Location Flashback: Midnight Express (1978)

In this scene, Billy Hayes (Brad Davis) dressed in a guard’s uniform and after killing the abusive guard Hamidou (Paul Smith) walks out of the Turkish prison after spending five years locked up for dealing drugs.

The prison drama was directed by Alan Parker and adapted by Oliver Stone from Billy Hayes’s 1977 memoir of the same name. The film centers on Hayes, a young American student, who is sent to a Turkish prison for trying to smuggle hashish out of the country. The film’s title is prison slang for his escape attempt.

The film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for Parker at the 51st Academy Awards in 1979, and won Best Adapted Screenplay for Stone and Best Original Score for Georgio Moroder. It also won six Golden Globes including Best Motion Picture – Drama and BAFTA Awards for Best Direction, Best Editing and Best Actor in a Supporting role (for John Hurt).

Fort Saint Elmo is a star fort in Valletta, Malta. It stands on the seaward shore of the Sciberras Peninsula that divides the Marsamxett Harbor from Grand Harbor, and commands the entrances to both harbours along with Fort Tigne and Fort Riscasoli. It is best known for its the Great Siege of Matla in 1565.The end credits state the movie was made entirely on location in Malta. However, background shots of Istanbul were taken by a small crew pretending to be making a cigarette commercial, after they were denied permits for the film.