... | wardrobe supervisor |
| Shari Gray | ... | wardrobe assistant |
Location Management
| Eric Henshaw | ... | location restoration |
| George Herthel | ... | location manager |
| Keith Montgomery | ... | location assistant |
Music Department
| Don Hahn | ... | score engineer |
| Chaz Jankel | ... | score producer |
| Michael Linn | ... | music editor / score producer |
| Joe Schiff | ... | music |
| Mark Watters | ... | music arranger: string arrangements |
| Robert Randles | ... | music advisor (uncredited) |
| Leonard Rogowski | ... | composer: additional music (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Marita Grabiak | ... | script supervisor |
Transportation Department
| John East | ... | transportation captain |
| Jerry McKnight | ... | transportation coordinator |
| Joseph Lockwood | ... | driver (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Michael Barefoot | ... | first aid |
| Charles Bartlett | ... | adr voice |
| Sara Beechner | ... | production associate |
| Anne Carr | ... | craft service |
| Cathy Cavadini | ... | adr voice |
| Ron Dittman | ... | production associate |
| Ike Eisenmann | ... | adr voice |
| Rebecca Greeley | ... | production coordinator |
| Geoff Halpin | ... | logo typographer |
| William Heald | ... | production associate |
| Dominic Hoffman | ... | adr voice |
| Cathe Holley | ... | pre-production coordinator |
| Kevin Ivey | ... | production associate |
| Francine Lauzon | ... | assistant to producers |
| Jordan Levin | ... | publicity intern |
| Tina Lifford | ... | adr voice |
| Joanna Lipari | ... | adr voice |
| Nancy Locke | ... | assistant to producers |
| Christina MacGregor | ... | adr voice |
| April McKee | ... | craft service |
| Larry Moss | ... | adr voice |
| Susan Napoli | ... | adr voice |
| Jan Rabson | ... | adr voice |
| Julie Kay Rogers | ... | production associate |
| Bryan Scott | ... | adr voice |
| Rachel Shaw-Bayon | ... | production associate |
| Ellen Smith | ... | production associate |
| David Storrs | ... | synthesizer programmer |
| Bethlyn Gerard | ... | stand-in (uncredited) |
| Lisa S. Girolami | ... | associate production executive (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- Touchstone Pictures (presents)
- Silver Screen Partners III (in association with)
- Bigelow Productions
Distributors
- Buena Vista Pictures Distribution (1988) (United States) (theatrical) (as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc.)
- Buena Vista Pictures Distribution (1988) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1988) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1988) (France) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1988) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Touchstone Home Video (1988) (West Germany) (VHS)
- Warner Bros. (1989) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1989) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
- Egmont Films (1989) (Finland) (VHS)
- Touchstone Home Video (1989) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- Audio Visual Enterprises (1990) (Greece) (VHS)
- Canal+ (1991) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
- TV3 (1992) (Finland) (tv)
- ITV 1 (1993) (United Kingdom) (tv)
- Buena Vista International (1994) (India) (tv)
- Touchstone Home Video (1995) (United States) (VHS)
- Buena Vista International (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
- Touchstone Home Video (2002) (United States) (DVD)
- Buena Vista International (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
- Nelonen (2008) (Finland) (tv)
- Mill Creek Entertainment (2012) (United States) (DVD)
- Mill Creek Entertainment (2012) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Divisa Home Video (2015) (Spain) (DVD)
- BBC One (2016) (United Kingdom) (tv)
- Kino Lorber (2018) (United States) (Blu-ray)
- Kino Lorber (2018) (United States) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Rody Kent and Associates (casting: Texas)
- 3rd Coast Casting (extras casting)
- A. Countless Production (production accountant)
- Med-Star (first aid)
- Location Catering of the South (catering)
- TAJ Soundworks (foley recorded at)
- Directors Sound (adr recorded at)
- Ellsworth/Linn Associates (music editing)
- Hollywood Rental Company (production lighting)
- Texas Motion Picture Service (location editing services)
- Castle Oaks Productions (sound post-production)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Dexter Cornell, an English Professor, becomes embroiled in a series of murders involving people around him. Dexter has good reason to want to find the murderer but hasn't much time. He finds help and comfort from one of his students, Sydney Fuller. Written by Rob Hartill |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Someone poisoned Dexter Cornell. He's got to find out who. He's got to find out why. He's got to find out now. In 24 hours, he'll be Dead On Arrival. See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $3,500,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Third of five versions of the D.O.A. (Dead on Arrival) story with the first being the classic original film noir motion picture D.O.A. (1949) with other versions being D.O.A. (1988), Crank (2006), Color Me Dead (1969), and Dead on Arrival (2013). See more » |
| Goofs | At the end of the movie, Dex shoots the villain, who falls out of a window. Dex shot the villain in the front and the villain took several steps backward, without turning around. The next shot shows the villain very obviously jumping out of the window by running up to it facing forward and spinning around in the air. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Little Nikita/Vice Versa/D.O.A./Off Limits/Stand and Deliver (1988). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Too Much Sex, Not Enough Affection See more » |
| Crazy Credits | The opening Touchstone Logo is in black & white and the logo's flash is accompanied by a thunder clap. See more » |
| Quotes |
Bernard:
I don't think I like what you're inferring, Mr. Cornell... Dexter Cornell: [condescendingly] Implying. When I say it, that's implying. How you take it, that's inferring. Bernard: I see. Infer this. [punches Dexter] See more » |