Midnight Express is a 1978 biographical film, based on the true story of Billy Hayes, a young American sent to a Turkish prison for trying to smuggle hashish out of Turkey to the US. It stars Brad Davis, Irene Miracle , Bo Hopkins , Paolo Bonacelli , Paul L. Smith, Randy Quaid, Norbert Weisser and John Hurt.
The screenplay was adapted by Oliver Stone from the book by Billy Hayes and William Hoffer . Alan Parker directed.
Billy Hayes has acknowledged the inaccuracy of many of the scenes in the movie; he was in a low-security prison, and no guard was killed in order for him to escape.
Although the film is set largely in Turkey, most of the location work was done in Malta, using local actors along with some Greeks and Armenians.
It won Academy Awards for Best Music, Original Score (Giorgio Moroder) and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Stone), and was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Hurt), Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Picture.
